Always Leave Them Wanting More
When travel restrictions began last year, folks looked for ways to be able to experience or engage with their favorite places vicariously. Fan-generated on-ride videos, which had been on YouTube for years, became incredibly popular, with some folks crafting ways to experience their favorite rides at home with their families.
Many attractions responded to the restrictions by innovating their media offerings. Zoos and aquariums such as the Sedgwick County Zoo hosted live keeper chats. Museums and cultural sites like the Missouri Historical Society hosted virtual tours and online content (check out our Ask An Expert interview with MHS’s Amanda Clark). Theme parks like Efteling launched virtual tours for visitors to experience the park’s attractions and sights.
The popularity of these media innovations is likely to continue long-term. New tools are making media products more available and affordable to destinations of all sizes. With a few key(board) moves, your destination can get a media lift that leaves visitors wanting more.
Making Your Fans a Part of Your Team
Your guests are your most important content generators. Keep them engaged and excited, and give them on-site opportunities to create content, even if it’s as simple as surprising selfie spots.
The enthusiasm from their visit can easily lead to fandom, which can connect them with a myriad of online communities. Theme parks and waterparks have fan sites like Theme Park Insider, MiceChat, and Attractions Magazine, among many others, that provide an outlet for fans to report and comment on the latest happenings in the parks. Organizations like American Coaster Enthusiasts arrange group visits to theme and amusement parks. Museums and cultural sites have Facebook groups dedicated to them. Zoos and aquariums have organizations and forums like the Independent Zoo Enthusiasts Society and ZooChat. Keep tabs on these communities and potentially work with them to promote your destination and encourage repeat visitation.
Interacting, Even From Far Away
Get creative with the free social media channels available to you. Established platforms like Twitch, Tik Tok, Clubhouse, podcasts, as well as Live YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram moments, can push a deeper connection. Newer tools from Google and Amazon can help you craft an online tour experience that maximizes engagement and goes beyond the standard photo or video tour.
Monterey Bay Aquarium, for example, has a robust YouTube channel and Twitch stream, with frequent videos from inside the aquarium and themed gaming streams. In a clever move, they designed an island with its own aquarium and museum in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and they use it to frequently engage with visitors and guest speakers from other institutions, like the Field Museum in Chicago.
Google Earth has tools that individuals and organizations can use for guided tours, utilizing the program’s map and Streetview assets, along with links to exterior sites. It’s a powerful tool that can help educate and entertain; check out Theme Parks Around the World or a tour of the National Parks of the United States.
Google Arts & Culture Collections has partnered with many museums from around the world and is providing guests a virtual look at art exhibits. One of the more bespoke galleries from the partnership is the British Museum’s “Museum of the World”.
Amazon Explore, a recently launched program, aims to provide paid, one-on-one virtual experiences and tours, some even providing on-demand shopping during the tour. Among the many tours offered, you can explore the sights and sounds of Tokyo, do a Haunted History of Chicago, or get a tour of New York City through the eyes of Alexander Hamilton.
Build and Maintain the Connection
Whether you’re pushing out passive media that your destination has produced, creating an interactive experience that engages long-time and potential guests, or promoting your guests’ content about your venue, media allows you to maintain a connection with your guests that can attract new visitors, turn those new visitors into lifelong fans, and leave them always wanting more of your destination.
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