Activating attractions has just got a whole lot easier with 181 million outbound visitor nights now directed to domestic alternatives.
Covid 19 has seen a rennaisance in self-drive visitation especially in regions, so activating attractions has just got a whole lot easier. But though a rising tide ‘llifts all boats’ if you are not sure how to row that boat or what bait to use, you might still not be catching any fish (or seeing people through your doors).
We have helped many managers at Aboriginal cultural centres, Council run attractions, galleries, outdoor mazes, waterparks, recreation centres, go-cart tracks, zoos… you name it, to activate their space.
So how? And where do we start? We always start with a quick snapshot of numbers, the external environment and unpacking the problem. More often than not, displays are sedentary, stuck in time and place ‘information boards’ and that is just not enough to draw in modern digital savvy and story-hungry audiences, especially if there's a cover charge.
But it doesn’t necessarily mean you must upgrade to tech. Many people want to get away from digital and screens, so tech has to really elevate or immerse audience storytelling. Much like an art-show or performance. You do not have to be George Lucas nor Atlassian to succeed in this space! There are many tweaks that can be made, to get more foot traffic.
Activating attractions doesn’t always need big, new infrastructure either. It could be you get results from better targeting niche markets or adding on a new service to make it more attractive like a food/wine add-on, or on-site pet-sitting (bring Rex!), or integrating services, for e.g. get a mobile carwash while you are go-karting with the kids; or bookshops in heritage buildings taking over the Council’s library function with a barista (big in Italy). Or it could be something simple like changing visitor hours if there’s a market who just cannot get there between 9-5.
Or it may be that that you are not visible and you know what that means…. promotions 101. Brand, advertising etc, but distribution to self-drive channels is different. CVC has been watching the self-drive market evolve since 2003. They are getting younger, more demanding and it’s very unstructured and spontaneous. As self-drivers are more connected to the grassroots when they drive through towns and talk to people they get new ideas and recommendations from locals.
In SA the government announced eligible product development can be 30% funded through TIRF, $20m until March 2022. We wager that other states will adopt something similar, and we are all for regional refurbs!
If you need help to get more action in your Attraction call Susan on 0466 090 600 and we’d love to talk through how we can help you.
