PGAV Destinations, the St. Louis-based planning and design firm, has published the results of its latest research into destination guests’ evolving technology preferences.
Digitizing Destinations 3.0 looks at the functional and experiential technologies used by guests at theme parks, zoos, aquariums, museums, and heritage sites in the US.
PGAV Destinations’ findings could help managers of attractions to deliver the right experiences to the right people at the right time, creating bespoke interactions that enhance guest satisfaction.
The study examines:
- How guests currently use their smartphones at destinations. A surprising and pleasing finding was that the majority of guests using smartphones at attractions are using them to share their experience with friends and family.
- Current guest satisfaction levels with destination technology and how important a factor technology is in the decision to visit. It appears that technology plays a key role and the majority of guests are “quite dissatisfied” by the average technology at destinations.
- Guests’ preferences for technology at attractions; the study includes a market segmentation analysis according to attitudes to technology.
- The technology that guests want to see more of at destinations.
Mike Konzen, PGAV Destinations principal and chair, said, “As destination designers, we’re continuously pushing the boundaries of integrating cutting edge technology into new attractions, but it’s about finding the right balance. Our clients are always interested in what their guests are thinking, and what they’re doing on their mobile devices, so this research endeavor really helps to clarify some questions for a lot of destination stakeholders.”
Other studies published by PGAV Destinations include Storytelling, STEM Education, The New Destination Visitor, The Art of the Family Vacation and Millennials which can be found on the company’s website alongside their quarterly newsletter, Destinology.
