In the world of guided tours, the debate often centres around the choice between audio guides and multimedia guides with screens. The choice between the two ultimately depends on the context and goals of the experience (as well as budget) but theRead More
Places of worship are at the heart of our historic environment. They are often the buildings with the longest period of continuous use in a community and as such, they are storehouses of collective memory, cultural identity and regional history. While theirRead More
As cultural hubs, visitor attractions hold the key to unlocking knowledge, fostering shared experiences, and celebrating diverse perspectives. Yet, for visitors who are D/deaf, hard of hearing, or visually impaired, navigating these spaces can pose a significant barrier. This is where signRead More
The internet should be a space for everyone, regardless of ability. Unfortunately, many websites remain inaccessible to individuals with disabilities, creating barriers to information, communication and participation. Many people need information about a venue before they decide if it’s for them. ThisRead More
Museums, galleries and visitor attractions are gateways to culture, knowledge, and shared experiences and ensuring that everyone, regardless of physical abilities, can fully participate in and enjoy these cultural spaces is a crucial aspect of creating an inclusive society. This isn’t justRead More
Unlocking Family Engagement With an average of £485 per household spent on days out in 2023 (an increase on 2022 and predicted to grow again in 2024), you will want to make sure that your venue is getting its share and byRead More
Museums and galleries have long been revered as gatekeepers of culture, history, and art. However, in our fast-paced world, they need to fight for attention. That’s where technology comes in. Forget dusty leaflets and static displays. Imagine interactive games bringing historical figuresRead More
The International Tourism Opportunity: It was predicted that by 2025 the UK tourism industry would be worth over £257 billion, but the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic had other ideas, putting worldwide travel to a stop, resulting in a decline of 73% in visitorsRead More
Museums and galleries have long been revered as gatekeepers of culture, history, and art. However, in our increasingly digital age, these institutions are faced with the challenge of staying relevant and engaging for modern visitors. One solution gaining momentum is the adoptionRead More
ATS provides a comprehensive interpretive service to clients in the heritage, leisure and tourism sector. This service includes consultancy, content development and production, hardware design and manufacturing, and technical and operational support. The objective of everything we do is to provide exceptionalRead More
5 Reasons Why You Should Consider Adding a Welcome Video to Your Website In an age where the internet is often the first point of contact, more and more visitor attractions are discovering the value of a compelling welcome video on theirRead More
Our Digital Experience Consultant, John Harte had the great pleasure of presenting at the AVEA conference, talking about a subject very close to our hearts, Access and Inclusion. Here is a summary of his presentation. What do we mean by Access andRead More
In the realm of modern tourism, audio guides have emerged as powerful tools to enhance visitor experiences at museums, historical sites, parks and visitor attractions. These guides can bridge the gap between information and immersion, allowing visitors to delve deeper into theRead More
We’re very excited to announce a new partnership between ATS and Signapse. Signapse are building AI technology which translates text into sign language automatically. With more than 150,000 sign language users in the UK alone, Signapse’s mission is to ensure as much informationRead More
There are over 1,400 historic houses, stately homes and gardens across the UK and between them they welcome over 21 million visits a year. They truly are the heritage backbone of the UK’s tourism industry. Sarah Callander Beckett is Chair of HistoricRead More
In this ever-evolving technological landscape, it is crucial for our sacred spaces to adapt and embrace new avenues of communication to connect with congregations and share the stories and messages of our places of worship with the wider world. Digital interpretation tools,Read More
It breaks our heart when we see kids who are bored at a visitor attraction. It’s a day out! They’re supposed to be having a good time, not kicking their heels. And it’s just as disappointing when parents feel like they’ve notRead More
Digital interpretation comes in a bewildering array of forms. It also has a confusing number of names; multimedia, interactive or even mobile interpretation. Put simply, digital interpretation allows museums, heritage sites and visitor attractions to embrace new technologies and innovative approaches toRead More
We are proud to work with museums, attractions and heritage sites of all shapes and sizes, helping to deliver extraordinary on-site and online digital visitor experiences. The last few decades of digital interpretation have been an exciting time for the industry asRead More
What makes a virtual tour stand out, and what can you do to get more engagement from digital audiences? We’ve taken a look at some of the best digital tours in the market, from Buckingham Palace and St Paul’s Cathedral to emergingRead More
With this week being Deaf Awareness Week we thought we’d answer a common question – why a D/deaf person would need BSL and/or subtitles? The answer is it depends on the D/deaf person’s first or preferred language. // You might also be wonderingRead More
The most difficult challenge around inclusion of deaf visitors is communication. I’m going to ask you to do one important thing this week, as an individual, or as a team, I want you to think about what your visitor journey is likeRead More
We are delighted to be back at the Museums and Heritage Show in Olympia on Wednesday 10th and Thursday 11th May and we’d love to see you there – register for your free pass using our exclusive link. Not only will weRead More
Choosing the right voice to represent your visitor attraction, museum or heritage site is a big decision. If your guide is going to be in place for a few years, you want to get it right. It can also be a ratherRead More
ATS has been granted a Royal Warrant by Her Majesty The Queen in recognition of their supply of digital guide services. Royal Warrants of Appointment are a mark of recognition to those who supply goods or services to the households ofRead More
As digital storytellers, we know that historic sites far from dull! But history can have something of a poor reputation with the general public – for some, there may even be some bad memories of boring teachers at school. Museums, galleries, historicRead More
We love a challenge at ATS. So, when global safety equipment firm Survitec asked us to create a virtual museum to celebrate their 100th anniversary, we jumped at the chance. Survitec are marking their centenary year under the theme of ‘ARead More
How do you safely undertake a film shoot during a pandemic? This is the question that we were faced with as we prepared to film at Blenheim Palace for the much-anticipated Churchill Exhibition. ATS were commissioned to produce a new online virtualRead More
Next in our ‘In Conversation’ series, Louise speaks to Julian Humphrys, Historian, Writer, Guide and Lecturer. They discuss the approaches to interpreting a field and how to overcome the biggest challenge of bringing an empty space to life and making it relevantRead More
Preparing to welcome visitors over the Christmas period is always a busy time – but 2020 has brought its own unique and unexpected challenges. Join us, as we catch up with Faye Kelly of Hever Castle to learn about the changes theyRead More
The pandemic has inspired many trends, but one of the most notable for our sector has been the increase in the number of attractions and cultural sites investing in an off-site digital experience. From 3D virtual tours to video walk-throughs, we’ve beenRead More
A presentation from the Connecting Culture 2020 Virtual Conference. Spencer Clark along with Anne Fletcher, Director of Interpretation and Louise Wainwright, Senior Producer were invited to share their experience and advice on how to create effective digital engagement and world class on-siteRead More
With audiences to cultural and heritage attractions becoming increasingly younger and domestic, it has been revealed that 88% of attractions believe technology will play a more central role in their visitor experience offering. A poll of 110 visitor experience professionals from across the UK & Ireland found that the majorityRead More
How do you create an environment for visitors that is both an enjoyable experience and one that is Covid-safe? This is the challenge that organisations of all sizes have wrestled with in recent months. We caught up with three leading attractions andRead More
As visitor attractions across Ireland begin to reopen their doors to the public, it has been revealed that almost two thirds are making changes on-site to accommodate a younger, domestic audience. The poll of visitor experience professionals from tourist attractions and heritageRead More
Culture and tourism professionals revealed this week that they have not received sufficient guidance on how to safely reopen to visitors after lockdown. The poll of 154 professionals from tourist attractions and heritage sites found that 71% were not satisfied that theyRead More
With social distancing likely to be in place as attractions and institutions prepare to open their doors, many are considering how best to maximise the number of potential visitors, while at all times observing social distance guidelines. Signage, staff and volunteers willRead More
V&A Dundee offered the perfect setting to hold our new workshop on how to ‘Unlock your best visitor experience’. A series of sessions explored why high-quality visitor experiences are increasingly important, how to begin designing the right experience, and how to attractRead More
ATS Heritage is celebrating its 25th birthday in November this year. With the advances in technology and the changing face of how to deliver the best visitor experience, we interviewed founder and MD, Mike Howie to gain his insight into the futureRead More
ATS were asked to provide audio guide handsets for the National Civil War Centre in Newark. The centre currently has several trails to share with their visitors, these range from their Augmented Reality Trail using smartphones and devices, to a more handsRead More
Bringing the past to life when there are only limited visual cues is a challenge. Think of a visit to a country house, a castle or a cathedral and you’ll perhaps think of the grand buildings themselves. And also their splendid interiorsRead More
Finding the balance of high tech and low tech interpretation is a common challenge across Museums and Heritage sites. It’s a highly creative process, exploring ideas and concepts that will engage audiences and deliver a memorable visitor experience. We introduced the ElthamRead More
The anticipation of being shortlisted for an AHI award for our work at Eltham Palace finally came to a nail biting end, with this innovative project coming away with the ‘Association for Heritage Interpretation Discover Award’ for the ‘Museums and historic properties/sites’ category.Read More
ATS Heritage has joined forces with two English Heritage properties to explore stories about the life of the Duke of Wellington Audience research conducted by English Heritage in the last few years shows that many members of the public – even thoseRead More
Hot topics on digital interpretation & visitor experiences What an exciting few days we had in Cardiff celebrating 125 years of the Museums Association. Energetic visitors to our stand shared project ideas and explored innovative ways to improve visitor engagement. So we thought we’d share some ‘hotRead More
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