With visitors beginning to return to cultural sites and visitor attractions, how they behave on-site in a post-Covid world has been followed with great interest. With many attractions offering a downloadable app version of their audio or multimedia tour, a question mark hung over whether visitors would use on-site devices. The initial signs have been surprisingly positive.

In the first few weeks since reopening, the percentage of visitors taking an on-site audio or multimedia device has remained at over 90% at St Paul’s Cathedral, Windsor Castle and Bletchley Park. Highly visible cleaning regimes have contributed to this success, with visitors able to see the thorough methods in place to ensure that the devices are safe to use.

Among the reasons that visitors continue to prefer to use an on-site device rather than a downloadable app include:

· Not wanting to run down the battery on their own phone – particularly if they need to keep their screen awake for an hour-long tour

· Not wishing to use up the memory on their phone with a sizable, media-rich app

· Preserving their mobile data plan by not downloading an app over 4G

· Not being familiar with the process of downloading an app from the app stores

Communication has been key to this success, as sites have gone to great lengths to reassure visitors that their experience will be as safe and enjoyable as possible. Among the techniques successfully employed so far include:

· A pre-visit video to update visitors on the post-Covid hygiene measures in place, including how devices are cleaned between each use

· Visible on-site cleaning at the main distribution desk

· Offering visitors the opportunity to use their own headphones, if they prefer

· Clear signage on their website and social channels, alerting visitors to the new, enhanced cleaning regime

Contact us today to discuss your needs and we could soon be helping you to welcome back visitors with an audio or multimedia tour of your own.