Visitor centers are more than just a stop along the road.
Many of us think of visitor centers as places to stop for brochures or grab a snack from the vending machine on our way to our final destination. But they’ve become so much more than that over the years. They’re places where people can connect to the city in which they’re based and to each other—through stories and interactive elements.
The travel industry is recovering, so as more people head out on vacation, here are a few reminders for visitor centers looking to capture more foot traffic.
Create a connection between who’s visiting and what’s on display.
Visitor centers should make a connection to who or what is surrounding the center. For example, Palmyra Cove has about 250 acres of nature reserve. It acts as an introduction to the museum, just like a visitor center does to a location. Visitors become citizen scientists as they explore the reserve, and that curiosity carries over when they step inside. Showing how your visitor center ties into the space around it allows people to make a deeper connection beyond just a quick stop in their journey.
Go beyond basic accessibility.
It’s important to have ramps and wheelchair-accessible bathrooms, but giving people a completely streamlined experience is something they’ll remember. Plus, making those important updates now puts you ahead of the curve, lessening the amount of updates you’ll have to make later.
Depending on if you’re attracting many international visitors, consider adding a currency exchange location or an ATM machine. And along those lines, if you have any exhibits, you might choose to offer auditory versions in multiple languages so more people can enjoy it.
There are a couple other additions you may have on your radar as well, if your budget allows. Breastfeeding rooms for pregnant folks passing through as well as sensory retreat rooms for people on the autism spectrum make for an even more inclusive center.
Tell stories instead of writing textbooks.
Stories are connection points for folks walking through your center. Talk about the history of your visitor center through the stories of it being built. If something significant happened nearby, try to find a subject matter expert to expand upon that. Keep the stories engaging so visitors feel compelled to keep reading. Using multiple mediums to tell stories can help encourage them. If it makes sense—and there’s a way to put a screen up and out of the way—you might try playing videos on a loop with subtitles.
Fill an experience gap.
If there are prestigious museums surrounding your visitor center, then maybe a traveling exhibit wouldn’t add value to the area. But maybe a unique event would be a worthwhile experience to provide. For example, nature centers at parks can be folks’ first point of contact as they step out of their cars, just like visitor centers when people are traveling. Brecksville Reservation and The West Woods offer black oil sunflower seeds to feed chickadees in the winter.
Discovering there’s something cool going on can make all the difference in visitor retention (and may encourage them to come back). A couple other ideas that might benefit your local area are hosting a maker market or even a business networking event to show locals you’re there for them as much as people passing through.
Give visitors a place to recharge—figuratively and literally.
To keep visitors inside for a while, offer comfortable areas to sit as well as outlet stations. You might want to have a poster about it that people can see as they pull in or post flyers in the bathroom to take advantage of that foot traffic. Tell them how to get to your phone charging station, and add something engaging nearby that they can look at while they wait for their phone.
People will always visit your visitor center, but make it a place they want to revisit.
Create something that draws folks to your visitor center, whether it’s a history wall, traveling exhibit, or otherwise. Monitor what brochures are most popular and customize your visitor center to those topics. Or survey folks who walk in the door to see what they’d find most helpful or attention-grabbing. Visitor centers are so important for travelers, so no matter what you choose to do, adapt with them in mind.