Social distancing has become a vital part of life in 2020, integrated into almost everything we do. Businesses and attractions around the world have had to adapt, and learn how to convince their customers and guests to maintain a safe distance between themselves and others in order to protect us all. We’ve seen it all, from the wacky and impractical to the downright genius. But how can visitor attractions apply these methods to their industry, to encourage guests to stay safe during their visit?
Head/footwear and Clothing
Certain clothing creations have attracted attention online, such as Grigore Lup’s UK size 31 shoes, which he began making when he noticed that people in Cluj (the transylvanian city where he lives) were not socially distancing themselves and taking the COVID-19 precautions seriously.
Another impractical initiative is creating large hats made of swimming pool woggles to demonstrate to others exactly how far away they should be staying, which has been spotted around the world in various settings. Children at a primary school in China have also been crafting their own hats out of balloons and cardboard.
Technology Solutions
Technology has provided some more practical solutions. Museums in Italy have given visitors lanyards with buzzers which sound when they get too close to someone else. Created by BBC Creative, Snapchat’s Two Metre Peter filter enables users to view an augmented reality version of the two metres tall football player Peter Crouch, showing them in real time exactly how close they were to other people and objects.
Two Metre Peter wasn’t the only filter the social media giant has been providing to promote social distancing. The Snap Safe Lens, from We Are Social UK, also shows snapchat users how far away they should be staying from other people. However, instead of showing a football player on the ground, this filter featured the classic yellow and black colouring known to all as a safety barrier and warning sign colours. The lens also displayed a warning to users when they moved too close to another person, reminding them to ‘Stay Back, Save Lives’. The filter was designed in response to the UN International Call to Creatives.
Visitor attraction app gamification
Visitor attraction apps are an ideal tool to make social distancing fun. Data Duopoly’s XplorIT range already includes functionality to create gamified trails around an attraction’s site. GPS geofences trigger specific interactive activities at each section of the trail. Examples of games that can be used include quizzes, photo challenges (automatically linking to the phone’s camera), and recording sounds. On completion of the trail visitors win a digital trophy and all photos from the trail are saved on the visitor’s camera roll to create a fun memento of the visit.
The educational and fun elements of the games can be adapted to encourage and reward social distancing. By creating trails around the site, visitor flow can be manipulated to prevent crowding. In addition, messages and rewards can be sent to guests to encourage them to visit specific exhibits, shows or shops, cafes and restaurants.
So before you invest in woggle hats or size 31 shoes, why not get in touch?