Ways to Engage with Visitors

We know it’s important to engage with visitors if we want to create a strong visitor experience, but what does engagement mean?

To engage is ‘to involve somebody or become involved’. So how do you do that if you’re taking a booking, leading a tour or cleaning a room?

Visitors have different preferences about how they like to enjoy themselves. Fortunately, there are many ways to engage them.

Physical

Encourage exploration of a place or site and provide opportunities (where appropriate) to touch, smell, hear or see something special. Once you know something about their interests, suggest locations for discovery.

Intellectual

Get them thinking about what makes the place and people ‘tick’. A quick example, an anecdote, sharing something that helps make the experience distinctive – these things can bring fresh perspectives.

Emotional

Provide opportunities for visitors to empathise with those who have strong connections with the place or subject matter, now and in the past. Also focus on what evokes an emotional response, either directly such as a former fisherman sharing a passion for his patch of coast, or indirectly like the positioning of a seat for contemplation or a symbolic installation.

Interactivity

Provide active opportunities for visitors to create their own experience or contribute to the experience of others – things they can do, make, check out for themselves or share. Examples include shucking an oyster, putting on miner’s safety gear, recording birdlife or searching a convict database. Ask questions that enable them to share their knowledge or background.

Social

Support social opportunities between visitors where appropriate. This might include such things as providing facilities like picnic and barbecue areas, introducing people with common interests to each other, and encouraging visitors to share information or stories.

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