The Digital Query “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”


Arthur C. Clarke, most notably the co-writer of the screenplay for 2001: A Space Odyssey.


As destination designers, we live and breathe that idea every day. With each new atraction or exhibit, theme park or aquarium, we use different types of technologies like a painter uses pastels to blur the lines between the real and the fantastical to create magical experiences.


But sometimes we need to step back and ask ourselves, “how much is too much?” We observe destination visitors like Jane Goodall studied chimpanzees, and we watch them as they wander park trails staring into their smartphones; wiping their hands across touch screens with faces of wonder; jumping and playing in front of motion-sensing games; and scream in excitement as 4D rides launch them through adventures. And we always wonder:


Do they like it? What do they like the most? What do they want more of?


What’s no longer relevant? This year, PGAV Destinations teamed up with H2R Market Research to study the impact that technology is having on America’s destinations, and the preferences and opinions of today’s destination visitors. We interviewed 500 destination guests from across the country that own or use internet ready mobile devices, and delved into their technological preferences, fears, skills, and knowledge.


The study’s findings unravel the key mysteries of what’s going through your guests’ minds while they enjoy the lights, sounds, buzzes, and zips of your destination, and where you can make some strategic improvements to upgrade to Destination 3.0.


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