THE PHONE STARE


We’ve all seen it; and every single time, it’s astonishing. The golden treasures of King Tutankhamen’s tomb could be piled high to the ceiling; the Looney Tunes could be skipping and tumbling down Main Street in a grand parade; or a beautiful whale shark could be silently gliding by. And despite the spectacle, visitors are staring down into the cool blue light of their phones.


It’s a perplexing, and oſtentimes frustrating, phenomenon that every interpreter and ride operator witnesses on a daily basis – a phenomenon that barely existed five years ago! Despite the thousands of hours that go into the research, training, education, design, construction, and marketing of our atractions and exhibits, 74% of guests are still drawn into their litle handheld screens, missing beautiful moments and brilliant lessons. At last, PGAV Destinations has answered the one question that our front-line guest services staff has asked for the last two decades:


What are they doing?


We asked destination visitors point-blank, “What do you use your device for when standing in front of an exhibit/atraction?” We received every researcher’s favorite answer: it depends, and it depends on what they’re visiting. If guests are at a zoo, aquarium, theme park, or water park, they’re most likely texting their friends specifically about the visit (50% for zoos and aquariums, 52% for parks). If they’re visiting historic sites, old homes, museums, or art galleries, they’re more likely to be looking up information related to the destination where they are (52% for historic sites and old homes, 49% for museums and art galleries).


Across all four sectors studied, roughly 40% of destination visitors said they were using their mobile device to check their email or post on Facebook about the visit; only 29% were responding to those emails; and roughly 14% were listening to music or Tweeting about their visit.


What’s just as interesting as what they are doing is what they’re most likely not doing. Less than 10% of the respondents said that they were reading unrelated online articles, and less than 4% of respondents said they were chating on social media with their friends about things unrelated to the destination (except for theme and water parks, at which 11% of visitors are out in the Twiter and Facebook-verse).


So despite the confusion and frustration you may have experienced witnessing “the phone stare,” all is not lost! The majority of guests are enhancing their experience at your destination by creating a dialogue around it with other people who aren’t there – yet.


WHAT DO YOU USE YOUR DEVICE FOR WHILE VISITING A LEISURE ATTRACTION?


48%


Text friend about your visit


42%


Look up information related to this attraction


40%


Leave a post/photo on social media about visit


40% Check your email


29% Send email


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