What Solutions for Managing Tourism Flow?
Good flow management improves the experience for visitors and employees alike. The use of technology facilitates travel and contributes positively to the visitor's welcome.
Good flow management improves the experience for visitors and employees alike. The use of technology facilitates travel and contributes positively to the visitor's welcome.
Queues have grown since the start of the pandemic. They are so significant that they make headlines regularly. Consumers line up for just about everything: grocery shopping, booking a time slot for a leisure activity, getting vaccinated, etc. The patience of citizens is strained, so to better accommodate their customers, several businesses are reviewing their flow management strategy.
A good place to start is to have a general knowledge of your market, its flow patterns and its needs. Collecting this information makes it possible to define peaks and identify the most sensitive places and times in order to develop an effective welcome strategy, according to various scenarios.
The visitor experience is at the heart of this reflection.
By producing a design service that takes into account each segment of the visitor cycle, it is possible to identify and trim down elements generating tensions. It is a good opportunity to work on solutions aimed at harmoniously integrating waiting times into the visit.
When the time comes to plan an activity, visitors expect quick access to information that will help them better prepare for their trip. Several incentives allow a better spread of arrivals and contribute favourably to the application of health measures. Some are carried out prior to their arrival on site. For example:
The technological shift in flow management has accelerated in recent years. Apps and tools are developing rapidly and the agility of startups is a great asset. Here are some examples –
The Quebec company Axper has developed a tool that helps limit the number of visitors and better manage flow within a location. The counting system is linked to a screen that informs individuals whether or not they can go inside. This solution avoids having to leave an employee at the entrance of a place.
Those waiting outside have the choice of staying put or using a virtual queuing solution that notifies them on their mobile phone when it’s their turn.
Another Quebec company has been developing a tech solution for several years to offer a connected experience, among other things, for tourist sites and events. Thanks to RFID technology, the Connect & Go smart bracelet contributes to site access management and capacity control. Visitors scan their wristbands to enter and exit different areas. The data is then transmitted to a dashboard which informs operators of flows in real-time.
The company also offers a ticketing, payment and activity system. Here is a video showing how it was used by the Super Aqua Club of Pointe-Calumet.
Visitors want to be informed of their progress in a queue, to know which route to take when certain routes seem too busy, the reason for a delay or an interruption in service; in short, they want us to communicate with them. Several mobile apps and screens in waiting areas ensure that this type of information is provided.
In Val-Thorens, France, the resort uses the Skiflux system (article in French), which notifies skiers in real time of traffic on the slopes. This tech solution compiles the number of passages on selected routes. The results are then broadcasted on four giant screens located at the start of the slopes.
Planning arrivals and the movement of visitors strategically is essential. From the outset, queues will influence the first impression on people’s welcome. Inside a site, crowds will affect visitors’ appreciation and comfort, their desire to consume and the way they talk about their experience upon their return. For employees, frustrations experienced by visitors can deteriorate their working conditions.
Not all queues are the same; the way to manage them isn’t either. Each situation requires a personalised approach that fits the context, but also the visitors’ needs and expectations. Solutions aimed at reducing flows and queues are abundant and innovative tech tools are multiplying. To take effective action, you should not skip steps, but rather take the time to make a diagnosis to understand your own reality.
This article is published in partnership with Transat Chair in tourism at the Université du Québec à Montréal, School of Management (ESG-UQAM). This article was originally written in French by Amélie Racine, 18 May 2021, we have provided an English translation.
Queues have grown since the start of the pandemic. They are so significant that they make headlines regularly. Consumers line up for just about everything: grocery shopping, booking a time slot for a leisure activity, getting vaccinated, etc. The patience of citizens is strained, so to better accommodate their customers, several businesses are reviewing their flow management strategy.
A good place to start is to have a general knowledge of your market, its flow patterns and its needs. Collecting this information makes it possible to define peaks and identify the most sensitive places and times in order to develop an effective welcome strategy, according to various scenarios.
The visitor experience is at the heart of this reflection.
By producing a design service that takes into account each segment of the visitor cycle, it is possible to identify and trim down elements generating tensions. It is a good opportunity to work on solutions aimed at harmoniously integrating waiting times into the visit.
When the time comes to plan an activity, visitors expect quick access to information that will help them better prepare for their trip. Several incentives allow a better spread of arrivals and contribute favourably to the application of health measures. Some are carried out prior to their arrival on site. For example:
The technological shift in flow management has accelerated in recent years. Apps and tools are developing rapidly and the agility of startups is a great asset. Here are some examples –
The Quebec company Axper has developed a tool that helps limit the number of visitors and better manage flow within a location. The counting system is linked to a screen that informs individuals whether or not they can go inside. This solution avoids having to leave an employee at the entrance of a place.
Those waiting outside have the choice of staying put or using a virtual queuing solution that notifies them on their mobile phone when it’s their turn.
Another Quebec company has been developing a tech solution for several years to offer a connected experience, among other things, for tourist sites and events. Thanks to RFID technology, the Connect & Go smart bracelet contributes to site access management and capacity control. Visitors scan their wristbands to enter and exit different areas. The data is then transmitted to a dashboard which informs operators of flows in real-time.
The company also offers a ticketing, payment and activity system. Here is a video showing how it was used by the Super Aqua Club of Pointe-Calumet.
Visitors want to be informed of their progress in a queue, to know which route to take when certain routes seem too busy, the reason for a delay or an interruption in service; in short, they want us to communicate with them. Several mobile apps and screens in waiting areas ensure that this type of information is provided.
In Val-Thorens, France, the resort uses the Skiflux system (article in French), which notifies skiers in real time of traffic on the slopes. This tech solution compiles the number of passages on selected routes. The results are then broadcasted on four giant screens located at the start of the slopes.
Planning arrivals and the movement of visitors strategically is essential. From the outset, queues will influence the first impression on people’s welcome. Inside a site, crowds will affect visitors’ appreciation and comfort, their desire to consume and the way they talk about their experience upon their return. For employees, frustrations experienced by visitors can deteriorate their working conditions.
Not all queues are the same; the way to manage them isn’t either. Each situation requires a personalised approach that fits the context, but also the visitors’ needs and expectations. Solutions aimed at reducing flows and queues are abundant and innovative tech tools are multiplying. To take effective action, you should not skip steps, but rather take the time to make a diagnosis to understand your own reality.
This article is published in partnership with Transat Chair in tourism at the Université du Québec à Montréal, School of Management (ESG-UQAM). This article was originally written in French by Amélie Racine, 18 May 2021, we have provided an English translation.
Queues have grown since the start of the pandemic. They are so significant that they make headlines regularly. Consumers line up for just about everything: grocery shopping, booking a time slot for a leisure activity, getting vaccinated, etc. The patience of citizens is strained, so to better accommodate their customers, several businesses are reviewing their flow management strategy.
Queues have grown since the start of the pandemic. They are so significant that they make headlines regularly. Consumers line up for just about everything: grocery shopping, booking a time slot for a leisure activity, getting vaccinated, etc. The patience of citizens is strained, so to better accommodate their customers, several businesses are reviewing their flow management strategy.
Queues have grown since the start of the pandemic. They are so significant that they make headlines regularly. Consumers line up for just about everything: grocery shopping, booking a time slot for a leisure activity, getting vaccinated, etc. The patience of citizens is strained, so to better accommodate their customers, several businesses are reviewing their flow management strategy.
.webp)