Innovation Showcase
Interactive and Accessible Guides for Cultural Tourism: The Alhambra and Generalife Experience
Innovation Showcase Marta García Muñoz Domínguez
Since 2013, GVAM has been developing apps for visiting museums and cities including accessible resources for people with disabilities (sensorial disabilities and people with reduced mobility). This solution is consolidated and implemented in the Spanish market through fifteen apps within the World Heritage Cities Group and several interactive guides for museums and national monuments: the Alhambra and the Generalife monumental complex, seven "Royal Sites" managed by Patrimonio Nacional (National Heritage institution), five museums managed by the Spanish Ministry of Culture, or the National Museum of Art of Catalonia. Through the “GStats” tool we study the use of these applications, analyzing data such as the percentage of activation of accessibility resources (subtitles, sign language audio description), the average viewing time of each point of interest, the location from which users access each content, etc., as well as the satisfaction of visitors with and without disabilities. Currently, we are in the process of updating and improving these cultural apps, with new features and tourist services that allow integrating the accessible culture in the touristic promotion. Within "the inclusive museum" framework of the congress, we want to share the results of this work, analyze it, and show or teach how to use the tools at our disposal to guarantee the access to our heritage for people with functional diversity.
What Is the Reach of Your Red Carpet?: Improving Visitor Satisfaction and Revenue in Museums Through Access Communication and Hospitality Services
Innovation Showcase Johan Kaspers
More satisfied visitors, higher turnover in cafés and shops, less visitors in traffic jams, and extra income from travel services are some of the aims of a mobility program in The Netherlands set up to help museums and leisure locations enhance the hospitality of their access. By extending the red carpet, mobility management becomes enjoyable and rewarding. In the smart travel program ‘Hospitality Accessibility’ simple solutions are collected and shared among participating organisations. A central theme is that the success of the organisations involved decreases from dissatisfaction caused by insufficient information, bad accessibility and other mobility issues. Focus is on mobility information, access to public transport, signage towards and inside the museum and many other transport and hospitality issues. Improvements lead to higher general visitor satisfaction, more time to enjoy the museum and spend money, higher numbers of returning visitors, better word-of-mouth advertising and more positive social media reviews. Some participants include Holland Open Air Museum Arnhem, Dutch Design Week, Ontdekfabriek Eindhoven, and museum Catharijneconvent Utrecht. We will show examples and best practices that can be applied immediately so attendees can roll out the red carpet of their museum upon returning home.
