Audio Guides vs In-Person Tours At Sports Stadiums And Other Attractions
You will often find me speaking about how advancements in technology are enabling more immersive experiences. But what is immersion? Immersion is the state of becoming completely involved in something. To experience it on a deeper level that can become sensory. Technology has indeed aided this, especially in the attractions industry. However, in-person experiences that do not necessarily include digital aids can also be immersive.
Many people, myself included, find themselves experiencing that strange tingling feeling when someone is explaining something or teaching. We are drawn in. Our imaginations engage and we feel connected to the subject matter. This is immersion and this is an experience we are often given during in-person tours at sports stadium experiences and other attractions.
Audio guides can also provide this. As well as educating us as we wander around a sports stadium or visitor attraction, they can provide many other benefits to enhance our experience.
So, I find myself doing something unusual in this article. I’m going to begin with the conclusion and that is that both audio guides and in-person tours are hugely beneficial for attraction and stadium visitors. They both enhance the experience and help to educate us further. Furthermore, both have their place and whether an attraction opts for one or the other or to offer both, no doubt both will continue to exist and co-exist. However, there are advantages and disadvantages to both audio guides and in-person tours and there is much for sports stadiums and other attractions to consider when planning these tours or choosing supporting technology.
In this article we will explore audio guides vs in-person tours, highlighting the benefits and the potential issues with each.
Conventional And Digital Audio Guides
It was the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam that first introduced an audio guide back in 1952. As a closed-circuit shortwave radio broadcasting system, it was revolutionary at the time. Since then though, audio guides have come a long way.
One major advantage of audio guides is the ability to deliver a tour in multiple languages. However, analogue guides had limited storage, can be heavy and are not particularly adaptable. Therefore, audio guides developed over the years and although many visitor attractions and stadiums still use handset devices for their tours, many have gone digital and now even utilise mobile apps to deliver their audio guide tours.
Advantages Of Audio Guides
An audio guide at a stadium tour or attraction is often included in the ticket cost and it can help visitors process the information differently. Rather than reading their way through the history of an attraction, guests can listen and therefore immerse themselves further in the visuals along the tour. This of course is a huge advantage for those who don’t enjoy reading information and in scenarios where the written information isn’t available in the required language.
There are also many other advantages of audio guides, including:
Solo Experience – It can be easier for visitors to immerse themselves in the subject matter without the distractions of other visitors. Audio tours can aid this by having a voice speaking directly to visitors which can feel very personal, even when everyone else is likely getting the same information through their headset.
Controlled Pace – Audio tours allow visitors to set their own pace when wandering through an attraction. Digital guides that allow visitors to control which information they hear and when they hear it can provide more flexibility and enable the visitor to adapt their visit to their particular interests. Geolocation tracking-enabled audio guides help all visitors set their own path and pace and are especially useful for those with mobility challenges who may be unable to take the traditional route through the stadium or attraction.
Multimedia – Although in-person tours can offer a more personal experience, audio guides can provide digital advantages. More advanced handheld devices and mobile apps may offer video or sound clips. For instance, in a sports stadium tour, you may hear the voices of athletes giving their pre-recorded insights and reflections. Sports stadiums can also use their tour technology to show videos and notable clips.
Audio Immersion – Some attractions use audio clips to make their audio guides more immersive. For example, the audio guide onboard The Victory ship at Portsmouth dockyards includes actors’ voices reenacting events, as well as the sounds of the sea. This can help visitors, particularly young visitors, better imagine the history and the real lived experiences behind a historical attraction. Sports stadiums may do the same with audio clips from particular matches and soundbites of cheering crowds. Furthermore, some opt to have their audio guide narrated by a sports personality. At Arsenal’s Emirates stadium, for instance, their audio guides are narrated by Lee Dixon, Charlie George and Nigel Mitchell.
Age Encompassing – Audio guides can be adapted to suit children or adults. Many attractions will have a separate system or option for younger visitors that adapts the audio tour to suit children. However, this feature is more commonplace in museums and heritage sites than in sports stadium tours.
Disadvantages Of Audio Guides
Whilst audio guides are designed to enhance the tour experience, there are some disadvantages. These include:
Antisocial – Headphones are hardly conducive to conversation. With stadium tours often being booked as a gift experience, visitors face the choice of exploring together or opting for the audio headsets and limiting social interaction. Visitors taking a tour with friends or a group may miss out on more in-depth information tours can offer since they wish to stay together and make the most of the social experience.
Reliability – Technology can make everything easier but it can also be a barrier, especially when it decides to stop working, signals are lost and connectivity broken. Furthermore, not everyone is comfortable with technology or can wear headphones. Some audio tours are also available via download of an app which would exclude those without a smartphone.
Not Interactive – As immersive as audio guides can be, they struggle to be interactive. Visitors cannot ask prerecorded audio guides questions, to expand on a point or provide further context.
Limited Adaptability – Even if an audio guide is preloaded with creative content and the set-up can be personalised, it cannot be adaptable in the same way people can. For instance, an audio guide at a football stadium cannot comment on recent performance or player signings.
The Future Of Audio Guides For Sports Stadiums And Attractions
Over the decades, audio guides have continued to become easier to use and more adaptable. Not only have they expanded language options but they’ve further personalised the experience by enabling visitors to select longer or shorter tours, basic audio tours, expert-level guidance, etc.
A good example of the modernisation of audio tours is The British Museum. They updated their audio guides for their permanent collections back in 2015 and it was a far cry from former clunky, oversized casset-like devices. The new slim device made visitor customisation a priority. The touch screen also allows visitors to view high-resolution photos and videos, take part in family challenges and access the integrated Google indoor map.
In 2023, however, The British Museum also released a new downloadable audio app for visitors. Again, the app offers interactivity, multimedia and, without limitations on storage, it can offer a whole wealth of information.
The British Museum are not the only attraction using audio apps for their tours, many attractions and sports stadiums, including Parc des Princes, are moving over to apps to deliver their audio guides. Although by doing so attractions are requiring visitors to download an app and bring their own headphones (or purchase on-site), well-designed smart apps can offer visitors a much more interactive experience. Moreover, downloadable apps usually require an email sign-in which puts attractions in direct contact with visitors and has notable marketing advantages.
In-Person Tours At Sports Stadiums And Attractions
In-person tours will likely always be popular and have many advantages. Having the right person guiding visitors around in these group tours is essential because the key benefit of an in-person tour is having an expert on hand.
Many sports stadiums go even further and offer tours conducted by sporting legends, often former players. When I managed the tours at Chelsea a popular activity for fans, was the tours of Stamford Bridge with a Chelsea legend, which are still very popular today. The Etihad also offer a Walk With A Legend Tour and visitors can enjoy a tour of Lords alongside a cricketing legend. Aside from the celebrity element, this also provides visitors with a tour guide who may be able to give personal anecdotes and insights.
Regardless of whether in-person tours are conducted by legends, passionate experts or volunteers, other potential advantages include:
Social – In-person tours usually lead a group so there is an opportunity to hear other people’s questions and even make connections. In the case of stadium tours, this is an opportunity to meet fellow sports enthusiasts. On museum or gallery tours visitors may meet others who are passionate about or even studying the same areas of interest.
Interactive – Arguably, the biggest benefit of an in-person tour is having an expert to guide visitors around. They may ask the expert questions and the tour guide may be able to adapt the tour to suit the group. For example, the content of a tour may be adjusted for those who are already knowledgeable in the subject matter. However, a guide may choose to simplify their language when conducting tours with more children.
Current – In-person tours don’t tend to get too out-of-date. Most likely, the person showing visitors around a football club stadium knows what the current team’s performance is like. When they talk about stats and records held, they’ll likely be current. It’s easier to update a person’s knowledge than to update audio headsets or even digital guides.
Enhanced Access – Tour guides can often help guests get access to areas that may not be part of the standard tour. For stadiums, this may mean exclusive tours where visitors are given access to parts of the stadium usually off-limits, such as training grounds. In addition, tour guides will often know the best places for photo opportunities and be able to direct individuals to particular areas of interest.
Passion
Expertise and passion are two different things, you can gain knowledge from an expert, but the best tours I’ve ever been on, and something we prided ourselves on at Chelsea Football Club, was the passion of the tour guides that delivered them. When someone loves a subject, it shows in how they deliver the information, making the experience more entertaining. Entertainment often means more memorable experiences. Memorable experiences are likely to create better word-of-mouth recommendations and positive reviews!
Disadvantages Of In-Person Tours
Whether or not an in-person tour is engaging mostly comes down to who’s leading the tour. I’ve actually never experienced a dull tour guide – I think this speaks volumes. Yet there can be some downsides to in-person tours. During my time managing a large group of wine guides at Vinopolis, one particular challenge was space. Despite it being a 3.5 acre site, there were quite a few ‘tight’ spots which meant we had to get creative when leading groups through the experience.
Other potential issues with in-person tours can include:
Size And Adaptability – Large groups can be difficult to keep engaged and manage. Especially if there is a mixture of ages and varying levels of interest and knowledge. In noisy environments or large groups, visitors may struggle to hear the guide and/or be unable to answer questions, particularly if the tour is being kept to a tight schedule. On this note, in-person tours may not be the best option for those who require flexibility in their visit.
Language Options – Obviously, languages are limited for in-person tours. Although tours in other languages may be included in the schedule, in-person tours cannot offer the range of language options that handheld audio guides can.
Expense – Some attractions will include tours in the ticket price as they deem them essential to the visitor experience. However, tours are a core product at sports stadiums that run them, and for some attractions are seen as an attractive upsell. Whilst this can open up a new revenue stream for attractions, this option will not be affordable for all visitors.
The Future Of In-Person Tours At Sports Stadiums And Attractions
One major benefit of in-person tours, as mentioned above, is that large groups can struggle to hear the guide. Yet, some museums and other attractions have overcome this by utilising a portable tour guide system which connects the speaker’s microphone to visitors’ headsets. These are being utilised on coach tours, at historical sites, stadium tours, museums on travel tours and at many other heritage sites and attractions.
The challenge of attractions/stadiums using in-person guides has always been finding and training the right team who can help visitors get the most out of their experience. For stadiums, although legend tours may be a big attraction, they’ll need to ensure celebrity tour guides are also capable of engaging tour groups. I wonder how many big stars will be available for Legends Tours in years to come.
Should Attractions And Stadiums Provide Audio Guides Or In-Person Tours?
I think you probably already know what I’m going to conclude here.
For attractions, where possible, both in-person tours and audio guides should be offered. Since there are advantages and disadvantages to each it is likely going to come down to the visitor’s personal preference. However, there are a few ways that technology can enhance both experiences.
Recently, I attended the IAAPC Expo Europe 2023 in Vienna where I was honoured to lead a panel discussion on ‘Tech Lab: Data-Driven Personalisation’. Afterwards, I wrote about How Visitor Attractions Can Make The Most Out Of Data-Driven Personalisation. In securing visitor information at the point of booking and beyond, attractions can personalise the visitor experience, tailor the content they show to contacts and provide a better level of service. An audio app downloaded pre-visit can help visitors plan their trip, and work out which areas of the attraction will be of the most interest and which route to take. Attractions may use customer information to recommend particular areas of interest as well as other experiences or offers, including on-site food and drink facilities.
Post-visit, an attraction that has provided an audio app will know far more about their visitors and their individual preferences. This can empower them to remarket other relevant events, exhibitions, releases, special offers, products and such to app users in the future. This is a key reason I believe that attractions and stadium tours be replacing their audio guides with audio apps over the next few years. But will something be lost?
We often talk about digital being interactive but what about human interaction? Do we really want museums, galleries, stadiums and other attractions full of people wandering independently, staring down at their phones? Probably not. Despite their tech-savvy reputation, Gen Z has also been found to possess the desire to digital detox occasionally. 89% in fact preferred to focus on the actual experience rather than reach for their mobile phones (survey by Full Fat).
So, as audio guides get more and more digital, experiences, attractions and tours will need to consider how they can monopolise the advantages tech can bring, without damaging other treasured parts of the experience. Perhaps one way to do so is to focus also on ensuring in-person tours are accessible, engaging and creative and continue to bring the experience to life, fuel interest and spark visitors’ imaginations.
