We know that UK museums are eagerly awaiting the return of international tourists to finally reach the pre-pandemic visitor number of 2019.

Unsurprisingly, a recent survey showed that outdoor areas remain the most popular (clearly there is still a little nervousness around crowded indoor spaces). As the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite, free of charge attractions were also in the top ten.

But how do you keep visitors interested and also pique them enough to return again and again? Using Extended Reality, we’re working with a number of museums, visitor attractions and destinations to respond to that conundrum.

Here’s our top 5 tips:

1. Blend the Physical and Virtual Worlds of Cultural Heritage – Uncover the secrets of the past to inform the future

Uist Unearth blends the physical and virtual worlds.

A favourite project of ours over recent months has been the Uist Unearthed Project. A combination of an augmented reality app and mixed media touring exhibition, this award-winning archaeological story-telling app, a mix of virtual reality, extended reality technology and immersive technologies, allows visitors to experience 6,000 years of history along the Hebridean Way.

The team blended the physical and virtual worlds including virtual reality, mixed reality and virtual objects to reveal the historic past.

It’s a wonderful way to experience this already breath-taking landscape taking a step through time, in the glorious natural beauty of the Highlands and islands of Scotland. This most definitely ticks all of the boxes in terms of fascinating, engaging and enjoying all there is to embrace from the great outdoors.

2. Local Expertise – Find a Friendly Expert to Have on Your Team

Historian and podcaster Donal Fallon (centre) gave the #DoorsIntoDockland augmented reality trail app a positive review

Never underestimate the value of local knowledge. We were very proud of our work with Dublin City Council and the recent launch of #DoorsIntoDocklands, part of the #DublinDiscoveryTrails app. It brought together the full range of our app development services including augmented reality, 3D modelling, animation, historical research, script and copy writing, green screen filming, audio and soundscape development. This was all interwoven to create stunning digital storytelling of the Dublin Docklands.

We were overjoyed when walking tour guide, historian, writer, broadcaster and regular contributor to the Three Castles Burning podcast, Donal Fallon, took it on a test drive during the official launch and then gave it a “two-thumbs up” it in his Diving Bells and Missing Elephants. His amazing knowledge of the Dublin Docklands, from the importance of nicknames on the docks to the urban legends of its working-class communities, brought another dimension of texture to the whole experience.

Donal’s review was great, but we would have loved this level extraordinary, encyclopaedic knowledge of local history right from the get-go. Make local experts your friend right at the beginning of a project for a deep and rich seam of understanding and knowledge of colourful characters and hyper-local traditions from day one!

3. Be it Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality or Mixed Reality or Virtual Worlds Keep it Community Focused – Love Local

Spudman

It’s always worthwhile including local knowledge and personalities into digital storytelling and augmented and virtual reality trail apps @spudmantamworth @spudarmy

Speaking of local, love was most definitely in the air with the Valentine’s Day launch of our #LoveTamworth AR app trail. Not least of all because it was hosted by local legend Spudman. The pink-mohawked celebrity and jacket potato entrepreneur, who comes with his own merch, did a fantastic job presenting the AR trail set to drive footfall to the city centre whilst pointing out interesting stories and historical facts to get visitors and locals to fall in love with the town centre with a startling mix of extended reality technology, physical and virtual worlds and virtual objects!

4. Think National… or even International! – Love, Love Me Do Starring Beatles with an ‘A’ no matter how tenuous the link!

Incorporating international personalities with a global reach makes a compelling mix of hyper local and global thinking. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DtBeGLcOp0

Successful tourism strategies combine hyper local with global and international thinking and a compelling mix of the two to appeal to a wide an audience as possible. We’ve used this strategy of hooking in stories that have international appeal with a number of our trail apps. Our York Quest trail app for York BID tapped into the lesser known association with Anne Lister who notionally married Anne Walker at Holy Trinity Church, York. Thus hitching a ride on the splendid coattails of the BBC Series Gentleman Jack, written by Sally Wainwright and starring Suranne Jones in the titular role. We feature Charles Darwin’s association with the town of Ilkley when he ‘took the waters’ for our Discover Ilkley app and included Charles Dickens short stay at The Fleece, purported to be where he penned pages to the classic Nicholas Nickleby, in our recent #Discover Northallerton Portals to the Past trail app. We’ve also included a number of famous faces to voice some of our apps, just to add a little celebrity glamour!

One of the many beauties of augmented reality, immersive technologies and mixed reality is that you can play with time, history and shake up the past, to make an exciting present! #LoveTamworth was a great example of not letting a tenuous link get in the way of your photo opportunity. Legend has it that The Beatles (and The Rolling Stones) once played at Tamworth Assembly Rooms, though it may be from days of yore, it gives you scope to have some fun with the ‘almost’ Beatles circa Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band starring in the promo video 😂😂👏👏

5. Stick to the Facts, Jack

Extended Reality - discover Northallerton

A mix of augmented reality, virtual reality and extended reality combined to create a comprehensive, fun and factual trail app

Whilst it is possible to play around with historic timelines it isn’t always the case. Our recent Discover Northallerton AR Trail App on behalf of Hambleton District Council features highly accurate depictions of the town thanks to a collaboration with York Archaeological Trust and Heritage 360.

The Portals of the Past feature a mix of immersive technologies, virtual objects, digital objects, 360 CGI digital portals, 2D and 3D animation together with digital storytelling to create an evocative, innovative and intriguing view of this important North Yorkshire market town. It’s a great mix of old and new to create an entertaining way to describe Northallerton’s history that helps to drive footfall and increase dwell time for visitors. Brucie bonuses all-round! 👊

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