Tuesday Tactics: Revisiting your Visitor Management Strategy

As the public health sector responds to the COVID-19 crisis, public park agencies are called to respond. The purpose of the Tuesday Blog is simple: to provide you with strategies that assist you, your agency and your partners with a mutually beneficial way forward.

Pictures: @7bbailey, @georgecoletrain

COVID-19 Memorial Day : Revisiting your Visitor Management Strategy

So, you made it through the arrival of summer - congratulations!  Now is the time do a visitor management analysis to evaluate whether and how you need to shift strategies.  Here are some questions to ask your team. 

Pre-Visit Communication

Question: Were the visitors prepared (e.g., did they come with hand sanitizer, did they know which parking lots were closed, did they bring their masks, if required)?

Strategy: How can you change your communication strategy to improve this, specifically how and where you communicate?

Question: Did you experience visitor loads or group sizes where you had not anticipated?

Strategy: Do you need to change your website communication regarding priority sites? Can you identify ways to monitor parking loads? Can you add some remote traffic signs to divert people?

Arrival

Question: How did your visitors orient themselves to the recreational experience? Were your signs in the right place? Did you have too many directions?

Strategy: Re-look at all your arrival communication and make sure it remains clear, and has not been removed?

Question: Were you able to collect and manage revenue transactions effectively?

Strategy: Can you change the number of cashless transaction locations?

On Site Recreation

Question: Did it appear that your “social distancing” directions or arrangements worked throughout the entire recreational experience (e.g. entrance, exits, and actual recreation)? Were you able to identify compliance rates with masks and other directions?

Strategy: Do you need to change your designated signage or markers to improve social distancing? Do you need different signage to communicate updated policies, such as those related to masks?

Question: Did your staff feel safe and protected?

Strategy: Can you add or relocate staff to better manage visitors?

The historical methods for visitor management have changed. The need to assess what is working and not working is now a matter of public and employee health. Take the time to do an assessment. Your visitors and staff depend on it.

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