As museums and heritage sites begin to reopen with COVID-19 lockdown easing around the UK, keeping staff and visitors safe is at the forefront of everyone’s minds. It will not be business as usual with groups crowding around tour guides and hundreds of audio tour devices handed in and out. Instead, what we may see is a shift to options available for viewing and downloading on visitors’ own devices.
These options may include self-guided tour or heritage trail apps, augmented reality, virtual reality and even apps that allow visitors to interact with exhibits. With options made available for personal devices, this eliminates the need for continually cleaning tech which may not be able to withstand these constant wipe-downs. Furthermore, it allows families to maintain reasonable distances from staff and other visitors while still enjoying and learning about the site or exhibits. Finally, it is accessible to anyone who has a smartphone which is a large portion of heritage site and museum visitors (80% of UK adults use a smart phone based on the latest survey by Ofcom).
However, the reliance on personal devices for providing portions of the heritage interpretation in the post-COVID landscape arouses doubt from some working in the sector. Concern about visitors having compatible operating systems, sites having strong enough (or any) wifi signal, and the expectation that visitors will bother downloading an app are chief among their concerns.
For most digital solutions, a phone purchased in the last several years will be able to handle apps designed with a variety of users in mind, across different platforms. Digital offerings can also be made available through web browser rather than through downloadable apps. This would rely more heavily on the need for reliant wifi connectivity on-site, but we’ll cover that next.
Concerns about reliable wifi can also be addressed. For downloadable apps, heritage site websites can include instructions for download among their ‘before you visit’ section and preparation guidelines. Furthermore, remote heritage sites are taking advantage of info-point which generates wi-fi on a private and local internet. This provides an easy and safe solution for locations that are too remote to have other internet options.
Whether visitors will take the time to pre-download an app in the current climate remains to be seen. However, as a useful and interactive solution to heritage storytelling, it may be one way that audiences shift their expectations for these sites. Just as customers are learning to don facemasks before riding on public transport or are doing more pre-ordering online for their weekly shop, we may very well see heritage audiences more willing to take a few more steps to prepare for their visits in order to enjoy their favourite sites safely.
