Public Attractions - Honours Project

As good as it was for me to be searching into derelict buildings, I needed a bit of an idea as to what i wanted to use the building for. I don't just want to decide on something that appeals to me, but to as many people as possible. So, i asked a number of people of different ages and living in different areas the following question;

 

If you could choose one public attraction/social area to be added to your local area what would it be?

 

I asked them to think of something they would possibly add within ten miles, to try and avoid duplication of other attractions we already have and for something not too big!

 

The results were as follows;

 

• Cinema
• Sports/leisure centre
• Ice rink
• Youth club
• Outdoor gym
• Water sports
• Bowling alley
• theme park
• go karting

 

In conclusion, people tend to want somewhere where;

 

 

• They can have fun
• they can go with friends or family
• perhaps somewhere they can exercise
• exercise in a fun way
• somewhere exciting
• perhaps something different

 

I want my attraction to be something different, that we haven't quite seen before, something where people will travel to come and visit. Something that would be well known and talked about and that reflected or complimented the history of the building.

 

 

Here are some key features that need to be considered when choosing an attraction

• location and key transport routes
• annual opening schedule
• prices and pricing structure, eg variations according to times of year/week/day
• appeal of the attractions
• additional facilities, eg shops, restaurants, hotels, child care facilities
• number of visitors, eg day visitors, repeat visitors, staying visitors
• facilities for customers with special need
• importance of technology
• possible funding sources, eg central/local government,
donations/gifts, entrance fees, membership fees, special events, sponsorship/corporate hospitality

Also;

Different visitor types:

• Individuals
• groups, eg education, corporate, families
• people of different ages, eg teenagers, grey market
• overseas visitors
• people with specific needs

Examples of how needs are met:

• opening hours
• facilities, eg creche, washrooms, eating places
• pricing structure
• access
• audio guides in different languages
• signage
• information provision, eg Internet, information points, rangers

More to come as i research into visitor attractions.....