Understanding your customers

The first step in developing a new visitor experience or enhancing an existing one is to know your target audience and their needs.​

Tourism in Northern Ireland targets the visitors who are most likely to visit the island of Ireland. We know these people and what they like to do and so tailor what we offer to attract them. The same qualities will be likely to enhance your offer for visitors from elsewhere in Northern Ireland.​

Can you provide for a range of visitors?

Exercise 2A

Before doing this exercise, familiarise yourself with the insights into the characteristics and interests of our priority visitor segments:

International Visitor Segments​

Culturally Curious visitors are the top priority target audience for Northern Ireland’s tourism.  They are interested in meeting locals, exploring the place and broadening the mind. Social Energisers like meeting other tourists, experiencing adrenaline filled adventures and activities/places with a wow factor.  Great Escapers like to spend time together, explore the natural beauty of places and learn about other cultures during new experiences.​

​Rep​ublic of Ireland Visitor Segments​

Details of target visitors from the Republic of Ireland are profiled in ROI Market Strategy 2021-26​

Northern Ireland Visitor Segments​

For domestic Northern Irish visitor profiles, see the NI Domestic Tourism Strategy​

Visitors to cultural attractions are hugely diverse in what they want from the experience. Some ​like reading, some like looking at things, others like talking to people or doing practical things. ​A high-quality experience offers choice so everyone can find something enjoyable to do.​

​Look at how to present arts, culture and heritage to diverse visitors for more detail on how to broaden the appeal of your experience

Communicating with international visitors

Exercise 2B​

Not all visitors who come to Northern Ireland are fluent in English.​ Non-native English speakers may need additional help in to participate​ fully in arts, culture and heritage experiences.

​​Arts experiences that are not language dependent can work well. People from many backgrounds and cultures can tap into universal human themes expressed through music, performance with international visitors for more thingse and visual arts. ​

​Look at what you can do to communicate better to assist international visitors.

​

Key elements of a visitor experience

Preparing an arts, cultural or heritage attraction or experience for visitors will involve working on:

Meeting visitors' needs

These visitors look for an experience that gives them something unique, authentic and enjoyable.  They are time-limited and maybe only able to spend only a few hours with you.​

They prefer to book in advance and need reliable information about location, opening times and whether your offer is suitable for them. Evening activities are particularly popular and may be a special opportunity for arts, culture and heritage businesses.​

Does, or could, your experience Be presented as a compelling package that can enjoyed in 3 hours or less?​ Be available when visitors have time, including evenings?

Active participation

Many visitors, particularly international ones, are looking for arts, culture and heritage experiences. Our sector is well placed to provide this, through contact with passionate guides and opportunities to meet and work alongside artists and craftspeople. ​

Participative events are attractive for people who wish to use their holiday time to do something different.

Does, or could, your experience​ ​Provide opportunities to participate in a creative activity?​ Spend informal time with an artist or other creative?

Relevance to Northern Ireland

Arts, culture and heritage activities can give powerful insights into the spirit and the stories of Northern Ireland, past and present. This is particularly attractive for international visitors who often want to get to know the destination. They want to do things that create lasting memories of their time here and seek out experiences that help them connect with the place and people.

Does,or could, your experience Represent something of the spirit and character or Northern Ireland - past and or/present? Convey stories of Northern Ireland in written and spoken form?

High quality delivery

These visitors are often well-travelled who expect high quality from their cultural experiences and may use international experiences as their benchmark. You cannot compromise on quality at any stage of the customer journey.

Does, or could, your experience​ ​Compare well with the best experiences of this type in other countries? Meet best practice standards of customer care?​ Meet best practice standards of environmental sustainability?

Making your visitor experience accessible

To deliver excellent visitor experiences for all, it is vital that tourism businesses understand the opportunities and address the challenges that some visitors may experience. This can help future-proof your business and lead to increased demand, revenue, loyalty and customer satisfaction.​​​

Your experience should aim to be accessible to as many people as possible, irrespective of their age and ability. Requirements to accessibility include cognitive, hearing, mobility and vision dimensions, but it also includes any person that needs to access places with ease, for example, parents with prams, as well as people experiencing reduced mobility. 

Could your experience​ ​​Give a clear description on your business website with important accessibility​ Information?​ Provide photos of the experience to enable customers to decide if this is the right​ experience for them?​ Include training for staff to ensure they are confident in welcoming visitors with​ a range of abilities? Be delivered using British Sign Language or Irish Sign Language?​ Offer visual or audio aids if required?​​

​

For more information and guidance see sign-posting-dda-v2.pdf