Create experiences - attract more visitors - make more money!

Why we need to create experiences

Visitors are changing. They don’t just want to look, they want to do something different. Visitors enjoy memorable, immersive experiences that help them dig a little deeper and learn about the places they’re visiting.
 
Overseas visitors come to see our landscapes and heritage. They love to meet local people and get under the skin of the places they visit. Offer an overseas visitor some Yorkshire Pudding and they’ll smile and take a picture. Show them how to make Yorkshire Pudding and they’ll be delighted – a new skill to take back home and share with friends. Having stories to tell adds to the enjoyment.
 
Authentic experiences are important. Visitors like to know the stories behind everyday activities and well-known views. Some visitors will see your everyday life as extraordinary. Visitors are looking for insider knowledge and tips. They are willing to pay to have memorable experiences.

What kind of experiences? 

• Chances to learn a new skill, to see something different, to go behind the scenes, to understand more, to meet interesting people are all popular.
• Visitors like to deepen their understanding of the landscape, to feel a sense of history, to have a “wow” moment.
• Stand-out experiences are often quirky or a little eccentric, led by warm and welcoming people with a sense of humour.
• Successful experiences need to be accessible, but not necessarily mass-market.
• Visitors enjoy connecting with nature, feeling refreshed, gaining new knowledge and enjoying the outdoors in a different way.

 
It’s crucial to make your experience easy to buy. Offer a brief description, clear information on what’s included, a set price and easy way to book. Add some pleasant surprises and you’ll create talked-about experiences.

Creating an experience

It doesn't matter whether your experience is brand new or tried-and-tested. We’d like to know about it. We want to make it easier for our visitors to buy and book experiences.
 
We’re looking for experiences that are between 2 – 8 hours long, with a defined start and finish. Your experience should be mainly based in the North York Moors National Park and ideally connected to the landscape, its history, culture and people in some way.
 
Visitors are looking for experiences at all price points. You might want to offer added value options or create experiences at different levels. For example, a fishing trip might end with a simple mackerel barbecue on the beach or it could finish with a champagne and sunset silver-service dinner in a special setting. Either option would be memorable, photogenic and make visitors feel special. We want to give visitors a story to tell.

Using themes

• You might want to consider one of these themes as a starting point:

• Food and drink
• Nature and wildlife
• Outdoor activities
• History and heritage
• Arts, crafts and culture

What about accommodation? 

You don’t need to include accommodation as part of your experience. We’ll list accommodation separately so visitors can choose the most appropriate place to stay for them.
 
What can accommodation providers do? 
 
You don’t necessarily need to create experiences – you could partner with other local providers, so visitors have an extra reason to stay longer with you. You might want to add special touches to your accommodation to make it more memorable.
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A hot trend

Take a look at Airbnb, Parks Canada  and Virgin Experience Days and you’ll see the sort of experiences that visitors are booking.

Putting your experience together

Use these questions to describe your experience 

• What’s the name of the experience? Make it clear and attention-grabbing
• One line description – the “elevator pitch”
• What are the components of the experience?
• How long does the experience last?
• When is the experience available? Don’t give a list of dates, just rough indication e.g. “Every Saturday from May to September” or “on demand but not from November – March”
• What will visitors learn, do, experience? What will they gain from the experience?
• Does the experience include any food? Is the food relevant to the experience? Describe it.
• Who is the experience aimed at? What knowledge or skills are needed?
• How many people is the experience for?
• How much does it cost per person? What does that cost include?
• How can visitors book? How far in advance will they need to book?

Examples of experiences

• Afternoon tea in a historic setting, perhaps somewhere not normally open to the public, with a talk by the owner or a musical surprise such as Gregorian chants in an abbey
• Guided cycle ride, taking visitors through stunning countryside, pointing out places of interest and finishing with coffee and cake with an incredible view
• Tour of a brewery, followed by beer tasting and a trip to a characterful pub to play darts and quoits with some locals
• Learn to take cuttings or other gardening knowhow, going behind the scenes in a garden, and then tasting local produce
• Meet a bee-keeper, learn about bee-keeping and different uses for honey, with tastings
• Enjoy the dawn chorus with an ornithologist and then feast on a full English breakfast
• Join a landscape artist to go to their favourite hidden beauty spot to paint, followed by a picnic
• Venture out into the village after dark, accompanied by lanterns and an entertaining storyteller who’ll take you back in time and then on to a pub for a warming meal and drinks with the locals
• Meet the cows, learn to make cheese and then enjoy a delicious ploughman’s lunch

Got an experience you want to tell us about? 

Please email Susan, giving the answers to all the questions above