Major investment in ticketing technology is needed at large attractions such as theme parks, zoos and museums if they want to adapt to new distribution opportunities and meet consumer expectations, according to a report from Arival.
The report, ‘Ticketing Tech: The State of – and Outlook for – Attractions Technology and Distribution’, pointed to a lack of attention and investment in large attractions, which capture the majority of travellers’ in-destination time and spending. The report notes that currently, all the support is focused on the smaller, independent suppliers and vendors that serve the big attractions.
Arival also found that consumers are looking for seamless digital experiences, which in turn is putting pressure on major attractions to update ticketing systems to allow for mobile access, real-time inventory data, third party integrations, among others.
The report states: “In some respects, the ticketing technology sector today is comparable to hotel-industry technology of 10 or even 15 years ago. However, a shift is underway. The attractions industry is inching toward cloud-based systems and connectivity for distribution and other third-party systems. New entrants are stepping into the sector, and consolidation and investment among established players are bringing much-needed change.”
Through interviews with more than 12 companies, Arival identified several themes framing the future of ticketing technology for major attractions.
These include the fact that most attractions use on-premise technology that has been highly customised to meet its unique needs, making change difficult.
It also points to a reluctancy within the industry to embrace new ticketing systems due to concerns about reliability of the technology, predictability of costs and complexity of making a change.
Image: Jim Moore
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