How Tourism Operators Can Leverage Museums and Galleries to Boost Ticket Sales
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Years ago, I looked at setting up an attraction pass in Canberra for the paid attractions to compete with all the free government owned experiences, so I was interested to see how it works in Washington.
Tourism operators offering paid experiences often face the challenge of competing with free attractions, especially in cities like Washington, D.C., where world-class museums and galleries, such as those in the Smithsonian Institution, don’t charge admission.
However, instead of viewing these attractions as competition, tourism businesses can create partnerships and synergies that enhance the visitor experience and drive ticket sales.
I am working through how tourism operators in Washington, D.C., and globally can work with free experiences to amplify their offerings and maximise revenue.
By fostering collaboration, you can deliver unique and valuable experiences that attract more visitors.
Why Collaborate with Free Attractions?
Free experiences like museums and galleries attract millions of visitors annually. These types of venues:
• Provide a steady flow of visitors: Many tourists plan their itineraries around iconic free attractions.
• Serve as cultural and historical hubs: Museums often act as starting points for exploring a destination’s history and culture.
• Create opportunities for add-ons: Visitors to free attractions may seek enhanced or exclusive experiences.
By aligning your paid offerings with free attractions, you tap into an existing audience and provide them with complementary or value-added services.
Examples of Collaboration in Washington, D.C.
1. Enhancing Museum Visits with Guided Tours
Example: Guided walking tours around the National Mall pair visits to free museums with expert storytelling and historical context.
Companies like Walks of Washington offer premium tours that guide visitors through iconic sites like the Lincoln Memorial and provide curated insights into adjacent museums.
How It Works: These tours go beyond what free museums can offer, giving visitors insider knowledge, skipping lines, or providing private access to special exhibits.
Tip for Operators: Partner with free attractions to create guided experiences. Highlight the stories, artifacts, or exhibits that visitors might miss on their own.
2. Combining Museums with Paid Experiences
Example: Segway Tours of Washington integrates free attractions into their routes. Visitors glide past the Smithsonian museums, and guides provide entertaining commentary. While the museums remain free, the unique mode of transport and storytelling justify the tour cost.
How It Works: The tour operator adds value by combining convenience, entertainment, and education.
Tip for Operators: Use free attractions as touchpoints in a larger narrative. Offer bundled experiences that add transportation, guided commentary, or exclusive behind-the-scenes access.
3. Special Access and VIP Packages
Example: Some D.C. operators, like Viator, offer VIP experiences, such as private evening tours of museum spaces like the National Gallery of Art, typically free during the day. These curated experiences focus on exclusivity and personalisation.
How It Works: By arranging after-hours tours or intimate group settings, operators transform a free visit into a premium experience.
Tip for Operators: Negotiate with free venues to provide special access outside regular hours. This creates an exclusive product you can market to high-value customers.
4. Integrating Art and Culture with Culinary Experiences
Example: Carpe DC Food Tours integrates visits to art galleries and cultural spaces with local dining. After a stop at a free gallery, guests enjoy a meal at a nearby restaurant, creating a multi-sensory journey.
How It Works: Pairing art and culture with food taps into multiple interests, encouraging visitors to pay for the enhanced experience.
Tip for Operators: Partner with nearby restaurants, cafés, or local businesses to create cultural and culinary packages that offer a well-rounded experience.
5. Theme tours and experiences to a target market.
How It Works: Often visitors don't have time to wander endlessly looking for what they are passionate about. Washington has a lot of galleries and museums. Therefore, by choosing a theme like Architecture or Art you can develop tours that save visitors time and energy by taking them to all the key experiences aligned with the theme.
Tip for Operators: Look at how you can create a themed tour experience for visitors giving them exactly what they want while saving them time to search for themselves.
Global Lessons from D.C.’s Approach
1. Create a Narrative
Free attractions often have rich histories and cultural significance. Build your paid experiences around these narratives to provide added depth.
Example: In Paris, paid tours of the Latin Quarter incorporate free visits to landmarks like the Pantheon while offering enhanced storytelling and exclusive access to hidden gems.
Tip: Leverage storytelling to make free attractions part of a larger, cohesive experience.
2. Bundle Experiences
Offer packages that combine free and paid experiences to create perceived value.
Example: In London, operators like Big Bus Tours include stops at free attractions like the British Museum while offering an all-day hop-on-hop-off pass.
Tip: Use free attractions as “anchors” in your package and build additional value through transportation, amenities, or exclusive content.
3. Promote Accessibility and Convenience
Visitors often pay for convenience, such as bypassing lines or simplifying logistics.
Example: In Rome, operators offer skip-the-line tickets for the Vatican Museums and include walking tours that contextualise nearby free sites like St. Peter’s Square. We took an Art History Tour through the Vatican which gave it a whole new perspective.
Tip: Highlight how your paid experience enhances convenience, saves time, or provides insider tips.
4. Host Events and Pop-Ups
Use the popularity of free attractions as a backdrop for paid events or temporary pop-ups.
Example: Seasonal food markets near free museums or outdoor concerts at public galleries can draw crowds to nearby paid experiences.
Tip: Collaborate with free attractions to create themed events that attract their visitors to your paid offerings.
Practical Tips for Building Partnerships
Collaborate on Marketing - Cross-promote your paid experiences with free attractions through joint marketing campaigns, social media, or bundled tickets.
Develop Value-Added Offers - Enhance the free experience by offering guided tours, exclusive access, or supplementary workshops.
Understand Visitor Profiles - Study the demographics and interests of visitors to free attractions and tailor your paid experiences to complement their needs.
Use Free Attractions as Inspiration - Create thematic experiences tied to the exhibits or collections of free attractions, such as history-focused walking tours or hands-on workshops.
Stay Visitor-Centric - Ensure your paid experience genuinely enhances the visitor’s journey. Avoid appearing as though you’re monetising what they can get for free, focus on added value.
Conclusion
Collaborating with free attractions is a powerful way for tourism operators to enhance their offerings, tap into a large pool of potential customers, and create memorable, value-packed experiences.
Washington, D.C.’s synergy between paid and free attractions provides a model for leveraging heritage, culture, and convenience to boost ticket sales.
By aligning your paid experiences with free attractions, you can craft a seamless visitor journey that appeals to diverse interests, adds value, and ensures your destination stands out.
Partnerships, creativity, and a guest-focused approach are the keys to making this strategy work for tourism operators around the world.
Ready to elevate your tourism offerings? Start collaborating with free attractions today and create a memorable, value-packed experience for your guests. Reach out to explore how to seamlessly integrate free and paid attractions to boost your sales and stand out in the market!
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