WHAT SCREENS SHOULD I INSTALL IN MY TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE?
Digitalised tourist office in Cartaya (Huelva), 19,433 inhabitants
“There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about”. (Oscar Wilde)
How to create a memorable experience from the tourist information centre?
Harvard University says that “95% of our purchase decision-making takes place in the subconscious mind” and come from a place of emotion. So, if you’re looking to create a unique experience (to “wow” your visitors, as the hipsters say), you can make a much greater impact in a very simple way (and supplement the work of your tourist advisers) with audiovisual media. Since it ultimately costs five times less to get a tourist to return than to win a new one, let’s discover how to help meet two of the eight smart destination challenges according to SEGITTUR (at least when it comes to visitors who pass through the office).
. Challenge 2: Increase travellers’ spending and satisfaction at the destination
. Challenge 3: Build visitor loyalty
Different areas within a tourist information centre
Although there are different types of tourist centres, they all generally have three different areas:
1. The counter.
2. The lobby or waiting area (not all of them have an inside space).
3. Façade or the outside of the centre
Each help you meet both SEGITTUR challenges, which can be summed up by creating a unique experience for the tourist (or at least on that isn’t negative). How can we tell them apart?
. Positive experiences. Create a sense of excitement through attractive images, provide more information about the attractions in their own language, provide information in an agile and accessible way.
. Negative experiences. Long waiting times, lack of personalisation of the experience or lack of real-time information on events and new attractions.
The counter area
Informative display. Screen-sharing monitor with the advisers computer
“Sight influences purchasing decision by 58%”. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute have demonstrated that just the sight of a suggestive image is enough to spark curiosity and interest in visiting the resource, an important data particularly if we want, as Challenge 2 says, to increase tourist spending.
. 55” wall-mounted or free-standing informative display. The easiest way is to share a 55″ bigger monitor with your laptop or PC, using both screens to share videos, images and explain itineraries in a more visual way. You can use an HDMI cable to share screens or do so wirelessly using Bluetooth.
⭐ Tip: Just like Netflix, which displays “top content” based on how popular or important the content is, focus on promoting a new resource or tourist product by showing it as top content ahead of other, more well-known attractions that can already be found online, in blogs, etc.
Video wall and tablets for providing information
. Video wall with LCD screens. They can be adapted to the room and are a more cost-friendly option. The most popular choice is a 2×2 m video wall:
– 46”: 2.04 m wide by 1.16 m high
– 55”: 2.43 m wide by 1.16 m high.
- 🕵️ What to consider when choosing an LCD video wall.
. Brightness: from 500 candelas to 700 candelas (never go below this level).
. Bezel width (frames): the thinner the bezel, the less visible the separation between screens. Widths can range from 14.9 mm to less than 4 mm for more modern models.
. Resolution, you can choose from Full HD to the more high-end 4k, although displaying contents in resolutions lower than 4K won’t make an appreciable difference, so evaluate your content because going with a lower resolution can lower costs.
. Main brands: Phillips, Samsung and Vestel.
. Wall-mounted or free-standing: You can install a free-standing unit if the wall can’t support the weight or be used for a video wall.
- 👉 Main use: Since you’re using several monitors, you can divide the information among the monitors or use the monitors as one screen (always try to keep landscape resolution at a 16:9 or 4:3 ratio). The sharpness for text is higher than with LED screens, making this a great option if you plan to display texts from social media or share you screen with tourist info.
Free-standing video wall – Caravaca de la Cruz
Wall-mounted video wall – Plaza Mayor Madrid
. LED video wall. Brighter and with more of a “wow” effect, these walls are designed for videos and high resolution images. With modules that range from 25 cm to 50 cm, you can better adapt the screen to the space. The main sizes are usually.
o 2.09 m wide by 1.18 m high
o 2.50 m wide by 2.00 m high
🕵️ What to consider when choosing an LED video wall
. The pixel pitch: the letters P1.5- P4 indicate the right viewing distance, so the smaller the pixel pitch, the sharper the image (number of LED bulbs). If your counter is 2.6 metres from the wall, look for a video wall with a P2.6 pixel pitch.
. Brightness: here you can go much higher, even up to 4,000 candelas, although the recommended brightness is around 700 candelas.
Video wall at the tourist centre in Islantilla (Huelva) with a white stand
. Tablets: Used for different purposes, we recommend at least a 10” model.
👉 Main uses
. Digital registration
. Satisfaction surveys
. Display trip attractions
🕵️ What to consider when choosing a tablet
. RAM memory: at least 2 GB of RAM, although 4 GB is recommended if you are going to install apps.
. Stand: It should ideally be vertical to facilitate interaction, or with a charging stand or a piece of furniture.
2) Waiting area
Would you visit a tourist information centre in summer if it’s packed full of people? According to a study by Coleman Parkes, “in the case of Spain, 36% of people leave the establishment if they see a queue”. How can you manage waiting times to improve traveller satisfaction?
⭐ Tip: If you have space inside, remove everything related to brochures and material that they can take and leave without leaving a record of their visit, and replace it with digital formats (tablets, screens) where they can get the information they need and leave theirs; the ultimate purpose of all this is to find out what tourists are interested in so that you can focus your tourist offer.
TOUCHSCREEN FORMATS FOR INFORMATION
. Interactive digital totems and kiosks Designed to provide information when there are queues or help the specialist to inform tourists in a visual way. If you prefer to use the support to display campaigns, it’s better to opt for a digital totem or vertical monitor.
🕵️ What to consider when choosing a digital totem
. The finish. We offer several models, from glass (edgeless, like a mobile phone) to totems in painted sheet metal with edges; the thickness of the totem will depend on the finish you choose.
. Dimensions and contrast: They range from 32″ to 55″, the latter being the most recommendable in terms of quality-price ratio, as well as a recommended contrast of 4000:1.
. Operating system: Generally, you have Linux 8 (open source system) and Windows, the latter requires a licence and has updates and windows that have to be blocked so that messages do not appear when users touch the screen.
. Connectivity: Many tourist information centre Wi-Fi systems have limited bandwidth for security reasons, or are captive portals that change the IP every 30 minutes/hour. This means that it’s best to connect screens by cable, or if not by 4G/5G card, and a router and antenna must be included to provide excellent coverage. Alternatively, Wi-Fi is the last option, as long as it has a flow rate of at least 15 megabytes per second and no restrictions of any kind.
Wall-mounted or portable touchscreen monitors: All monitors needs a “player” (computer), which will be housed in a box at either the top or bottom of the wall.
32” interactive kiosk
55” interactive digital totem
55” wall-mounted touchscreen monitor
⭐ Important: Never display a website that isn’t adapted to a digital totem, Remember, a finger isn’t like a mouse, it’s much less accurate, and therefore the website needs to look more like an app with large buttons than a website. And if it takes more than three clicks to get to what the tourist is looking for, it’s not optimised for touchscreen formats
3) Façade or exterior
What happens when the centre is closed? Depending on the destination, 5-10% of visitors pass through the tourist office. How can we gather the tourist’s info, get their data and keep talking to them? Challenge 3: Building visitor loyalty (even more so if they don’t come to the office)
Interactive screens on the façade. Does your tourist centre have a large front window or is it a protected historic building? In either case, you’re likely in a prime location. Why not take advantage of it to make an impact on all tourists?
⭐ Tip: For many grants that require that you provide 24/7 tourist information, having an outside format will ensure a higher score.
iCharge – El Rincón de la Victoria (Málaga)
49″ interactive window display – Caravaca Tourist Information Centre
1. Wall-mounted: They range from 18.5″ to 32″ and the main advantage over a free-standing digital totem is that, because they’re smaller, they don’t require air conditioning or construction, making them easier to install.
🕵️ Things to consider when choosing a sustainable digital totem
Brightness.
1. Depending on the size of the screen (18.5 – 23.6”) – 1,500 candelas
2. 32” screen and bigger – 2,5000 candelas
. Waterproofing and protection. Outdoor installations require at least IP65 protection, and need to be between tempered or laminated glass (3+3, 4+4). The latter is better, since in the event of breakage it sticks to the mesh and does not shatter for enhanced safety.
. Anti-sun stain systems: An anti-stain UV treatment is essential, even more so if the unit doesn’t have air conditioning, certifying the maximum temperature it can reach (at least 40º C).
. Maintenance. At least two visits a year are needed to clean the filters; be wary of any company that doesn’t include this service, since you may risk voiding the guarantee.
2. Interactive window displays: They range from 18.5″ to 55″ and the main advantage over an outdoor stand is easier maintenance and enhanced durability. The drawback? The touch screen doesn’t work as well.
🕵️ What to consider when choosing a digital window display
The window
1. It can’t have an air chamber (Climalit or similar); the glass must be tempered or laminated.
2. The maximum thickness must be 1.8 cm (6+6+6).
3. It can’t have metallic particles (reflective mirror treatment) and, of course, vinyl.
Large format digital totems: There are two strategies you can take here: interactive totems if you have several languages and types of content, and unipoles for displaying images and videos in carousel mode (designed for rolling access).
1. 43” to 55” outdoor digital totems. With 2,500 candelas, they have a 1.00 m s 0.30 m footing, similar to that of a lamppost.
2. LED unipole. 2 x 1.5, 2.5 x 2 or 3 x 2 m Large format screens at an average height of 3 metres, designed for digital signage with visual impact, without user interaction. Here, as we have mentioned, the most important thing is the LED pitch (minimum P6-P8).
🕵️ What to consider when choosing an interactive digital totem
. Footings. You’ll have to fence off the area to dig the hole for the pole, which usually happens a week prior to installation.
. Cooling. The (LED) unipost doesn’t require air conditioning but the digital totem does. Be careful with models that don’t have it, because the screen will end up with black spots.
. Electrical connection. This can be more expensive than the construction to install the support; make sure that you’ve got a connection nearby so that you don’t have to make a costly move of the totem post-installation.
. Connectivity. You have two choices: the highest quality, which is though cable connection (although this is more expensive because you’ll have to pull wiring to the router) or with 4G/5G card. Here we recommend at least 15 GB to upload videos, and we also recommend limiting how many videos you upload to the content manager to avoid running out of data mid-month.
49” interactive outdoor digital totem in Pontedeume (Coruña)
2.5 x 2 m P4 LED unipost in La Manga (Murcia)
Is it expensive to install screens in a tourist information centre?
Not at all! Here’s a breakdown of your options from the least to the most expensive.
Interior
o Wall-mounted 55″ touchscreen monitors
o 32” kiosk
o 55” interior digital totem
o Interactive window display
o 2 x 2 LCD video wall
o 2 x 2 LED video wall
Exterior
o 23.6” iCharge
o 43” to 55” touchscreen digital totem
o LED unipost
o 2 x 2 LCD video wall
o 2 x 2 LED video wall
And whether you’ve already made up your mind or still have some questions, here’s our contact info so that one of our super consultants can help you increase tourist spending (Challenge 2) as well as build tourist loyalty (Challenge 3).
Have any questions?
We’re here to help.
Remember: Consultations are free. We’ll get back to you in 24 business hours
