Over Two Thirds of Visitors Expect to See Virtual Reality in Theme Parks Within Three Years

13/11/2016 22:00

BASINGSTOKE, England, November 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Research reveals that visitors believe VR, voice-activation, 3D-printing and robots will become part of the theme park experience

65% of consumers expect virtual reality (VR) to be part of their theme park experience within three years, an Omnico survey has found.

The first Omnico Theme Park Barometer explores the interactions and predictions of over 2,000 visitors to resorts and theme park in the US, UK and China.

Voice-activated mobile apps (41%) and personal digital assistants (38%) were also popular predictions. 51% of Chinese respondents think 3D printing will be used to produce merchandise while only 29% of Western respondents agreed. Robotic personal assistants are also seen as more likely in China (49%) than in the West (22%).

"These types of technology will not only provide new forms of entertainment, they will assist visitors with finding their way around and help with queue-reduction and crowd-management," said Mel Taylor, CEO, Omnico Group.

In other findings, 33% of respondents expect to see augmented reality games at theme parks and 27% foresee electronic wristbands being replaced by temporary tattoos.

The most desired guest experiences were the ability to pre-book the entire trip (89%), choose a limited number of relevant deals (85%) to buy anything using a cashless device (82%).

"The results of our Theme Park Barometer show that those who rest on their laurels will be left behind in the face of rapidly-increasing visitor expectations surrounding technology," added Taylor. "Investing in customer experience is as important as new attractions."

"While tastes and requirements vary across the world, visitors are united in wanting operators to integrate technology so they can have an enjoyable experience. This does not require major investment in completely new solutions, but intelligent integration."

For the full report: http://www.themepark.omnicogroup.com

About Omnico:

Omnico is an established, innovative and agile omni-channel software and services company that works with leading retail, entertainment and destination brands. With a rich heritage spanning 25 years, we create compelling personalised and consistent shopper and guest experiences uniting transactions and engagement across all touch-points. Our software, known as Omnico Commerce, unifies the customer journeys across all channels.

Our customers include well-known brands such as Jaeger, HMV, Merlin Entertainment, Price Smart, National Trust, Coop Denmark, Dune and Pret a Manger.