Getting ahead of the crowds at Stonehenge

Case Study | Tour Guide Systems

The Scenario

Evans is London’s oldest and largest tour operator, with over 85 years’ experience in delighting customers. Specialists in city tours and out-of-town excursions, Evan Evans provides unforgettable journeys and experiences to Britain’s most iconic locations. As part of the Travel Corporation family of brands, Evan Evans is driven by service and committed to providing immersive and unique experiences that journey deep into the heart of Britain’s incredible history, culture and legends.

stonehenge

The Opportunity

One of the busier tours offered by Evan Evans is the full-day excursion to Windsor, Stonehenge & Bath. An operationally challenging itinerary, it involves guiding in both Windsor and Bath, as well as an extended stop at Stonehenge. While the tour guide is not allowed to provide commentary at Stonehenge, an interactive audio guide is available from the visitor centre. However, this presents obstacles to the overall guest experience: not only does the group have to queue to collect the audio headsets, there are often insufficient numbers available. This has the potential to result in lengthy delays and disappointment among customers. The challenge, therefore, is how to deliver a seamless customer experience that helps prevent customers associating this potentially negative experience with the Evan Evans brand.

The Solution

The Vox 360 is a cutting-edge, hybrid guiding system which delivers multiple benefits to both guide and group. Crystal-clear commentary is delivered from the tour guide via a microphone to each customer’s individual earpiece. This unique experience ensures customers do not miss a word of their live commentary, while the tour guide is able to deliver an equally immersive experience to all members of the group. The Vox 360 unit also functions as an interactive map and audio guide, so Evan Evans guests may individually explore the site, while receiving the official English Heritage interpretation of Stonehenge in 10 languages.

The Result

Evan Evans customers who are taken to Stonehenge receive the same information as those from other tour operators, without the need to queue for audio guides at the visitor centre. As a result, customers can spend more time at the Stonehenge circle and visiting its world-class exhibition centre. On trips to Bath and Windsor, the Vox tour guide system ensures each customer never misses a word of their expert tour guide’s live commentary, and each guest receives the same user experience.