Guiding the difficult journey: SmartGuide's tour guide system improves visitor experiences at Terezin Memorial

Ever wondered how technology can transform the way history is explored and understood? Enter the world of SmartGuide, a cutting-edge digital audio guide that has revolutionized the visitor experience at the Terezin Memorial and the city of Terezin. By seamlessly integrating historical content with easy-to-use technology, SmartGuide has played an important role in educating visitors about the harrowing events that unfolded during World War II.

The SmartGuide platform has enabled the Terezin Memorial to extend its content beyond standard paper brochures, inspiring tourists to explore less crowded areas with a digital audio guide. This memorial, showcasing exhibits of wartime racial and political persecution, can be visited independently with SmartGuide's self-guided tours, but also with regular human tour guides. To promote the use of SmartGuide, Terezin used various marketing materials like printed maps, posters, and more at important entry points and around the town.

The collaboration between the memorial and the city has expanded the scope of content, effectively sharing the historical significance and horrors of this dark period through a single official digital audio guide. With audio guides available in English, German, and Czech at Terezin, SmartGuide caters to a diverse range of tourists, enhancing their understanding of the past while ensuring that the memories of those who suffered are never forgotten.

This case study showcases how technology in tourism holds immense potential in preserving and sharing historical information with future generations, ensuring that important knowledge is never lost.

Preserving history in a digital audio guide: Terezin Memorial's collaboration with SmartGuide

The Terezin Memorial and the city of Terezin hold a significant place in history due to their role as a former Jewish ghetto during World War II. As a site of immense historical importance, the Terezin Memorial aims to preserve the memory of those who suffered under Nazi persecution.

One of the challenges faced by Terezin Memorial City Tourism was visitors wandering cluelessly through the former Jewish ghetto, unable to fully grasp the historical context of the site. To address this issue, SmartGuide’s tour guide system was introduced as a solution, offering digital audio guides for a self-paced exploration of the site. This collaboration between the Terezin Memorial and SmartGuide has resulted in an official application that provides expanded content for both the Memorial and the Terezin municipality.

SmartGuide offered two key solutions in Terezin. Firstly, a digital audio guide, which visitors can access on their phones. This allows visitors to embark on a self-guided tour and discover the beauty of Terezin at their own pace. Secondly, it helped expand the content for visitors of The Small Fortress, The Memorial on the Ohře River, and The Ghetto Museum.

The Terezin Memorial serves as a testament to the atrocities committed during World War II. By utilizing SmartGuide’s tour guide system, individuals can pay homage to those who suffered while gaining a deeper understanding of the concentration camp's history.

Navigating challenges: Terezin Memorial destination management organization's partnership with SmartGuide

Terezin Memorial's DMO faced various challenges in enhancing visitor experiences, prompting the need for an innovative solution. Partnering with SmartGuide proved to be a strategic decision that effectively addressed these challenges and transformed the way tourists engaged with the historically significant site.

1. As visitors roamed the former Jewish ghetto without proper guidance, they struggled to grasp the historical context of the site, which led to a less meaningful experience.

Solution: SmartGuide created an accessible digital audio guide, allowing visitors to explore Terezin at their own pace using their smartphones. This single official guide shares the horrors of World War II with those who dare to listen, providing context and insight to create a more immersive experience.

2. Visitors often found it difficult to access extensive information about the Terezin Memorial and the city while touring the area and points of interest, leading to missed opportunities for learning and understanding.

Solution: SmartGuide collaborated with the Terezin Memorial to expand the content available, offering a comprehensive collection of information through the official digital guide. This enriched content allows visitors to delve deeper into the history and significance of the site.

3. The Terezin Memorial attracts tourists from various backgrounds, languages, and age groups, making it crucial to cater to their unique needs for an inclusive experience.

Solution: SmartGuide's digital audio guide is available in multiple languages, ensuring that the platform caters to a diverse range of tourists. Additionally, SmartGuide enables customized experiences tailored to different visitor preferences, further enhancing their understanding of the past.

4. Tourists often experienced challenges in navigating the expansive Terezin Memorial and its various points of interest in a meaningful order, resulting in frustration and missed opportunities for exploration.

Solution: SmartGuide's user-friendly interface and built-in GPS navigation tools help visitors effortlessly explore the site and locate points of interest (POI), ensuring a seamless experience that encourages deeper engagement with the site's history.

5. The Terezin Memorial needed a way to present an extensive amount of information and historical content to visitors, which was not possible with traditional paper brochures due to space constraints.

In addition, there was an issue of overcrowding at popular spots and underutilization of less visited areas within the memorial. The memorial also sought to provide flexible touring options for visitors, either with a guide or independently, which posed another challenge in terms of effective content delivery.

Solution: The SmartGuide platform has facilitated the Terezin Memorial in extending its content beyond the limitations of traditional paper brochures, encouraging tourists to explore less congested areas. To motivate visitors to download SmartGuide and engage with the content, Terezín heavily publicized the audio guide using a variety of promotional materials at main entrances and across the town (including printed maps, posters, rollups, A-stands, etc.). All exhibits at the Terezin Memorial can be viewed independently without prior reservation or as part of a guided tour.

The partnership between Terezin Memorial City Tourism and SmartGuide’s digital audio guide platform has effectively addressed the challenges faced by the site, providing innovative solutions tailored to the diverse needs of its visitors. By implementing SmartGuide, destination management organizations, tourist attractions, tour operators, tourism boards, and travel businesses can significantly enhance visitor experiences while improving their tourism marketing efforts. This ensures that important information is preserved and shared with future generations, fostering a lasting connection between the past and present.

The strategic process, customized content, and innovative features: The key to SmartGuide's success at Terezin Memorial

The successful implementation of SmartGuide at the Terezin Memorial and the city of Terezin involved a strategic process that transformed the visitor experience and addressed unique challenges specific to the site. The process began with thorough research and analysis of the destination, understanding its layout, content structure, and visitor demographics. After that, SmartGuide collaborated closely with the Terezin Memorial staff and local experts to curate content that provided an authentic and enriching experience for visitors.

SmartGuide's tour guide system provides several innovative features, including location-based storytelling, offline access, and user feedback integration. To ensure that the content created for Terezin was tailored to reflect the unique history and context of the former Jewish ghetto, SmartGuide incorporated exclusive stories, anecdotes, and historical insights.

During the implementation, SmartGuide faced and overcame a few challenges. One challenge was integrating site-specific information while maintaining accuracy and respect for the sensitive nature of the site. To address this, SmartGuide worked closely with the Terezin Memorial staff and local historians to craft tours that guide visitors in a sustainable manner.

Another challenge was ensuring accessibility for visitors with disabilities. To cater to the needs of all visitors, SmartGuide incorporated accessibility features into its platform.

The successful integration of SmartGuide in Terezin has improved the visitor experience, providing a comprehensive and engaging digital audio guide solution that caters to diverse needs and has set a new standard for tourism experiences at historically significant sites.

Transforming Terezin tourism: The remarkable impact of SmartGuide implementation on a comprehensive and immersive exploration

In cooperation with the Terezin Memorial, SmartGuide has created the official audio guide for visitors of Terezin. The positive impact of SmartGuide's implementation is evident in testimonials such as the one from Tomáš Rieger, General Manager of the Terezín Memorial, who highlighted the successful collaboration between SmartGuide and the city of Terezín, “After three years of using the SmartGuide guide application, we have newly expanded the content in cooperation with the city of Terezín. For the new season, we will have one official application for visitors to the Memorial and the city of Terezín."

By considering the integration of innovative tour guide systems like SmartGuide, tourism boards, Destination Management Organizations (DMOs), tourist attractions, travel businesses, or tour operators can enhance their offerings and create meaningful, informative, and engaging experiences for visitors worldwide.

If you're keen on boosting your destination's tourism appeal, contact us today to find out how SmartGuide can take your visitor's experience to the next level.