The most powerful part of travel isn’t always what guests expect; it’s what stays with them afterward.
Insights from PGAV’s Voice of the Visitor: International reveal a shift between the moments travelers anticipate before a trip and the memories they carry home. For designers, understanding that gap can transform how experiences are imagined, planned, and delivered.
Read this week’s Destinology to explore how anticipation and memory shape attractions and the guest experience.
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Celebrating our May anniversaries 🤩
So much talent in this group. Special shout-out to Mike Konzen for an incredible 40 years!!
Happy Work-versary team!
With the opening of the restored Schifferdecker and Zelleken homes in Joplin, MO, PGAV helped transform two historic residences into a journey through the lives of the families who shaped the community. By balancing innovation with preservation, this project reimagines what a historic house museum can be.
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Eighty-eight percent of international travelers choose the destination first. But the real story happens once they arrive. This week’s Voice of the Visitor: International explores how attractions shape the itinerary, balancing must-see “anchor” experiences with unexpected “discoveries” that bring depth, meaning, and memorability to every trip. As Carol Breeze, PGAV Lead Designer, explains, “An attraction can complete the feeling a guest came for and in doing so, become the story they tell when they return home.”
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The global attractions industry is shifting, and understanding the visitor has never mattered more. PGAV’s Voice of the Visitor: International explores what drives travel decisions, from the spark of inspiration to the memories made.
“This work builds on PGAV’s long-standing commitment to understanding the visitor,” said PGAV Principal Diane Lochner. “For more than two decades, we’ve explored guest behavior and decision-making, from the earliest editions of Destinology through a decade of Voice of the Visitor. With this study, we’re expanding that perspective globally, delivering insights more frequently, and deepening our understanding of how attractions compete for time in an increasingly complex experience landscape.”
From anticipation to on-site spending, this research uncovers how experience design, storytelling, food, and retail shape destinations.
Check out the overview of PGAV’s Voice of the Visitor: International now and watch for more in-depth information in the coming weeks.
For the ones who hold us together, pay the bills, rock the rockwork, and design with flair, we see you! Thank you for being a part of the team for 10 to 19 years!
We’re heading to Seatrade Cruise Global and looking forward to connecting with colleagues, partners, and friends across the industry.
Our team is excited to share ideas and spark conversations around destination design, operational and planning strategy, storytelling and theme design, and the immersive experiences shaping what’s next.
If you’ll be there, let’s connect! We’d love to hear what you’re working on and explore what we can create together.
Proud of our own Dave Cooperstein, nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor as Herr Schultz in Cabaret at the New Jewish Theatre!
The production had a huge night, earning 10 awards at the St. Louis Theatre Circle Awards.
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