Weather apps are damaging the tourism industry.
That’s according to the team at GreenWood Family Park, an outdoor eco theme park located in North Wales.
A significant number of the park’s guests are walk-up visitors, and this proportion increases during peak season.
But the attraction’s team claim these visitors are often deterred from travelling to the park after glimpsing a rainy forecast on a weather app.
They say that weather apps offer just a ‘snapshot’ of the day’s forecast, with rain as the ‘headline image’ even if rain is actually only forecast for an hour or less.
Weather apps are damaging the tourism industry by offering a ‘snapshot’ of the day’s forecast, according to the team at GreenWood Family Park, an outdoor eco theme park located in North Wales
Andrew Pawson, interim CEO of Continuum Attractions, which operates GreenWood Family Park, says: ‘Weather apps play a significant part in planning for a day out – from what to wear to whether to even venture out in the first place.
‘Generalised summary icons give a snapshot of how the weather is likely to play out day to day, but more detail is only presented when clicking through to the day in question.
‘In some cases, rain could be forecast for just an hour – or less – of a day, but an app will reflect this as its headline image – instantly placing doubt in the head of someone wanting to book a day outdoors.
‘The team at GreenWood Family Park is calling for the current system of generalised weather icons to be ripped up and replaced with a selection of smaller icons that better summarise a 24-hour period.
‘The aim is for people to be able to see a more complete daily overview, encouraging them to click through to see the fuller forecast.’
Olly Reed, Marketing Director at Navigate, a tourism consultancy, remarked: ‘This is a hugely important issue for attractions and destinations across the UK. A misleading weather icon can be the difference between a busy day and an empty car park for indoor and outdoor attractions.’
Andrew Pawson, interim CEO of Continuum Attractions, which operates GreenWood Family Park, says: ‘Rain could be forecast for just an hour – or less – of a day, but an app will reflect this as its headline image’
