One of the zoo/aquarium/themed attraction firms has been thinking about how social distancing would really work in such facilities. Very interesting PGAV's Weekly Deep Dive | Social, Yet Distant
Interesting. I agree the use of online ticket sales will increase dramatically. It had been very slowly gaining traction before but I think it will really take off now. The downside to requiring this is twofold. First it discourages spontaneous visitors (hey there's a sign for the zoo, why don't we stop in?). Second it discriminates against low income persons who do not have online access. The other question is how to handle members. Will they still be allowed to just show their card any time (I certainly hope so) or will they be required to pre-book their visit if numbers are limited? And if it is the latter and theoretically you could be denied entry because the slots are full then it defeats the purpose of buying a membership. It will also be interesting to see how this affects exhibit design, particularly internationally. Here in the United States I have already seen a trend over the last decade for larger walkways and spaces, which was a response not to distancing per se but to accommodating larger crowds and specifically persons in wheelchairs. A great example of before and after this trend is San Diego Zoo. Before the trend they built Tiger River, whose walkway is uncomfortably narrow and steep (too steep for wheelchairs and honestly if it was designed today I don't think it would get approved by the local authorities). After the trend they built Africa Rocks, which has very wide pathways and was designed in a curving way to make a steep canyon navigable with a less steep walkway.
It is an odd time, of course and the future is unknowable. Will zoos start to design with pandemics in mind? Some directors might be focused on that and some will not. You don't design a multi-million dollar exhibit with a two year crisis in mind. But is it a two-year crisis? That is a mater of opinion.Still, plans must be made for life until (if) a vaccine is widely deployed. There are some interesting discussions going on about whether, after the COVID19 crisis subsides everything will be changed forever or everything will return to old ways. Of course that too is a matter of opinion. I see many of the re-opening zoos are requiring Members to simply schedule on-line. And, frankly, everything being done to move economic life forward during the COVID crisis discriminates against low-income people. A note on widening paths - double-wide strollers are a greater issue for design than wheelchairs, in my experience. Steep grades are indeed limited by ADA rules though and that has been the rule since 2010 at least.
ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) rules do indeed play a strong role in zoo design (or any architectural design) here in USA. Which is why I wondered how this will affect international zoo design. Based on my limited travels in Europe it appears the United States is a world leader in accommodating the needs of people with mobility issues or other disabilities (and rightly so if I can add my opinion). When I first started visiting western Europe, so-called first world countries, I was shocked at the state of some of my hotels (narrow and steep stairways, narrow halls, no elevator) that would never, ever get an occupancy permit from ANY municipality in the United States.
Changes just this week in the UK, have halted this here. Travel is now permitted again, but only to certain un-restricted destinations. 'Ticketed Attractions' (defined as such for the first time) are lumped together, so a small and wholly indoor play-barn is classed the same as a park like Whipsnade or Longleat. These of course could quite easily control attendance as described above, and the zoos could have remained open all along, but travel to them is banned. Fines for such travel have now been increased to 'unlimited' and prohibition orders can now be imposed. We had commissioned on-line ticketing software, which was/is almost ready to test - but have now had to halt (I hope pause?) the project.
@Andrew Swales That is very frustrating. As you say some could probably have been kept open all along with proper social distancing. Two of the zoos in my state of Arizona have in fact remained open the entire time (with their few indoor areas like gift shop closed).
