Ticketing Systems vs. Attraction Management Solutions: What’s Right for Your Attraction?

When attractions start looking for new technology, one of the biggest challenges is understanding the difference between a ticketing system and an attraction management solution. While both play a role in selling tickets and managing visitors, they serve different purposes and can have a big impact on operations, revenue, and the guest experience.

• Sell tickets online and in-person
• Manage capacity and timed entry
• Process payments and issue digital or physical tickets
• Offer discounts, promotions, and depending on the system, memberships

• Advanced ticketing & admissions – with dynamic pricing, memberships, and loyalty programs
• Distribution Connectivity - direct API connections with OTAs and/or channel managers
• Retail & F&B sales – managing gift shops, cafes, and restaurants
• Reservations & events – for group bookings, school visits, and special events
• CRM & guest engagement – tracking visitor data and personalising experiences. Many integrate with major CRMs for great customer management and personalisation.
• Resource & staff management – scheduling team members, guides, or volunteers
• Data & reporting – providing insights into revenue, attendance, and visitor behaviour

• The technology  development lag: while booking systems for tours and activities soared with offering latest tech and connectivity for these businesses, the attractions ticketing tech companies didn’t keep up. As the market changed, the tech companies stagnated. Only in the last 6 years are we seeing truly connected and modern systems made available (and proof pointed) for attractions.
• Sticky Tech: For larger businesses like attractions, transitioning from one system to another can be a daunting task. The process can be time-consuming, resource-heavy, and expensive.
• Ticketing system hacking: attractions who found that they needed a new system in the last few years (particularly for online bookings during the pandemic) ended up using ticketing systems from other industries who were not designed for visitor attractions. Many of these include ticketing systems from events, theatre and even hacking CRMs. Many attractions who have done this now realise they can only market to, and convert direct consumer channels as these systems don’t have the tourism distribution connections required. This limits the attractions options in growing revenue. 
• Ticketing systems from overseas markets: there are some great ticketing platforms out there, but when attractions in Australia choose an overseas vendor, they often find these systems were built for a different market—not ours. In many cases, these platforms haven’t been properly internationalised, leaving attractions without the key features they need to scale or the distribution connections that matter. Even if a vendor powers some of the world’s largest attractions, ask yourself: Will they help us grow and meet our distribution requirements? Do we really need a system built for 12 million passengers a year? You’d think a platform handling that volume would have everything you need—but if their sales strategy doesn’t align with yours (and it probably doesn’t), don’t be distracted by the bells and whistles or big-name clients. Stay focused on what your attraction truly needs.
• Legacy systems - because of many issues highlighted in the above, some attractions have invested heavily in the development and hacking of their current outdated system and are reluctant to walk away from that investment, Even though it doesn’t work properly, the spent money overshadows everything else.
• The “If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It” Mindset - Boards, CEOs, and executive teams who stick to this philosophy—while their teams on the ground struggle—need to take a closer look. We’ve seen major attractions attend major trade shows, only to walk away with nothing because their systems and processes can’t support trade sales. If you’re in a leadership role and your technology is holding back your business and revenue growth, then guess what? It’s broken, and it’s time to fix it. Oh, and let’s talk about your data. It’s probably sitting in silos all over the place, making reporting a nightmare. Ever had even the slightest doubt that your revenue reports don’t quite match what’s in the bank? If so, it’s definitely broken.