Considerations for Reopening Heritage Places

In the past week, we received several resources about reopening historic places and, as we have done in the past, we thought we would share this information to help you as you begin to think about your own reopening requirements.

On Tuesday (May 5), the International National Trusts Organisation hosted a meeting to discuss reopening protocols that are being developed in Italy, the UK, Australia and the USA.

Perhaps most common was a measured and phased approach. This means reopening is not a full opening and, in many cases, some areas of historic sites will remain closed until they can safely be opened. For a historic house, this could mean limiting access to a floor (which could have only one entry/exit point requiring people to pass by each other) or a space (such as a small room where social distancing cannot be maintained).

Surveys in the UK are indicating people are ready to return to historic sites as they look for safe, nostalgic experiences. Surveys elsewhere suggest people are not ready to return to indoor activities, but instead they will first seek larger, outdoor spaces where distancing can still be maintained. Either way, access to indoor spaces will need to be reconsidered as site managers put into place new protocols, such as:

• Online ticketing or registration to eliminate cash handling and to control the number of visitors before they get to your site; timed ticketing (guests gain access at a specified time) or day passes are ways to manage guests (If you do not have an online ticketing program already, consider an event ticketing program like Eventbrite).
• Controlled entry points to reduce and manage the number of visitors;
• Planned routes to move visitors in one direction only, so people do not pass by each other.
• Revised programs and tours so that people remain outdoors for longer periods and groups are restricted to families that have isolated together. Self-guided tours may replace guided tours.
• Reduced interactions with the visiting public to maintain social distancing and safety of staff and volunteers.
• Adjusted hours and days, as reopening does not need to equate to regular (pre-COVID) hours.
• Updated communications with simple, repeatable messages that are delivered with a tone that gets across the importance of the protocols and that helps the public feel safe and protected. There will also be a need for increased signage for better communication of new rules and routes. Historic sites will want to add to their websites and social media the measures they are taking when re-opening, in as much detail as possible, so potential visitors can make informed choices (before they arrive at the site). Indicating public health and safety are top priorities will foster community goodwill.
• Digitization will reduce the number of items handled by the public, such as hand-out information sheets.

Working together has been key to managing the spread of COVID-19 and expanding on that idea, through coordination with other businesses and sectors, is a way to support the safety and wellbeing of the entire community. For sites with accommodation and food services, it will be important to know what protocols have been developed specifically to those sectors. Overall, it could be beneficial to know the plans of neighbouring businesses and business associations, so that heritage sites can prepare to reopen in the context of their communities.

At this time, no one really knows what is the ‘right’ path forward, and so flexibility and responsiveness will be important to developing, delivering and responding as the reopening protocols are rolled out. If you discover your plan is not working as anticipated or your organization is not able to maintain the desired level of safety, reversing your plan is always possible.

Many sites operate with the support of volunteers, many of whom may be more vulnerable to the virus. This is leading organizations to build new relationships with volunteers by devising new jobs (for example, digitizing information that is typically handed to the visitors) and reducing their interaction with the public.

Reopening cannot be equated with full revenue generation as it is expected historic sites will have to incur greater costs in this new paradigm than can be recovered in revenues. Knowing your increased costs may not be covered, it may still be acceptable to open as a service to the public and to restore a connection to the community. But, for other organizations, increased expenses may not be tenable and so remaining closed is the wiser decision. Additionally, some sites may not have the funds to re-engage a full complement of staff or to implement new maintenance and cleaning protocols and so cash flow will influence how a site reopens. Knowing revenues will be slow to start, the challenge to historic site managers will be to balance these issues when determining what parts (if any) of the site will be reopened.

Rather than developing a plan to get your doors open, it is probably wiser to consider longer-term planning that will take you further into the future. In fact, more and more people are suggesting a return to normal is no longer the goal, but instead this is the time for new business models and strategies. This can be an opportunity to change what we do and to create something new out of the disruption.

As Winston Churchill said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.”

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Following are other ideas we received in the past week. We offer for your consideration but, of course, it is important that you consider your organization’s needs and safety and balance that with the needs and safety of the public.

To start, here is perhaps the sagest of advice: If you are not ready to open – don’t.

Re-engaging Historic Sites ⁶

Following an earlier meeting of the International National Trusts Organization, it was reported its members are:

• Focussing on local visitors/community
• Phasing openings, starting with parks
• Limiting numbers perhaps members only first
• Offering timed tickets, bought in advance
• Developing new operational / movement plans around sites
• Rethinking the visitor centre to allow for social distancing
• Considering volunteers, who are largely in the ‘at risk’ group and what impact of this on sites
• Rethinking the nature of our model based on emerging trends

Reopening Safely: Helpful Tips for Community Leaders

Main Street America put together a two-page bulletin to help heritage sites and districts re-open for business. Here is a summary (partially rephrased for a BC context):

• Understand federal, provincial and local guidelines for reopening. Know your responsibilities and follow them.
• Survey your community about its preferences.
• Engage with local public health officials on guidance they can provide for small business owners/operators.
• Adjust community events as needed to ensure community health. Special events are also an important form of social engagement, but should be carefully considered given recommended large group gather guidelines and any local consumer safety concerns. Activities that can be managed by closing streets or leveraging park spaces, riverfronts, etc. with egress/ingress locations to control for density, may be needed in early recovery stages to effectively position districts as safe gathering places. As you analyze whether to cancel or continue programming, it is important to consult your local officials, work with your boards, and follow local and state guidelines. At first, virtual events, or even social media campaigns focused on fostering trust and safe shopping may be better options.
• Develop a recovery plan as an overlay to your current work plan. While you may be “reopened,” returning to normalcy will remain a challenge in both the short- and mid-term. As such, reliance on activities that were part of your plan in January will need to reconsidered.
• Formalize helpful tips, recommendations, etc. into a reopening guide or kit.
• Finally, be prepared to frame expectations to your visitors. Experiences will be different in the near-term: there may be more queueing, occupancies may be limited, new technology glitchy.

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As you begin to think about your reopening protocol, keep in mind to provincial protocols that remain in place (as of May 5).

Gatherings: a reminder

On March 16th, by the Order of the Provincial Health Officer, all event organizers are ordered to limit all public gatherings larger than 50 people. This includes indoor and outdoor sporting events, conferences, meetings, religious gatherings or other similar events. (source)

Social/Physical Distancing

The BC Centre of Disease Control offers these tips to practice physical distancing in public (source)

• Keep about two meters (six feet) or the length of a queen-sized bed apart when possible
• Keep your hands at your sides
• Greet others with a wave instead of a handshake, a kiss or a hug
• Shop or take public transportation during off-peak hours when possible
• Avoid crowded places and all in-person gatherings of any size are strongly discouraged.
• Limit contact with people at higher risk of getting sick (e.g. older adults and those in poor health).