Explorer Destination: Rhine Gorge Passport

Objectives:

  • Work in groups to develop design concepts and prototypes based on a briefing set by project lead (Samuel Frei) and partner (Erlebnisplan AG)
  • Present concept proposal(s) for implementation scenarios for sustainable experience communication at different touch points along the customer journey (pre, in situ and post experience) at a location in the Rhine Gorge or for the overarching service which links the customer experiences at individual touch points to create a positive overall experience

Project Duration: April 2024

Designed For: ‘Sustainable Experience Communication & Visitor Management in Sensitive Nature Conservation Areas’ connect project module, HSLU

Role: Student, Master’s in Eco-Social Design

Overview: The ‘Explorer Destination’ is a playful and scalable sustainable tourism approach to conserve and experience the Rhine Gorge (Rheinschlucht) in Switzerland. Visitors get a passport for their trip (analogue or digital) and get stamps at explorer stations along the trail which feature activities and information about endangered species in the area and the importance of stewardship.

As part of the project, our group visited the Rhine Gorge. We were not able to hike the entire gorge, but we did get to explore the area around Castrisch. We took photos and notes about the hiking trails, resting areas, maps, information signs about the breeding areas for endangered bird species, and the barriers deterring people from entering these sensitive areas.

We also had online video calls with relevant stakeholders of the project: a local resident of the Rhine Gorge who is involved in conservation efforts and a representative of Graubünden tourism office. Our group also read documents about the various challenges faced by other stakeholders in the Rhine Gorge. This stakeholder analysis helped inform our ideation process and design proposal.

We made the focus of the Explorer Destination on the endangered species of Switzerland and raising awareness for them to help foster a sense a stewardship for these sensitive areas (for local residents and non-locals).
 
 
The intention is that during a hike through the Rhine Gorge, visitors can learn more about cultural heritage and the local ecosystems. With the provided touchpoints (explorer stations) the visitors are carefully guided through the Rhine Gorge and will follow certain paths. This way it is ensured that they will stick to the main areas and are not tempted to enter the nature conservation areas.
 
To have a guidance during the connect project, our group agreed on setting a mission: “We want to put the endangered species of the Rhine Gorge at the same level as the Edelweiss and the Capricorn. We want to make the endangered species of the Rhine Gorge more visible, educate families about their role in the ecosystem and why it is important to protect them.”

As a group we brainstormed the ideas together and then we divided the different elements of the Explorer Destination between us. Each person in the group expanded on each element in more detail. My focus area during the project was the explorer stations and engaging people about the endangered species, while also fostering a sense of stewardship.
 
The area where the explorers will get their species stamp is called the explorer station. The goal of the station is to be inviting, engage people about the conservation of the specific species and hopefully foster empathy for them. This station depicted here is for the common sandpiper which is endangered in Switzerland largely because of disturbance at their nesting sites in places like the Rhine Gorge.
 
The engagement activity at this specific explorer station is about the nesting sites of the sandpipers to help reinforce in people why there are restricted areas in the Rhine Gorge during their breeding season. The sandpipers lay eggs on the ground, and they look very similar to the grey stones we commonly see, so the activity is for people try to find the eggs. They’re able to lift up the shapes on the platform to see if they were correct in identifying the eggs from the stones. This activity helps people to understand that since these birds have ground nests it makes them more vulnerable, and because the eggs are well camouflaged, we might step on them. Also, when people get too close to the nests, the sandpipers might leave and abandon their eggs. Or if their ideal nesting sites are too busy with people then they’ll lay eggs in places where the chances of survival are low.
 
Apart from the activity, there is also a wooden display at the explorer station which includes biological information about the species and continues the story of the sandpiper character that people would have heard at the Box-It in the municipality closest to this stamp site. There is also a species trivia section on the display where people can learn cool facts and amazing adaptations of the species. Parents could also engage with their kids by being the question masters. Another key component of the display is the explorer pledge. By doing this passport, we want to build up a code of conduct or manifesto for people to be more respectful explorers. At each species station there is a pledge which is what we want them to take away from the explorer experience, not only for their trip to the Rhine Gorge but also for other explorations they do.
 
On the explorer station display there is also a QR code for people to scan if they want to access the information on their mobile phones. The opportunities to engage visitors with the display and activity are vast. In addition to the largely analogue ideas discussed, there are opportunities to add digital means of engagement, for example, with mixed reality.

Our group created physical prototypes to show during our project presentation. We presented examples of the Explorer Destination logo, stamps, a large version of the passport and a passport size version.

This was a 2-week project for the master’s programme. It’s called a ‘Connect Project’ because the design brief is provided by an external partner in collaboration with a project lead who works at the university (HSLU). Students are provided the opportunity to propose design concepts to real-world challenges of organisations, institutions, etc.
 
In the briefing for this project, we learned about some of the tensions that exist when it comes to tourism in the Rhine Gorge. There is the tension between the people who spend time in the Rhine Gorge and the species that live or migrate there (e.g. common sandpiper or little ringed plover). There are several endangered species in the Rhine Gorge and despite having sensitive areas blocked off, people still enter these areas and disturb the species. There is also tension with the desire of tourism officials to increase the number of visitors in the area and how the local communities feel about this and how this impacts nature conservation.
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