West Cornwall’s wild Tin Coast brought to life with new interactive app
The Tin Coast Partnership have commissioned award-winning Cornish tech firm, Data Duopoly, to develop an interactive experience for visitors exploring the tin mining World Heritage Sites in West Cornwall.
The XplorTINCOAST app aims to bring this wild stretch of coastline and its historical stories to life, better connecting visitors to the area. As well as enhancing the visitor experience it will also help the local area plan for sustainable tourism in a way that supports the local economy, is respectful of the community and values the landscape and culture.
Connecting the seven mile stretch of coastline, the three main Tin Coast locations involved in the project are Geevor Tin Mine and National Trust sites Levant Mine and Beam Engine and Botallack Mine.
The app provides visitors with an interactive map, where live information pop-ups offer more detail about their current location. Using GPS, the technology determines the best route to avoid congestion based on the number and location of other visitors on site, helping to manage capacity and maintain social distancing.
The app will also help support local businesses by showcasing their offering to nearby users via nudge notifications, such as a promotional offer on refreshments, to encourage visitor flow away from busy areas.
Beth Brown, the National Trust and Tin Coast Partnership Project Manager, said: “The XplorTINCOAST app is a great tool for encouraging visitors to leave their cars behind and explore on foot, to connect to the history of the area, and to support our local businesses.”
Tanuvi Ethunandan, co-founder of Data Duopoly, added: “We are excited to be working on a solution that benefits the community around the World Heritage mining sites with the Tin Coast Partnership.
“XplorTINCOAST will allow visitors to engage with the rich history around the area innovatively and explore further than they have before. We are ensuring sustainable destination management in the area, with our unique technology”.
The app and associated dashboard will provide real-time data about the footfall on the Tin Coast– offering insights into how people are using the area to assist with future planning. All collected data is anonymised with no access to visitors' personal details.
XplorTINCOAST is now available to download for iOS and android. QR codes for easy download of the app will also be shared on the individual tin coast attractions website when buying their tickets and on signage along the tin coast.
