A better welcome pack: deciding what belongs on paper and on a phone

What happens to the welcome pack after check-in?

A guest arrives, collects their keys and receives a folder containing a map, facility information and an activity sheet. Everything is there for a reason.

Later, the family heads out without the folder. Someone wants to check the pool timetable; another needs directions to the evening entertainment. Back at reception, staff are answering questions that the pack was designed to resolve.

The issue may be less about the amount of information and more about whether guests can find and use it when they need it.

Reviewing the welcome pack is an opportunity to make that information more useful throughout the holiday.

Start with the guest’s task

List what guests need to know at different points: how to arrive, where to find accommodation, what is happening today and who to contact for help.

Then consider the format that best serves each task. A concise printed arrival guide may be useful when someone first reaches the park. A digital map can travel with them as they explore. A current activity schedule is easier to revise when a session changes.

Keep essential instructions clear in every format you provide. Guests should not receive conflicting directions because a printed sheet and an app page were updated at different times.

Put changing information somewhere easy to update

Opening times, activity programmes, menus and event details can change during a season. Reprinting and distributing revised sheets takes time, and older copies may remain in accommodation.

A guest app gives your team a place to maintain current content and make it available on a phone. When a programme changes, the updated information can sit alongside the map and practical details guests already use.

Assign responsibility for each section and agree how staff hear about changes. A digital page still needs someone to check and maintain it.

Keep the choice accessible

Not every guest will want or be able to use an app. Some may have an older device, limited connectivity, accessibility needs or a preference for paper.

Provide a suitable printed option and make it clear where to find personal help. Check how important information is accessed if a connection is unavailable. Offline functionality varies by feature, so confirm what remains available in your own setup.

The goal is to give guests reliable choices rather than requiring every household to use the same channel.

Make the app useful from the first moment

If you introduce the app in a printed welcome guide, give guests a specific reason to open it.

“Explore today’s activities and find your way around the park” explains the benefit more clearly than a download instruction alone. A QR code can make access convenient, while staff can demonstrate the map or programme when a guest asks a question.

Make sure the promised information is easy to find after installation. The first interaction sets expectations for the rest of the stay.

Look at the whole cost of keeping information current

Printed materials have design, production and distribution costs. They also need checking and replacing when details change. Digital content has its own costs, including setup, maintenance, support and the time required to keep it accurate.

Compare those costs against the volume of material you actually use and the workload involved. Retaining some printed guidance may still be the right choice for guests and for the operation.

Alongside costs, look at whether guests find information more easily and whether staff receive fewer routine questions. Those outcomes may be as valuable as any reduction in print expenditure.

Begin with the information that changes most

Review one part of the welcome pack, such as the weekly entertainment programme. Check how often it changes, where guests need it and how they access the latest version.

Then decide what belongs in the app, what should remain available in print and how the team will keep both aligned.

A better welcome is one that continues to help guests long after they have left reception.

Want to make park information easier to find and maintain? Explore n-gage.io for holiday parks and discuss your guest journey with us.