Key takeaways
- More than 41,000 app downloads were recorded in under 12 months.
- The Safari Drive gained GPS-triggered audio narration and location-aware conservation stories.
- A 46% email subscription rate significantly expanded the park’s direct marketing reach.
- Interactive mapping and live updates improved wayfinding across the drive and walking areas.
- Integrated ticketing and behavioural insight gave teams greater control and visibility.
Transforming the Safari Experience
Knowsley Safari Park is one of the UK’s leading wildlife attractions. Set across 550 acres near Liverpool, its five-mile Safari Drive passes through 11 habitat zones and is complemented by a Foot Safari, animal talks, education and conservation experiences.
In 2023, Knowsley partnered with n-gage.io to introduce a flexible digital guest experience that could match the scale of the attraction, support its sustainability goals and give internal teams direct control of content, campaigns and insight.
The Challenge
Knowsley’s previous mobile app had become difficult to update and could no longer support changing guest expectations or the park’s operational ambitions.
- Slow, costly updates caused by inflexible legacy app infrastructure.
- Limited GPS and audio customisation for the Safari Drive experience.
- Minimal behavioural analytics and little visibility of the guest journey.
- No real-time channel for targeted messages, campaigns or seasonal updates.
- Reliance on printed maps and information that did not support accessibility or sustainability goals.
The n-gage.io Solution
Knowsley adopted a custom-branded guest app and operator platform configured around its Safari Drive, Foot Safari and internal team requirements.
Interactive Safari Drive
GPS-triggered audio narration delivers species and conservation stories as guests travel through the Safari Drive, creating a more accessible and immersive journey.
Live Map and Guest Information
Guests can find animals, talks, facilities and walking routes while receiving real-time updates on feeding times, events and practical visit information.
Campaigns, Tickets and Memberships
The operator team can schedule targeted notifications, while the Digitickets integration imports ticket, membership and visitor data to support more relevant content and follow-up marketing.
Behavioural Insight
The analytics dashboard provides visibility of footfall patterns, dwell times, campaign performance and in-app engagement across the Safari Drive and walking areas.
Results and Operational Impact
- Over 41,000 app downloads in under 12 months from deployment.
- A 46% email subscription rate from app users.
- 1,500+ downloads in the first week following the launch campaign.
- Improved guest response to GPS narration, educational content and real-time wayfinding.
- Greater visibility of average visit duration and dwell time across key parts of the site.
- Reduced reliance on printed maps and guides.
- Direct content control for marketing, education and operations teams.
Client Testimonial
It’s really important for us to ensure that when we update our visitor technology it doesn’t detract from the physical enjoyment of being with us, but enhances the overall safari experience. The app is our visitor’s personal safari guide and helps them learn about our animals and conservation work in more detail, bringing them closer to nature and hopefully helping them learn something new every time they visit.
Could this work at your attraction?
Tell us about your site and we will show you what it would look like.