ZooTampa goes green with Attractions.io
ZooTampa cut printed materials by 95% and saved $50,000 a year after launching their mobile app.
Head on over to the penguins! 🐧Don’t miss the penguin chat at 11:00, taking place at their habitat near the carousel.
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Help us save the manatees 🌊Read these tips to help protect manatees from boat strikes.
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Leading by example with a sustainable digital strategy
ZooTampa at Lowry Park is one of the most popular zoos in the southeastern US, welcoming over one million guests a year across 56 acres of naturalistic habitats and tropical gardens. In 2021, the team launched their new app to replace printed tickets, maps and membership cards.
In a single year, ZooTampa used to print more than 400,000 tickets, 300,000 maps and 30,000 membership cards. They wanted a more efficient and scalable approach to minimise their environmental impact and encourage guests to do the same.
A branded mobile app
Working with Attractions.io, ZooTampa launched a branded mobile app that replaced these physical resources with sustainable digital alternatives. Today, guests use interactive wayfinding, mobile tickets and digital memberships to manage their visit without relying on printed materials.
Explore Go north_east95%
Reduction in printed materials
The result was a sustainable, more connected experience that reduced waste, lowered marketing costs and helped inspire guests to adopt more sustainable behaviours.
“If we have a new baby animal born or there is a new experience, we do not have to throw away maps that are outdated. We can simply update our app on the spot.”
Sandra TorresDirector of Communications at ZooTampa
A connected guest journey
ZooTampa’s goal was not only to reduce its own environmental footprint but also to encourage guests to adopt sustainable habits. The Attractions.io platform helps the team connect digital touchpoints to real-world moments on-site through Bluetooth beacons and push notifications. This enabled the zoo to present guests with educational content at precisely the right moment.
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Before the visitMobile tickets
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Getting aroundInteractive wayfinding
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Head on over to the penguins! 🐧Don’t miss the penguin chat at 11:00, taking place at their habitat near the carousel.
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11:00Push notifications
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At the orangutansSustainable palm oil
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12:04Saturday 19 April
Help us save the manatees 🌊Read these tips to help protect manatees from boat strikes.
now
At the manateesPreventing boat strikes
“When people visit the zoo, they want close encounters with our animals. And when they are here, we want them to make the connection between the animal standing in front of them and an action that they can take to help that same species out in the wild.”
Sandra TorresDirector of Communications at ZooTampaFreeing up teams behind the scenes
The app also frees up internal teams who previously spent time managing printed resources. Whether it’s refreshing event schedules, publishing new experiences or updating exhibit information, everything now happens through one platform that supports the zoo’s long-term sustainability goals.
Working with Attractions.io also allowed ZooTampa to streamline processes behind the scenes. Visual updates, operational changes and new content no longer require long lead times or additional spend. The team can adapt quickly, respond to guest needs in real time, and maintain consistent messaging across the entire site, resulting in an improved guest experience.
“If a message pops up saying, ‘you can help these animals in the wild by buying sustainable palm oil,’ that connection can be made through the app, so that when guests leave the zoo, they can return to it and check what they can do to help.”
Sandra TorresDirector of Communications at ZooTampa
A trusted partner in sustainable transformation
- $50,000in printing costs saved every year
- 4.8average App Store rating
- 91%of guests leave positive feedback
- 65%of registered users consent to marketing
“We can adapt our content in the moment, which keeps it fresh for guests and helps us save money and resources. We’ve been so impressed by how flexible and easy to use the Attractions.io platform is.”
Sandra TorresDirector of Communications at ZooTampaFor the team at ZooTampa, their mobile app has become a catalyst for reducing waste, streamlining operations, and enhancing guest engagement. The shift to digital now underpins their sustainability strategy, helping them minimise printing, save on operational costs and deliver a smoother, more connected experience for every guest.
“In Attractions.io, we found a vendor who could handle the heavy lifting for us. Their digital platform was ready to go, and the team made sure the setup was smooth, effective and above all, furthering our sustainability goals at the Zoo.”
Steve MarsicanoMarketing and Content Manager at ZooTampaMore customer stories
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Up to 40%of ticket sales through the app
Magnolia uses wayfinding, digital ticketing and seasonal content across a 400-acre site, cutting entrance queues that ran to five minutes a family. The app has 60,000 downloads, 93% positive post-visit feedback and takes up to 40% of ticket sales.
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From digital maps to mobile ticketing, Attractions.io helps attractions lower their environmental impact while improving day-to-day operations.
