SKANSEN’S VISITOR FLOW, REAL-TIME INSIGHTS — AN OCCUPANCY MONITORING SOLUTION
Skansen, the world’s oldest open-air museum, upgraded its guest experience with an occupancy monitoring solution built on privacy-first people-counting sensors. The approach delivers live capacity, smoother flow at entrances and exhibits, and better staff planning—without compromising GDPR compliance.
PROBLEM FRAMING — PEAKS, BOTTLENECKS, AND STAFF WINDOWS
Across a 300,000 m² site and multiple entrances, Skansen faces familiar operator challenges: knowing how many visitors are inside right now, where peaks form, and when to shift staff between entrances and exhibits. Traditional manual counts and anecdotal observations can’t keep pace with seasonal swings or event spikes.
SOLUTION — SENSOR DATA, REAL-TIME CAPACITY, AND FLOW INSIGHTS
CountMatters implemented a customer counter system with 3D people-counting sensors at key entrances and cultural buildings, plus optional Wi-Fi node analytics in sub-areas such as Björnberget. Live dashboards show total on-site occupancy, entry/exit balance by gate, and trending peaks across the day. Where needed, role-based views let floor managers act immediately while leadership tracks weekly patterns.
PROOF — WHY REAL-TIME OCCUPANCY MATTERS
Independent research shows occupancy data supports safer circulation and operations, and can inform energy/HVAC scheduling and space utilization when appropriate. Smart-museum studies highlight that sensor-based visitor analysis outperforms manual observation for planning exhibits and staffing. Privacy-preserving Wi-Fi analytics can complement counters for movement patterns when configured to meet GDPR standards. (See “Sources”)
USE CASES — MUSEUMS, VENUES, PUBLIC SPACES
MUSEUM ENTRANCES & EXHIBITS
Live capacity and per-entrance flow prevent overcrowding, balance queue load, and protect the visitor experience during peak programs.
EVENT DAYS & SEASONAL PEAKS
Special exhibitions or holiday markets often create sharp surges. Real-time occupancy helps redeploy staff, open reserve lanes, or throttle entries to keep experiences smooth.
PUBLIC SPACE & SAFETY
Operations teams use occupancy thresholds to trigger wayfinding and crowd-management playbooks, aligning with modern crowd-safety guidance for prevention and controlled egress.
IMPLEMENTATION — SENSORS, DASHBOARDS, PRIVACY
Sensors. Entrance sensors (including partners such as Xovis) provide directional counts with high accuracy. Optional Wi-Fi nodes add macro movement insights (hot/cold zones) when configured for privacy.
Dashboards. Role-based views show live capacity, flows by entrance, and trending peaks. Managers can set alert thresholds for proactive actions.
Privacy/GDPR. CountMatters’ approach is privacy-by-design: no facial recognition, no biometrics, and only aggregated, non-identifiable metrics. Wi-Fi analytics—if used—follow strict controller guidance (purpose limitation, data minimization, and appropriate retention). Include clear signage and DPIA where required.
Occupancy data supports faster service at entries, fewer bottlenecks at popular exhibits, and tighter alignment of staff with demand. Over time, patterns inform seasonal opening windows and targeted programming—turning throughput into consistent guest satisfaction.
MINI-FAQ
HOW ACCURATE ARE THE SENSORS?
Entrance-grade sensors deliver high accuracy when installed to spec and validated post-install. Dashboards show confidence and trends.
CAN WE START SMALL?
Yes. Many sites begin with entrance coverage and add sub-area nodes later for movement patterns.
HOW DO YOU HANDLE GDPR?
Privacy-by-design: no faces, no biometrics, aggregated counts only. For Wi-Fi analytics, adhere to supervisory guidance (e.g., clear signage, opt-outs where applicable, and retention minimization).
Skansen’s journey shows how an occupancy monitoring solution and a modern customer counter system turn footfall into actionable operations. The result: safer peaks, quicker queues, and reliably better days for visitors and staff.
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