Are Virtual and Hybrid Programs Here to Stay?
Short answer? Yep.
And honestly? That’s something to celebrate. That’s coming from me, an unrepentant lover of live programs!
Remember during quarantine when tour operators had their tour directors take you on guided trips of faraway places - through zoom? While those operators continue to use reels and social to entice people to travel, once the world opened up and people regained their comfort with crowds, it was a mad dash to board planes and hit the road. Revenge travel, they called it.
However, virtual programming isn’t just a pandemic-era also-ran, nor is it an example of AI coming for our jobs. Done right, it’s a powerful part of your interpretive toolkit. I teach the CIG on Zoom every month because it removes barriers, adds an evolving set of accessibility features, and brings the work to people who otherwise wouldn’t have access.
Same goes for your audiences. Virtual options open doors for folks who can’t always walk through your gates or attend a guide talk at 10:00 on a Sunday.
BUT.
In-person programs still matter, a lot. The interaction, the power of place, and the visceral ‘wow’ of simply being there? You just can’t replicate that in a Zoom window.
So what does this mean for heritage sites?
It means we stop asking “Which one is better?” and start asking: “How can we make both work smarter?”
Each Format Has a Superpower
Virtual programs can leap barriers in a single bound, whether they are geographic, physical, financial, sensory, cognitive, or emotional. They help us reach homebound elders, rural students, people with accessibility needs, and families juggling chaotic schedules.
Pro Tip 1: Think beyond the Zoom room.
Not everyone wants to engage with a person. DIY and online-on-demand tools—short videos, interactive maps, story-based audio—let people engage on their time. And even without AI, tools keep being invented that make creating these tools easier and easier.
Pro Tip 2: Use hybrid to deepen, not duplicate.
You can also create virtual elements that complement a live visit by building excitement beforehand or deepening reflection afterward.
Consider pairing a virtual intro or post-visit reflection tool with your on-site program. Create a teaser-trailer type cliffhanger on TikTok that’s answered once people arrive. Launch a virtual gallery wall where visitors can share reflections and see others’. Gamify the online learning and then continue the game in person.
If your work is tied to school curriculum, consider a flipped-learning model where people start understanding and relating to your information virtually, so that when they walk through your doors, they get to focus on experiencing.
Backed by research:
This isn’t new news. A 2009 meta-analysis from the U.S. Department of Education found that blended learning (virtual + in-person) often leads to stronger outcomes than either format alone. And yes, that includes interpreters offering recreational learning programs.
IMHO: Live Programs Still Rule
Yep, I said it. AND they can live quite happily alongside your virtual and hybrid offerings.
In-person interpretation offers something irreplaceable: presence. The energy of the group, the conversations, the frisson of discovery, it’s real, it’s powerful, and it’s memorable.
Pro Tip 3: Make room for the senses.
This is Interpretation 101, but don’t forget: sounds, sights, smells, textures, and taste root people in the place. Even if you can’t offer those experiences directly, invite them to imagine. Ask them to recall the smell of the ocean or the taste of a childhood meal. If they play along, the same neural pathways light up.
Pro Tip 4: Highlight real-time relatability.
What can someone only experience here? The weight of a WWII soldier’s pack as they walk across Omaha Beach. The challenge of walking silently through the woods. Design your live programs to spark discovery and emotion—not just deliver facts.
And yes, more science:
Studies show that in-person experiences, especially those that enlist our emotions through sensory input and social interaction, lead to stronger memory retention and emotional engagement.
Virtual and In-Person Aren’t Rivals, They’re Teammates
We're not choosing one over the other. We're building a smarter, more integrated interpretive strategy that honors both.
That means:
Getting clear on your audience. Why are (or aren’t) they coming? Which tools will they actually use?
Choosing the right tool for the job. Some tools will work for your site; others won’t. Experiment. Pro-tip: stories work well in both places. Use them!
Designing with intention. Don’t let formats compete, let them collaborate.
The interpretive toolkit works in every format. Start with your purpose, your big idea, and your desired outcomes. Then think about your audience: where they are, how they access stories, what they care about. Make it relevant, relatable, engaging, and enjoyable.
Then blend for the win.
Resources referenced above:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3846507/
https://www.nachi.org/documents/US-Department-of-Education-Online-Education-Report.pdf