What is a non-sequential tour? #
A non-sequential tour is a tour that doesn’t follow a set sequence. This means that the tour can start at any point and follow a number of different paths like this tour around Geneva Lake in Wisconsin. It can be started at any point along the route outline and listeners can go in either direction.
Non-sequential tours are different from sequential tours in a number of ways:
- Even if they have a route line, they don’t follow a set route
- The tour can be taken following a number of different paths
- If the tour does not follow a set route, directions are not needed from one location to the next. This doesn’t apply to driving tours, for example, that still follow a set route but are set as non-sequential.
- This also means that there isn’t a need for onscreen directions.
All tours default to sequential so we have to manually change this for the tours that aren’t sequential.
Uses for a non-sequential tour #
Non-sequential tours are particularly useful for outdoor exhibition spaces like sculpture gardens, estate and botanical gardens. They’re also useful for game and nature reserves where listeners are not required to follow a set route. With these examples, the stories are site-specific rather a series of stories building a single narrative. Please get in touch with your editor if you are interested in creating a non-sequential tour.