Chester Zoo has launched a mobile site for the 26 per cent of people now buying tickets for the attraction using their mobile phones.

The site has an online shop for visitors to buy fast track tickets, with a barcode instantly sent to their phone to beat the queues on arrival, and has an interactive map to help guests get around while they are there. The site detects when users are browsing from a phone and directs them to the new mobile version of the desktop site.

The North West attraction welcomes 1.4m visitors every year and saw revenue from the web increase 24.29 per cent during 2012. The organisation said that is expects that a mobile optimised experience will further increase conversions on pre-order ticket sales.

The mobile site was created by Manchester-based digital agency Code Computerlove, while the online shop has been completed by Chester Zoo’s internal IT team.

Online marketing manager, Simon Hacking, said: “The site has been designed with an emphasis on simplicity and offers the kind of practical information that visitors need when they are exploring the zoo, as well as everything they require both prior to and after their visit.

“The attractions industry is clearly going mobile and we want to be right there at the forefront of all new technologies.”