TOURISM DEVELOPMENT RESOURCE SERIES 

Visitor information centers:

Making yours more user friendly and effective

 

 

By Bruce Dickson, Tourism Development Solutions (TCDS).  PO Box 19654, Portland OR 97280, USA

Web: www.developtourism.com   Email:tourismsolutions@msn.com   

16 Tips for enhanced Visitor Center impact

 

Your customer communications

 

1.  Focus on the local insights & recommendations visitors are really seeking.

 

2.  Simplify and isolate the most appealing messages on your destination.

 

3.  Create and apply an ‘information hierarchy’ for all information presented.

 

[One that identifies and then features first messages about

  those most motivating local experiences & attractions.]

 

4.  Understand the difference between disseminating information and providing

     trustworthy, relevant advice. Trust is today’s major concern.

 

Your content focus

 

5.  Never underestimate the tourism power of a stunning visual image.

 

6.  Never underestimate the visitor impact of an oversize, tourism map.

 

7.  Understand the difference between a standard road map and a well designed

     tourism map - featuring all key points of interest.

 

8.  Understand the most appealing experiences desired by visitors, and inform

     them of the most satisfying at your destination.

 

[Including those representing the best personal ‘value’ to them.]

 

9.  Be well prepared to service any needs or special inquiries from special

     interest, niche or ‘minority’ markets.

 

Your customers and their needs

 

10. Understand your customers as intimately as possible.

 

[Develop simple questions to quickly learn who they are & how to

 assist - e.g. first time v. repeat visitor – both have different needs.]

 

11. Reduce, don’t add, to visitors’ information overload problems and search

     issues.

 

12. Create accessible tourism information options that can meet visitor needs

     twenty-four (24) hours per day.

 

Your business focus

 

13. Place the focus on generating business and not just providing information –

     e.g. with staff/volunteer training in up-selling.

 

14. Consider the merits (and appropriateness) of adopting a targeted marketing

     approach that strives to attract more high-yield visitors, in preference to higher

     volumes of low-yield visitors.

 

15. Ensure you have a merchandizing strategy linked to your business goals.

 

16. If a 24 hour reservations/booking system does not already exist in a viable

     tourism destination, make it a priority to gain one (that reliably meets

     customer needs). Become a ‘one-stop shop’ as far as possible.

 

 

Presentation option:

An in-depth presentation is available on the key topics raised above.

 

Other TCDS Resource Papers include:

‘Tourism copywriting: Learning from success’; and ‘Billboards as a marketing tool: A checklist’.

 

Other TCDS Web Forum Papers include:

'The threat from marketing overkill'.