© Copyright 2012: Tourism New South Wales
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. i Symbol Create accessible tourism information options
that can meet visitor needs twenty-four (24)
hours per day; and clearly identify your center
from the roadway with the prominent use of the
internationally recognized “i” for information
symbol.
Your business focus
13. Sales: Place the focus on generating business sales and
not just providing information – e.g. with staff/volunteer
training in up-selling.
14. Yield: Consider the merits (and appropriateness) of
adopting a targeted marketing approach that strives to attract
more high-spend visitors, in preference to higher volumes of
low-yield visitors.
15. Strategy: Ensure you have a merchandising strategy
linked to your business goals.
16. Booking Systems: 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.
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. Hierarchy: 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. Trust: Understand the difference between
disseminating information and providing uncompromised,
trustworthy, relevant advice. (Free of conflicts of interest.
Trust is today's major customer and marketing concern.)
Your content focus
5. Be Visual: Never underestimate the tourism power of a
stunning visual image.
6. Oversize: Never
underestimate the visitor impact
of an oversize, tourism map.
7. ‘Tourism’ Map: Understand
the difference between a
standard road map and a well
designed, tourism map -
featuring all key points of
interest and driving times, etc.
8. ‘Best Foot Forward’: 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. Satisfy Special Needs: Be prepared for any needs &
inquiries from special interest, niche or ‘minority’ markets.
Including the rapidly expanding ‘travel with pets’ market.
.
Tourism Destination Marketing
developtourism.com
16 Tips for Greater Visitor Center Impact
By Bruce Dickson, Tourism Development Solutions (TDS)
TDS Visitor Information Centers
© Tourism Development Solutions 2012
TDS Presentation: An illustrated, in-depth presentation is
available on these issues (and other key aspects of visitor centers).