Authentic, Connected, and Interactive Experiences
Boosting visitor engagement is a challenge in today’s digital age. As people stay glued to their screens, destinations must find ways to bridge the digital and physical worlds.
Engaging visitors in meaningful ways—whether at destinations, events, museums, or historic neighbourhoods—requires immersive digital solutions. But it takes more than a basic map; visitors need to experience your destination authentically, interactively, and emotionally.
By creating digital experiences that reflect your place’s unique identity, visitors form lasting connections with your culture, businesses, and history—leading to higher engagement, increased foot traffic, and repeat visits.
Interactive Mobile-Based Tours: Authentic Visitor Engagement
Visitors crave authentic experiences. They engage more deeply when destinations highlight their unique characteristics and quirks. Want visitors to engage more deeply? Be yourself.
Find the things that make your destination unique from everyone else. Embrace what makes your place different - the quirkier the better!
Self-guided tours are the perfect way to curate your visitors to explore all of the stories, locations and hidden gems that your destination offers. Visitors simply go to your tour starting location and then set out on their journey. The best self-guided tours (like Driftscape) offer audio-tours, video, imagery, and even hands-free mode so that you can safely cycle, drive, and explore without needing to look at your screen.
Examples of Authentic Destinations:
Colborne, ON – The Big Apple: A giant apple statue and a theme park of apple-related attractions.
Scottsboro, AL – The Unclaimed Baggage Center: A retail store selling lost airport luggage, full of unexpected finds.
Dawson City, YT – The Sourtoe Cocktail Challenge: A legendary tradition of drinking a whiskey shot with a real preserved toe.
How Mobile-Based Tours Bring Authenticity to Life:
Flexible & Accessible: Visitors explore at their own pace, anytime and anywhere.
Hyper-local Experiences: Self-guided tours help visitors discover hidden gems, local businesses, and cultural stories.
Gamification Elements: Scavenger hunts and interactive challenges encourage deeper engagement and movement throughout your destination.
Success Stories:
North Bay, ON: A Film Location Tour celebrating its status as a top destination for holiday movies boosted foot traffic and local business visits.
North Perth, ON: Operation Leprechaun Hunt, a seasonal gamified experience, engaged visitors by encouraging them to discover hidden digital Leprechauns throughout the downtown core.
Gamified Tourism Experiences: Encourage Engagement
Gamification isn’t just for apps—it’s a powerful way to connect visitors with destinations and extend engagement beyond a single visit.
Gamification Ideas for Destinations:
Contests – Let visitors vote for “The Best Ice Cream in Town.”
Scavenger Hunts – Create themed hunts that lead visitors through key attractions.
Augmented Reality Quests – Offer interactive experiences through AR-enhanced storytelling.
Points & Rewards – Encourage check-ins at businesses to earn discounts and exclusive offers.
Why Gamification Works:
Encourages repeat visits by easily re-theming experiences for different seasons (e.g., St. Patrick’s Day Hunt → Mother’s Day Hunt → Summer Challenge → Halloween Trick-or-Treat Quest).
Creates memorable, shareable moments that visitors spread via word-of-mouth and social media.
Makes exploration fun, engaging, and rewarding, increasing time spent in your destination.
AI-Powered Business Directories: Support Local Businesses
Business directories are a must-have for BIAs, BIDs, and Chambers of Commerce. While Google provides a broad search, it doesn’t always highlight the businesses that make your destination unique. A good directory can showcase all of your businesses and provide customization to entice visitors to hop in the shop!
Why AI-Powered Directories Are Essential:
No Manual Updates Needed: AI automatically updates business listings, reducing upkeep time and costs.
Enhanced Visibility for Local Shops & Restaurants: Visitors easily find what they need without relying on third-party platforms.
Integrated with Tours & Gamification: Pair business directories with interactive maps and engagement tools.
Driftscape’s AI-powered Business Directory (AiBD) simplifies business promotion by automatically gathering and maintaining local business information, saving hours of manual updates.
Smart Notifications: Increase Engagement On-Site
Smart notifications are a powerful tool to drive real-time engagement. Visitors can receive exclusive, location-based content as they explore your destination.
How Smart Notifications Improve Visitor Experience:
Instant Updates: Notify visitors about nearby attractions, events, discounts, or alerts (e.g., road closures or weather conditions).
Personalized Experiences: Offer special perks when visitors arrive at specific locations.
Real-time Navigation Assistance: Direct visitors to featured spots via interactive maps.
A Summary of Summertime Engagement
Driftscape provides all-in-one visitor engagement tools co-created with DMOs and LBAs to boost foot traffic, enhance local business visibility, and create immersive visitor experiences.
Top Summer-Themed Mobile Tours:
Sunshine & Heritage Walk: Self-guided historical tour for warm-weather exploration.
Art in Bloom: Outdoor Gallery Tour: Discover street art and murals in a vibrant new way.
Festival Finder: Summer Event Trails: Connect visitors to festivals, concerts, and performances.
Cycle & Sip: Scenic Bike Routes: Encourage visitors to explore by bike with curated stops at wineries and cafés.
Gamified Experiences for Summer:
Summer Scavenger Hunts: Interactive quests showcasing local culture.
Best of Summer Contests: Visitors vote on the best local patios, ice cream, or scenic spots.
Street Art Quests: A colorful journey through murals and outdoor art.
Check-In & Chill: Visitors earn destination-themed swag by checking in at local businesses.
Get Your Business Directory & Notifications Summer-Ready:
Update Business Listings – Refresh seasonal photos, menus, and promotions.
Set Smart Notifications – Keep visitors informed on events, specials, and new tours.
Bridge the Gap Between Digital & Physical Tourism
They say summer success starts in winter and spring—and early digital planning leads to higher foot traffic, engagement, and return visits during peak travel season.
With Driftscape, setting up self-guided tours, scavenger hunts, and AI-powered business directories is quick and effortless. Plus, our analytics tools track visitor interactions, helping you refine and improve your strategies for long-term success.
Let’s Get Summer-Ready
Contact Driftscape today to book a demo and discover how our innovative digital tools can transform your visitor experience!
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