How a Self Guided Tour Helped Downtown Carleton Place Drive Record Engagement
- Andrew Applebaum
- Jun 14, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 11
The Downtown Carleton Place BIA, like many small-town Business Improvement Areas, faced a familiar challenge: how to bring forgotten stories back to life and drive foot traffic into the town center.
Their solution? A story-rich, self guided tour and scavenger hunt powered by the Driftscape sightseeing app.
By leveraging digital storytelling, Downtown Carleton Place transformed a simple historical commemoration into a community-wide event. Here is how they achieved remarkable visitor engagement and what your Destination Marketing Organization (DMO), BIA, or museum can learn from their success.
The Problem: Forgotten History and Missed Opportunities
The town held a hidden gem that many locals had overlooked: renowned children’s author Charles Leslie McFarlane, the creator of the iconic Hardy Boys books, was a local legend.
With plans to unveil a historical plaque in his honor, the BIA faced a hurdle: How could they celebrate this event in a way that drew both locals and tourists to heritage sites? They needed a high-impact, low-lift strategy to connect history with modern discovery.
The Solution: A Digital Self Guided Tour
Using the Driftscape platform, the BIA launched an interactive self guided tour that reimagined McFarlane’s world as a heritage-inspired mystery.
The experience was designed to mimic the style of a Hardy Boys novel. Each clue and location drew visitors deeper into a local narrative that started with curiosity and ended in discovery. By using Driftscape’s web-based platform, the BIA offered a "no app download required" experience that included:
Vintage-Inspired Visuals: Graphics styled after classic Hardy Boys book covers.
Physical QR Codes: Strategic signage at each stop to guide users and increase visibility.
The Big Reveal: A tour finale at the local library, concluding at the new commemorative plaque.
The Results: Measurable Success in Smart Tourism
The impact of the digital tour was immediate and significant, proving the power of smart tourism tools:
High Participation: Over 1,300 people completed the tour in just over a month.
Educational Integration: Local schools adopted the tour for field trips and history programs.
Community Praise: Residents and tourists alike lauded the creative blend of local lore and technology.
Resource Efficiency: No additional staff were required to maintain the experience.
Scalability: The BIA can now quickly update content or expand the tour via the Driftscape dashboard.
Key Takeaway: By framing an authentic local story as an engaging digital mystery, the Downtown Carleton Place BIA turned a stationary plaque into a dynamic event that significantly boosted foot traffic.
Why This Self Guided Tour Model Works
Several factors contributed to the success of this map-based experience:
Low-Lift, High-Impact: The BIA team launched the project quickly using Driftscape’s intuitive, no-code tools.
Engaging Narrative: Tapping into a familiar fictional world attracted a multi-generational audience.
Community Buy-in: Collaboration with schools and libraries helped the experience go viral locally.
Actionable Analytics: Built-in data allowed the BIA to track exactly how many people engaged with the town center.
How Your Destination Can Apply This Model
Looking to replicate this success? Here is how your tourism group or museum can adapt this approach:
Identify Your Unique Story: Whether it is a local legend, a "Sweet Treat" shop hop, or a public art walk, find a theme that resonates.
Build Your Experience: Use Driftscape to plot points on a map and create a scavenger hunt. It requires zero technical skills.
Bridge Digital and Physical: Use QR code signage. When visitors scan a code, they should be taken directly into the tour—no sign-ups or barriers.
Empower Local Ambassadors: Host a "coffee chat" to show local business owners how the tour works so they can recommend it to customers.
Optimize with Data: Use anonymous analytics to see which stops are most popular and where visitors are spending their time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is a self guided tour app?
A: A self guided tour app, like Driftscape, is a map-based platform that allows organizations to create interactive walking tours and scavenger hunts. It uses a visitor’s location to trigger stories and information, allowing them to explore a destination at their own pace.
Q: How does a digital tour help boost foot traffic?
A: It provides a structured reason for visitors to move through a specific district. By guiding users from one point of interest to the next, you increase "dwell time" and funnel traffic toward local businesses and heritage sites.
Q: Do I need coding skills to create a tour?
A: No. Driftscape features a no-code content management system (CMS). If you can upload a photo and type a description, you can build a professional digital tour.
Q: How do I measure the ROI of a self guided tour?
A: Through built-in analytics, you can track tour completions, the number of visits per stop, and total engagement. This data provides the "hard numbers" needed to prove the value of your marketing efforts.
Final Takeaway
The Downtown Carleton Place BIA proves what is possible when digital tools meet authentic storytelling. For destinations seeking high visitor engagement on a budget, a self guided tour via Driftscape offers a practical, high-impact solution.
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