Marketing in Travel: 9 Tactics to Increase Visitation Without a Bigger Budget
- Andrew Applebaum
- 4 hours ago
- 4 min read
I was grabbing coffee with a DMO manager from a small town last week, and she looked completely drained. She told me "I have ten times the ideas but about half the budget I had three years ago." Most of us are being asked to pull off a marketing in travel miracle right now, and it can feel like you are shouting into a void without a big city ad spend to back you up.
The good news is that effective promotion has shifted toward cultural tourism and creating an immersive travel experience. You do not need a massive agency to get people to visit your neck of the woods; you just need to make your existing assets work harder. By leaning into a digital tourism platform like Driftscape, you can drive serious foot traffic while actually reducing your manual workload.
How can you use marketing in travel to increase visitation?
The most effective way to boost visitation without increasing your spend is to pivot from passive advertising to interactive experiences. Instead of paying for a static ad that people scroll past, give them a digital reason to actually walk down your Main Street, such as a self-guided tour app or a rewards-based scavenger hunt.
1. Turn your town into a scavenger hunt
People love a challenge, and gamification is a secret weapon for local engagement. Take the Downtown Carleton Place BIA, for example. They created a scavenger hunt based on the Hardy Boys and saw over 1,300 completions in just 30 days. It gave families a concrete reason to visit and stay a while, without requiring extra staff on the ground.
2. Digital coupons over paper flyers
Printing and distribution costs are a silent budget killer. The Crescent Heights Village BIA saved $6,850 by moving their business promotions to a digital format. By using digital coupons, you aren't just saving trees; you are getting real-time data on which shops visitors actually like.
3. Highlight "Hyper-Local" heritage
You probably have a statue, a mural, or a quirky historical fact that locals walk by every day. For a visitor, that is a destination. Using Driftscape to tell these heritage tours stories turns a simple walk into a premium experience. The Michigan Heroes Museum did this with an interactive audio tour and saw 3,000 exhibit interactions in their first year.
4. Leverage seasonal "Pop-Up" tours
You don't need a year-round attraction to see a spike in numbers. In North Perth, they ran a "Paddyfest" town-wide tour with 80 local businesses. It turned a one-day event into a month-long economic engine by encouraging people to shop local.
Pro Tip: Don't reinvent the wheel. Look at your existing event calendar and ask, "How can I add a digital layer to this?" A simple check-in challenge at an existing festival can triple your engagement data overnight.
5. Create a "Selfie" trail
Give people a reason to post about you. Identify five "Instagrammable" spots and link them together in a digital walking tour. When visitors post their photos, they are doing your marketing for you for free.
6. Use rewards to drive repeat visits
Bruce County ran an "Explore the Bruce" campaign where people earned hats and stickers for visiting specific spots. They had 18,000 visits and won a national award. This kind of loyalty is what sustains a destination long-term.
7. Focus on niche interests
Whether it's a "Haunted House Tour" in Thunder Bay or a sustainability tour, niche content attracts dedicated visitors. People will travel for things that feel personalized to their interests.
8. Optimize for "Offline" visitors
Nothing kills a visitor's mood faster than losing cell service in a remote area. Providing tools that work offline, like Visit Sitka did, ensures that your destination remains accessible and friendly even in low-signal zones.
9. Partner with your businesses
Your local shops are your best advocates. By including them in a "Business Bee" scavenger hunt (like the Town of Riverview did), you create a win-win where foot traffic leads directly to ringing cash registers.
Tactic | Impact Level | Staff Time Required |
Scavenger Hunts | High Engagement | Low (Automated) |
Digital Coupons | High ROI | Very Low |
Audio Tours | High Education | Low (One-time setup) |
Rewards Programs | High Loyalty | Medium |
Marketing in Travel: Your Questions Answered
Q: What is the best way to start marketing a small town?
A: Start with "asset mapping." List your existing landmarks, quirky stories, and local shops. Use a digital platform like Driftscape to group these into a self-guided tour. This uses what you already have to create a "product" for visitors without needing a massive ad budget.
Q: How do I measure the ROI of digital tourism tools?
A: Look at engagement metrics like Point of Interest (POI) views, scavenger hunt completion rates, and digital coupon redemptions. For instance, the Town of Riverview saw 4,087 POI views in a year, proving their digital hunt was working.
Q: Do visitors actually use mobile apps for travel?
A: Yes, but only if they add value. Data shows that modern travelers seek "authentic and interactive" experiences. If your app provides a game, a reward, or a hidden story, they will use it.
Ready to grow?
Success in marketing in travel is all about connection. Whether you are telling a story about a local hero or giving out prizes for visiting a bakery, you are building a relationship with your visitors. It doesn't take a million-dollar budget, it just takes a little creativity and the right digital partner.
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