Strategic Visitor Attraction Plan

Build a Visitor Strategy That Works

Transform your destination with data-driven strategies that attract, engage, and convert visitors into lifelong advocates for your tourism business.

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What is a Strategic Visitor Attraction Plan?

Each year, tourism marketers are faced with both new and ongoing challenges. Between balancing stakeholder requests with board priorities, catering to attractions both big and small, and proving yourself with numbers that show constant growth and movement, tourism organizations have a lot on their plate.

That is why we created the Strategic Visitor Attraction Plan. It’s not just a strategic plan, and it’s more than a marketing plan. It’s a plan designed around what your organization needs and how you can get there. It’s about attracting visitors in your target market with the marketing tactics that align with your goals.

The Customer Journey

Travelers destination-bound for a trip are at the start of their physical journey. But the customer journey begins much earlier – from the first time they hear about a destination.

The Customer Journey: Dreaming, Planning, Booking, Experiencing, Sharing

We are building the road that goes from the first smartphone search, the first article read, to the last picture posted. The road that leads to your destination.

Our Process

We follow a proven seven-step process to help destinations and tourism partners grow with clarity and purpose. Each step builds toward stronger strategies and visitor experiences, with milestones that mark progress and keep every project on track. Grounded in research and guided by goals, our process ensures every campaign and initiative is designed to deliver meaningful results for the travel and tourism industry.

Milestone 1 ...... steps 1 & 2

Research & Discovery

At the start of our engagement, our team will immerse themselves in the story of your destination, uncovering angles, unique themes, differentiators, charm and character.

In the first half of our engagement, we will:

1. Plan and execute an internal team FAM trip to connect with stakeholders and learn first-hand about the area.

2. Host a discovery workshop where creative thinking from leadership, stakeholders and partners deepens our understanding and shapes messaging for the plan.

3. Host 1-2 discovery meetings to gather information to complete strategic insights.

4. Conduct research to add to our understanding of the project, looking at audience perceptions, audience values, current marketing efforts, and more.

Situational Analysis

The Situational Analysis includes our strategic insight process, which helps us find the why and the what. Insights are profound truths used to create more compelling campaigns and programs. When we assess things like branding, competition, and audience research, we can find and capitalize on the present opportunities.

We will also pull and analyze data and input from your leadership, key stakeholders and partners. Backed by data, these three insights combine to answer the question of how to best position your destination in the marketplace.

Milestone 2 ...... steps 3 & 4

Goals & Strategies

Goals & Strategies refines the goal statements and outlines the supporting strategies.

On a road trip, goals are our destination.

Strategies are the roadmap, showing the route we’ll take to get there.

Tactics are our vehicles.

KPIs are the road markers along the way.

Target Audiences

Target Audiences includes audience profiles and key messages. Our audience profiles look at the target consumer(s) as a whole person, not just how or why they relate to the brand.

Key messages interpret the unique themes and insights into language directed toward the target audiences.

Milestone 3 ...... steps 5-7

Tactical Plan

Our Tactical Plan recommends a holistic marketing plan and can be revisited as often as once per year.

The tactical plan accounts for all possible channels and tactics, regardless of who executes them. Tactics outlined in the plan may be executed by our team, your team, or another vendor. Having all tactics outlined together in the plan ensures the holistic approach and that nothing is missed.

Measurement

Measurement pinpoints key performance indicators (KPIs), setting up tracking and reporting on the most important metrics.

Action Plan & Calendar

The Action Plan & Calendar selects the short-term tactical components, typically 6-24 months at a time. It outlines key dates and timing for the proposed implementation schedule.

Our
tactical approach

We categorize marketing tactics in a framework of Paid, Earned, Shared and Owned (PESO) media tactics to ensure that each touchpoint and channel work together to provide a unified, strategic message. This is how we utilize all areas of an integrated marketing mix.

Paid

Paid media should align with your goals and budget, with Google and Meta serving as versatile, cost-effective cornerstones complemented by other desired channels.

earned

Our earned media strategy combines proactive outreach and reactive opportunities, using targeted pitching to build relationships and measuring success through the Barcelona Principles.

Shared

Our shared media strategy ensures a consistent, always-on presence by recycling key evergreen content while leaving room to curate timely, trend-driven posts.

Owned

Owned media is your most valuable asset, offering full control and serving as the foundation for delivering clear, strategic messaging to your audience.

Determine Your Best Plan

Holistic Vision

By taking a full look at your brand, destination products, competition and/or audiences, your plan is set up to create marketing that works toward your goals for several years. This plan includes all the elements in the 7-step process.

Focused Impact

This 7-step plan centers around a singular tactical focus, making it as robust as possible. Our most popular Focused Impact plans are made for PR, Digital, or Travel Trade.

Brand Baseline

PESO Framework Benchmarking is the goal of the brand and marketing audit. We want to understand where you are, where you want to be, and map out the plan to get there. This plan moves fast – relying on input from your team and stakeholders to give us a condensed view of goals and next steps.

Ready to Attract More Visitors?

Kick off your big leap with a free strategy consult with our team. We’ll dig into your challenges, share insights, and recommend the right plan for your goals and budget.