Brochures

Printed brochures are still an important sales tool for tourism businesses, especially when a visitor arrives at their destination. Many people will collect brochures from the local Visitor Information Centre, their accommodation or on arrival at the airport. Visit a busy tourist spot and you will see visitors looking through visitor guides, maps and brochures.

What information should you include?
  • Your Unique Selling Proposition
  • Inclusions: details of tours, rooms or activities
  • Departure times or operating hours
  • Where to find you: address, a map and public transport info
  • Booking contact details: detail how they can book your product, include phone, email and website

Brochures can not be updated as easily as a website. Think carefully about your content, especially pricing.

Brochure design tips
  • Consider how it will look in the rack, the top third of the brochure is what the customer will see first
  • Keep it clean, simple and user friendly
  • Use consistent branding: logo, colours and fonts
  • Keep copy clean, concise and well-spaced with clear headings
  • Keep your target market in mind
  • Use space: avoid clutter
  • Use hero images from your set of professional photography
  • Use high-quality paper stock
  • Ask your printer for a colour proof before you print.

Like all your marketing, your brochure creates an impression of your business. Consider investing in professional design and printing. It is a good idea to obtain at least three quotes from local designers and printers for your brochure and ask to see samples of previous work.

Visitor guides

Visitor and travel guides are an important marketing tool as consumers use these when they are planning their trip and also while travelling. You can promote your business to travellers by advertising in your local visitor guide, which will most likely be produced by your local tourism organisation. Get in touch with your location tourism organisation and Destination Network to find out more.

Signage

You have worked hard to make customers aware of your business and how to book your product so ensure you also make it easy for them to find you.

Signage can include shopfront signage, branding on your tour vehicles and directional or street signage.

Local councils have different regulations about signs on council roads; it is worth getting in touch with yours to find out more.

The brown and white tourist road signs on state-managed roads that direct visitors to tourist attractions in NSW are administered by the Visitor Attraction Signposting Program (VASP), formerly known as the Tourist Attraction Signposting Assessment Committee, a partnership between Destination NSW and Transport for NSW. Tourist attractions can find out about eligibility here.

Local partnerships

Look for local partners you can work with to promote and distribute each other’s product or experience. Strong local relationships are essential for any successful tourism business. Consider inviting your local partners on a famil to experience your product firsthand so they can make recommendations afterwards.

Visitor Information Centres

Accredited Visitor Information Centres (VICs) are often the first port of call for visitors to the region and they get plenty of enquiries in person, over the phone and online.

Generally run by local councils, VICs provide information and brochures on local accommodation and activities and can also act as a booking office. Getting to know your VIC staff and volunteers should be an important part of your local marketing and product distribution strategy. Like any distribution partner VICs may charge commission for on selling your product

Find a list of Accredited Visitor Information Centres in NSW here.

Hotels/accommodation

For tours and attractions, getting to know your local accommodation providers is vital, after all that’s where the visitors are staying. Familiarise concierges with your product so they can refer or take bookings for their guests. Approach accommodation providers that appeal to your ideal customers, e.g. target five star hotels if you have a luxury product.

Booking offices and tour desks

Like a VIC, but privately run, booking offices take bookings and provide visitors with information and brochures. Find out if there is one in your area, introduce yourself and talk to them about how you can work together.

Brochure distribution companies

These companies will take your brochures and stock them in brochure racks in hotels, visitors information centres, service stations, restaurants and cafes. Talk to your local tourism organisation or VIC to find companies in your area.

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