Tourism is a significant factor in regards to a city’s economic healthiness. The more popular the destination with international tourists, the more attractive it is to prospective companies and organizations who might want to set up shop there or in the surrounding areas. In recent years, global travel habits and the rise of internet shopping portals have made discovering new places a much simpler process, allowing individuals to travel to locations that they might never have considered visiting in the past.

However, getting people to discover your town or city, whether it be online or in person, requires some innovative thinking and a bit of strategy. In this article, we will discuss some of the most effective ways to promote your destination online so that you can gain more tourism and travel revenue.

1. Create a Social Media Profile

The first step towards attracting tourists to your destination is to create a social media profile for the sake of promoting it. Tourism is all about travelling to new places and experiencing distinct cultures, which is why establishing a social media presence in multiple locations will prove particularly lucrative.

Even if you only have a LinkedIn profile, you can use this to establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry. Consider creating a YouTube channel, or even a blog if you’re unable to commit the time that a video requires.

Creating an online presence will prove highly beneficial for gaining more exposure and securing more business opportunities in your destination. Moreover, many tourism boards, destinations, and countries now require that you have a social media profile in order to secure visa sponsorship or to access certain areas and attractions. In some cases, the social media platform is also where you’ll find the vital records for your destination, so take the time to establish a presence there even if you are unable to do so on a personal level.

2. Customize Website Fonts and Colors

The second step is to customize the fonts and colors of your website. Although it might not seem easy at first, it’s a simple process that will allow you to have a dramatically different appearance while still keeping with the overall vibe of your site.

For example, if you’re using a font called DINHACHI for your website, but DINHACHI is not considered legible or fashionable in your country, you might want to use a different font called LIGHTNING for the majority of the text on your site. Moreover, if you’re using a Blue Theme for your site, but blue is also the primary color of the country you’re in, you might want to use a different shade of blue for text on your website. By effectively using CSS, you can alter the colors and fonts of your site without needing to know anything about HTML or programming languages. This gives you the ability to make significant changes to your site and its appearance without needing additional help.

3. Use Geolocation Marketing

The third step in attracting tourists to your city or town is to use geolocation marketing. Simply put, geolocation marketing utilizes the device location to determine the visitor’s whereabouts and allows for the delivery of relevant information.

For example, let’s say you’re running a bed and breakfast in Bali and someone from New York City searches for hotels near Bali. Without having any information about the individual, you might want to direct them to your website since you specialize in Indonesia–themed destinations. Your website would then present details about your accommodation and the services you offer, along with a map that will mark the location of your establishment in relation to the rest of the island.

You can also use geolocation marketing to target individuals who have recently visited one of your competitors. If you identify that this is the case, you can utilize the reverse geolocation technique to direct the user to information about your services and the unique culture you offer.

4. Host a Travel Mart

The fourth step in promoting your destination is to host a travel mart. A travel mart is an event that brings together travel agents and other relevant businesses in your industry to network and build relationships.

The advantage of a travel mart is that you can expose a larger audience to your destination and its offerings, as well as provide prospective customers with information about your company, products, and services. If you organize a travel mart in your city or town, be sure to promote it on social media channels and through other offline channels. Moreover, you can host a travel mart not only in your city or town but in other venues as well, particularly if you’re trying to reach a global audience.

The more places you host a travel mart, the more opportunity you have to gain more tourism and travel revenue. Moreover, you can use the event to raise funds for charitable causes and organizations in your country. Finally, if you work with an agency that specializes in marketing campaigns for cities and towns, you can have a professional campaign put together that will help get the word out about your town and its attractions.