Boosting Holiday Cheer: 7 Guides to Drive Local Tourism (with examples!)

The holiday season is upon us, and it's the perfect time for destinations to capitalize on the festive spirit and attract local tourism. As communities seek unique experiences and activities, destination marketing organizations (DMOs) have a golden opportunity to create engaging guides that showcase the best their locale has to offer. Here are seven guides your destination can create to inspire local tourism this holiday season. But first…

What is a Guide?

A guide is a curated collection of places. It is a vital tool in the arsenal of a destination marketer, designed to inspire and attract visitors. What makes guides particularly effective is the art of storytelling. Whether showcasing the best date night spots or the most dog-friendly breweries, creating guides focused on niche interests establishes emotional connections and fosters more meaningful tourism.

Explore Guides take engagement to the next level with an interactive, mapped and mobile-ready experience, transforming them into invaluable tools for navigation and trip planning. With a user-friendly map, routing features, and comprehensive details about highlighted places, Explore Guides are your visitors’ trusted companion, empowering them to effortlessly navigate your destination and ensuring they can get the most out of their time there.

How Guides Inspire Local Tourism

Guides can play a pivotal role in cultural immersion by introducing visitors to local customs, food and traditions. They can also emphasize sustainability, educating tourists about eco-friendly practices and promoting sustainable businesses. Guides can feature underrated attractions, businesses and hidden gems, expanding opportunities and driving meaningful economic impact. And last, by highlighting special interests such as cuisine or family-friendly attractions, guides draw in visitors whose preferences align most closely with the unique offerings of your destination. Ultimately, guides are instrumental in shaping a destination's brand, driving its appeal and differentiating it, crafting a narrative that resonates with visitors and leaves a lasting impression on their perception and experiences.

Ways to Promote Guides in Your Destination

Promoting your guides effectively throughout your destination involves a multi-faceted approach to reach a wide audience. Leverage digital platforms, such as social media channels, to share teasers from the guide, enticing potential visitors. Share your guides throughout your destination's official website to drive organic traffic. Collaborate with local businesses, hotels, and tourist information centers to display QR codes of the guide, ensuring its visibility in high-traffic areas. Consider partnering with influencers or local bloggers who align with your destination's vibe, as they can amplify the guide's reach through their online presence. Engage in email marketing campaigns to directly reach your audience, sharing links to the guide and emphasizing its value in creating memorable experiences. Additionally, organize launch events or tie-ins with major local events, prominently featuring QR codes to your guides to generate buzz. By combining online and offline strategies, you can maximize the visibility and impact of your guides, making them an integral part of the destination experience.

7 Holiday Guides to Promote Local Tourism

Now let’s explore how guides can be strategically employed to boost tourism during the holiday season. By tailoring guides to showcase festive events, holiday attractions, and unique experiences, destination marketers can effectively capture the seasonal spirit and draw in visitors. These curated guides not only serve as inspirational resources but also play a pivotal role in creating a compelling narrative that encourages travelers to choose your destination for their holiday getaway.

Shop Local Guide for Small Business Saturday

Honor Small Business Saturday this November 25th by crafting a "Shop Local" gift guide. Highlight unique products from boutiques, artisanal shops, craft markets and other small, locally owned businesses in your town. This guide not only promotes local commerce but also helps residents discover one-of-a-kind gifts for their loved ones. Take it a step further and gamify it with a Check-in Challenge otherwise known as a digital passport. Award participants for shopping small with a branded gift or a digital badge.

In Visit Mesa’s Local Small Business & Holiday Shopping Guide, they highlight 15 of the best places to support small businesses while checking everyone off your holiday shopping list. From trendy boutique clothing stores to unique antique shops, this guide is a valuable resource for both locals and visitors to Mesa, Arizona.

Seasonal Culinary & Booze Trails

Showcase your diverse culinary scene, festive cocktail bars, decked out wineries and spirited breweries with a holiday-themed food and beverage trail. Feature restaurants, cafes, and bakeries offering seasonal delights and festive menus including over-the-top hot cocoa, jolly cocktails, and one-of-a-kind treats that would delight even Santa. If your destination boasts pop-up bars, be sure to prominently include them in the guide to evoke a sense of urgency and excitement. This guide appeals to food and nightlife enthusiasts and encourages residents to explore the food scene in their own backyard before the season ends and these treats disappear.

In this guide featuring Miracle’s Christmas-themed pop-up cocktail bars around the globe, patrons can find the nearest spirited pop-up, serving holiday cocktails in a festive setting. According to Miracle, these seasonal spots offer “kitschy holiday décor, professionally-developed cocktails and the nostalgic energy of the best office party you’ve ever been to” and are sure to get “even the grouchiest grinch in the holiday spirit.”

Outdoor Adventure Map for #OptOutside

#OptOutside is a movement pioneered by outdoor retail giant REI, encouraging individuals to forgo traditional Black Friday shopping and instead spend the day outdoors, appreciating nature and fostering a connection with the great outdoors. Create a guide catering to outdoor enthusiasts seeking a festive escape featuring the natural beauty of your destination. Highlight picturesque parks, hiking trails, and scenic spots adorned with holiday decorations.

Hostelling International USA (HI USA), one of the largest networks of hostels in the US, believes in the power of travel to foster a deeper understanding of people, places, and the world. They regularly feature locations that support this mission, from minority-owned businesses to top spots for arts and culture. In line with this commitment, HI USA produces guides like HI NYC: Get Outside, encouraging guests to explore the outdoors while visiting the Big Apple. This guide not only showcases the vibrant diversity of New York City but also provides unique recommendations for outdoor experiences that go beyond the typical urban setting, a perfect guide to attract those looking to #OptOutside during the holiday season.

Holiday Event Itinerary

If your destination hosts a popular event drawing in crowds of visitors, make the most of the foot traffic by creating a guide that highlights businesses in proximity to the event. An excellent example of this strategy is Grapevine, the Christmas Capitol of Texas, which has capitalized on the immense popularity of its North Pole Express Train ride. In their guide, Make a Day of North Pole Express, visitors can discover the best activities and attractions to explore while in town for this iconic event. Whether it's recommending cozy cafes for a pre-train ride coffee, local shops with unique holiday gifts, or nearby attractions to extend the festive experience, the guide aims to enhance the overall experience of the North Pole Express while strategically moving crowds to nearby businesses. By curating an event-focused guide, destination marketers can not only provide valuable information to visitors but also foster positive experiences that contribute to the overall success and enjoyment of the event.

Family-Friendly Festivities Guide

Cater to families during the holiday season by curating a comprehensive guide featuring an array of family-friendly, seasonal activities. Include Santa photo ops with insights into the best locations and times for a magical encounter with the jolly old man. Highlight holiday-themed workshops where families can engage in creative and festive crafts, fostering a sense of togetherness and creativity. Include holiday markets and festivals where kids can check everyone off their Christmas list. By offering a family-friendly holiday guide, marketers can establish their destination as a go-to spot for holiday joy and celebration.

Once again, Grapevine delivers a compelling guide targeting families visiting the Christmas Capitol of Texas. Christmas Photo Ops in Grapevine features seasonal, kid-friendly displays throughout historic downtown for the perfect holiday photo.

Festive Light Display Map

Bring the magic of the season to life by creating a guide that outlines the most spectacular holiday light displays in your destination. This comprehensive guide should cover a variety of locations, including dazzling displays in residential neighborhoods, enchanting setups in public spaces, and the festive lights in commercial areas. By mapping out these seasonal attractions, the guide transforms your destination into a winter wonderland waiting to be explored by both locals and visitors alike.

In Explore Los Altos’ guide, Best spots to see holiday lights in South Bay and Silicon Valley, they share a curated selection of enchanting locations that illuminate the festive spirit of the season. From adorned neighborhoods to dazzling public displays and drive through experiences, the guide serves as a resource for locals and visitors alike seeking to immerse themselves in the magical ambiance of holiday lights.

To further engage your audience, consider incorporating a photo Check-in Challenge into the guide, encouraging visitors to share their photos and experiences. This gamified approach not only adds an interactive element to the guide, driving engagement and participation, but also serves as a powerful marketing strategy. As visitors participate in the Check-in Challenge, they generate user-generated content (UGC) that can be shared across marketing channels, filling them with seasonal joy and attracting more visitors.

Holiday Events Calendar

Kick off the holiday season by assembling a detailed calendar encompassing a diverse range of local festive events. Populate the calendar with highlights such as tree lighting ceremonies, enchanting parades, bustling holiday markets, opportunities for heartwarming Santa meet-and-greets, and captivating special performances. This comprehensive guide transforms into a one-stop resource for both locals and visitors eager to immerse themselves in the joy of the season.

Create a Guide Effortlessly with Explore

This holiday season, inspire locals and visitors alike to explore your destination in new ways and become the go-to spot for holiday cheer. Explore makes is simple to create mobile-friendly, interactive and mapped Guides for your destination within minutes with the power of AI. Share these dynamic Guides with your visitors conveniently through QR codes for on-the-go access or seamlessly integrate them into your website. Reach out for a demo to learn more.