It’s undeniable that tourism can bring in a lot of revenue. This can be a huge benefit to people in the neighborhood because it can increase their property value as well as improve local business. Fortunately, there are things that leaders, and even leaders, can do to make their community the next big tourist spot.
This process doesn’t happen overnight though. It takes a lot of work and effort from everyone. If you want to know how you can increase guests in your community, then these are what you need to do.
Host seasonal events
Festivals and events are among the best ways to attract tourists, both local and foreign, to a community. Research says that performances attract the most guests. Among all them, it found that concerts rack up the most people, followed by art exhibits and theatre performances. This is a great way to showcase your local culture and talents. If you get people in the community involved, then running these events can go more smoothly.
When it comes to events, the promotion matters a lot. Even if you are just handing out flyers, this can go a long way in garnering more attendees. Once you have people from outside the area attending, they will spread the word to their friends for the next upcoming event.
These events should offer people a lot of variety and activities. You want to make it as open as possible but at the same time, it should be unique to your location. Inviting bands and other famous people can also help with the initial publicity.
Have your own website
Information is everything in attracting tourists, so a dedicated community website is important. This is where you can talk about your community and feature all the different attractions in the area. If you have parks, restaurants, or museums that could be of interest, then this is the place to show them off. You can also post all the different activities that you can do in your area, such as nearby campsites, pools, or sports facilities.
This is best accompanied by social media marketing. Having social media pages or groups can really help increase publicity in your community. It can start off as a community group for locals to post things about the neighborhood. If there are any upcoming activities, you can also post them here.
With websites, you have to make everything as appealing as possible. Highlight all the good things about the community with pictures and videos. Something that is easy to navigate is a plus as well. You can also add forums and comments sections, so guests can leave remarks that future tourists can see.
Keep the community clean
It should already be a given, but a clean neighborhood is a happy neighborhood. All your events and promotion will be for nothing if tourists see that the place is run down. This has to be a team effort because everyone will benefit from this. Making volunteer activities that regularly clean public places in the community will make a huge difference.
More than just attracting guests, a clean community also has the added benefit of increasing your property value. For real estate sellers, homes in clean areas are sold much quicker. This is because it shows that people actually care about the surroundings. Cleanliness also signals to people that the neighborhood is a healthy and safe environment.
Help grow local food businesses
You can’t deny that food is a great way to attract people. Whether you are increasing tourism and making a friend attend a party, everyone loves the idea of unique cuisine. In fact, global food tourism was worth $ ,116.7 billion in 2019, and it continues to grow. It has its bumps in the past few years, but this industry is in a better position to recover than others. That’s because people will always be interested in good food. This can work to your advantage.
As a community, it is best to invest in ways to help local restaurants and cafes. Having good restaurants would draw its own set of people. The more popular these businesses are, the more people that will go to your community. Having access to a wide range of cuisines can also bring in people of different backgrounds.
Similarly, food businesses are a nice incentive for tourists who are visiting local attractions. It helps circulate money within the community, so you can invest more in improving the area. There’s also the possibility of restaurants attracting influential people if their food has really become that good.
