Internet marketing for attractions has gotten brutally unforgiving.
Guests bounce if the page loads slow. They price-shop three tabs at once. And if your offer isn’t clear in five seconds, you’ve basically paid to send traffic to your competitors.
Most attractions don’t have a demand problem. They have a leaks problem. Missed messaging. Weak CTAs. Clunky checkout flows. Underused paid channels.
This guide breaks down how to plug those leaks, sharpen your online presence, and turn more browsers into bookers without playing discount roulette.
- What is internet marketing?
- Why is it important for tours and attractions?
- 17 internet marketing strategies to grow your tour or attraction
- Measuring success: key metrics to track
- Keeping up with industry changes and trends
What is internet marketing?
Internet marketing, or online marketing, promotes your attraction through channels like social media, Google, and email. Unlike traditional methods, it leverages real-time digital tools to reach audiences where they spend much of their time — online.
Why is it important for tours and attractions?
With most travelers using the internet to plan and book their trips, having a strong online presence is essential for visibility. Even world-renowned attractions like the Statue of Liberty rely on digital marketing to sell tickets.
When marketing shifted online, attractions were able to expand their reach to a global audience. Now, visitors flock in from all over the country and beyond, thanks to the visibility search engines and social media provide.
Digital marketing is also cost-effective and measurable. Unlike traditional marketing methods, which often require large upfront investments with uncertain returns, platforms like Google and social media allow you to set budgets and see immediate results.
17 internet marketing strategies to grow your tour or attraction
Building a strong online brand
Your online brand is more than your logo—it’s how visitors perceive your content across all channels. For example, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in NYC has built an online presence perceived as profoundly respectful and informative, consistent with their mission of honoring those lost in the tragedy. They use clean, impactful visuals and poignant narratives to educate on their website and social pages.
Creating an engaging and responsive website
Your website is the digital face of your attraction, so it’s essential to make it fast, user-friendly, and mobile-optimized. Statista reports that 68% of online traffic for travel and hospitality websites came from mobile devices in 2023, meaning more travelers are booking their experiences on the go.
Universal Studios’ Super Nintendo World website is a prime example of mobile-first design, winning awards for its interactive, responsive layout. The site gives visitors a gamified preview of the Nintendo-themed world, making browsing an engaging experience. To replicate this for your attraction, consider adding interactive features like virtual tours, 360-degree views, or interactive maps — but only if they work across all platforms.
Mastering SEO for visibility
When potential customers search for “helicopter tours in the Grand Canyon,” Maverick Helicopters ranks at the top — without paying for ads. This is the result of an effective SEO strategy. Search engine optimization (SEO) helps your site rank higher on Google’s results pages for relevant search terms.
The first step is identifying the keywords your customers are searching for, such as location, activities, or experiences. Next, optimize your site by integrating these keywords into your title tags, meta descriptions, content headers, URLs, and image file names. Creating keyword-rich content, such as blogs tailored to your niche, can also improve your ranking and increase organic traffic.
Importance of Google My Business and Google Things To Do
Google My Business and Google Things To Do give you control over how your attraction appears in local search results, Google Maps, and the “Things To Do” section when people search for experiences in your area. These free tools also allow you to manage reviews and provide key information like operating hours and booking links, all of which help to improve the likelihood of visitors booking your tours.
The first step is to claim your Google My Business listing. Then, make sure your business info — like address, phone number, website, and hours of operation — is correct. Add high-quality photos and regularly update your listing with news, events, and promotions. You’ll also want to list your attraction on Google Things To Do, where travelers can book whatever catches their eye.
Using content to attract tourists
Content marketing helps attract the right audience to your website and establish your authority in your niche. Creating valuable content like blog posts, videos, and infographics brings potential guests to your site and provides them with helpful information.
Take Hipcamp, for example. This platform connects outdoor enthusiasts with unique camping accommodations. They produce blog posts such as “How to Choose the Best Campsite for an Easter Camping Getaway,” which attract relevant visitors and drive engagement. You can then guide these visitors toward completing a reservation by including clear calls-to-action (CTAs) like booking links or special offers.
Strategies for effective social media campaigns
In 2023, 75% of travelers said social media posts inspired their trips to a specific destination, underscoring the power of Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube in driving travel decisions. To build a successful social strategy, you should leverage user-generated content, showcase the real people behind your brand, and engage with your community.
Here are three examples of attractions and tour operators doing this in real life:
- Luxury tour operator Black Tomato often re-shares content created by its guests on its profile, giving the original photographer credit in the caption.
- To promote the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Studios encourages visitors to share their experiences using hashtags like #WizardingWorld, amplifying user-generated content.
- Trip curator Journee shares customers’ photos of each trip, putting real faces to the brand.
Leveraging user-generated content
Consumers increasingly seek authentic, detailed feedback before making decisions. Reviews with accompanying photos and videos provide a richer understanding of the experience, and long, in-depth reviews are becoming more popular as consumers dig deeper into the specifics before committing.
For attractions, user-generated content (UGC) such as guest reviews, photos, and videos can boost credibility and trust. Take The Edge in New York City, where visitors walk across a thrilling glass-floored observation deck. The attraction encourages guests to share their experiences with hashtags like #EdgeNYC, increasing online visibility and fostering a sense of community around the brand.
Working with influencers and travel bloggers
Collaborating with influencers and travel bloggers is an effective strategy for attractions to reach wider, targeted audiences. Influencers provide a way to showcase experiences in an authentic, relatable manner, inspiring their followers to follow in their footsteps. A study found that 70% of consumers trust influencers more than traditional ads, making them powerful partners for travel marketing.
Explora Journeys, a premier luxury cruise brand under the MSC Group, partnered with influencers to launch its new ship, aiming to position itself as a sophisticated yet adventurous cruise line. The campaign involved 19 influencers who generated over 500 pieces of content. It reached nearly 6 million people, proving how an attraction, even a cruise line, can leverage influencer marketing to create buzz and drive direct bookings.
Building and segmenting your email list
An effective email marketing strategy is about sending the right message to the right people at the right time. For attractions, this means crafting emails personalized to your audience’s interests. You can do this by segmenting your list.
Here’s how it works in action:
- Collect the correct data: Offer incentives such as discounts or exclusive content to encourage visitors to sign up for your email list. Consider creating pop-ups on your website or booking page to collect email addresses.
- Segment by interest and behavior: By tracking customer interactions, such as which tours they viewed, how long they spent on your booking page, or whether they abandoned their cart, you can create targeted campaigns. This can lead to future bookings, as people are more likely to act on offers that are relevant to them.
Crafting email campaigns that convert
An email is more than just a message. It’s an opportunity to connect with your audience and drive bookings. The two key elements of a good campaign are value and a sense of urgency. Whether it’s announcing limited-time offers or new experiences, your emails should feel timely and relevant to the recipient. HeliNY, for example, sends email subscribers news about exclusive deals when they sign up for the tour operator’s newsletter. Remember to use compelling subject lines that spark curiosity and encourage recipients to click. Adding eye-catching visuals and clear calls-to-action can boost engagement and make your email stand out in a crowded inbox.
Sending an SMS text
Text messages have a higher open rate than emails, making them a great way to get your audience’s attention quickly and directly. SMS can be used for everything from sending booking confirmations and reminders to promoting flash sales or exclusive offers. Hotels often send reminder messages about check-in times so guests know when their rooms will be ready. Tour and attraction operators can similarly send booking reminders via text. Another idea is to send SMS alerts offering limited-time discounts for the same day or the following day’s availability, again, creating a sense of urgency to spark those immediate bookings.
Managing online reputation
Managing your online presence has never been more important. Responding to positive and negative reviews and maintaining a consistent brand voice across social platforms can significantly impact your attraction’s reputation.
Take the example of The Queen Mary in Long Beach, California. The historic ocean liner turned attraction actively monitors review platforms like Google, responding to customer feedback and promptly addressing concerns. The attraction refers to customers by their first name, thanks them for their review, and highlights the negatives and positives. This personalized approach helps the attraction appear responsive and dedicated to improvement, building trust and loyalty with guests. See the example below:
Review:
“Of course, the boat was beautiful. If you like wood and art deco, a must see. I didn’t stay the night on the boat but coworkers did and had to leave due to noise and other convenience issues.”
Response:
“Rob, it’s wonderful to hear you had a great experience with the meeting facilities and enjoyed the catering aboard Hotel Queen Mary. The team, including Todd and Rowland, will be glad to hear your positive feedback. It’s unfortunate to learn about your coworkers’ experiences with noise and convenience. We appreciate your insights and look forward to providing an even better experience in the future.”
Drive more bookings with PPC ads
When you search for “helicopter tours Grand Canyon” on Google, Maverick Helicopters appears right at the top. PPC (pay-per-click) advertising allows attractions to bid on specific keywords related to their offerings, like “helicopter tours Grand Canyon.” When potential customers search for these terms, the attraction’s ad may appear in the search results. The attraction only pays when someone clicks on the ad, and the cost depends on the competition for the keyword.
The beauty of PPC is that it targets people actively searching for services like yours, meaning the traffic you get is highly relevant and more likely to convert. Focus on high-intent keywords, target the right geographic areas, and optimize your landing pages to maximize conversions.
Personalizing travel experiences with data
Travelers increasingly demand personalized experiences, but few brands deliver on this expectation. The good news is that offering a tailored experience is easier than it seems. Using data from previous bookings, website interactions, and social media activity, you can send guests relevant content aligned with their interests.
For example, Disney uses data from its MagicBand technology to suggest nearby attractions when guests enter a park. Similarly, attractions can leverage booking software like Xola to send personalized offers and recommend experiences based on a guest’s past interests.
Using social media ads to build brand awareness
Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok allow you to target ads based on demographics, interests, and behaviors, ensuring you reach the guests most likely to book a tour.
Norwegian Air launched an Instagram Stories campaign to raise awareness of its flights to NYC, using compelling city clips paired with iconic “New York” sounds like “New Yorkers Yelling.” The result: 58,000 people indicated they would choose Norwegian to fly to New York.
A key benefit of social media ads is the ability to test and optimize campaigns in real-time by experimenting with different visuals, messaging, and calls to action. For example, Norwegian might have noticed that a clip of a hot dog vendor in Times Square was getting extra attention, prompting them to promote that specific ad to a broader audience.
Using analytics to understand your audience
Google Analytics, social media insights, and booking software provide valuable insights into the wants and needs of your customers. Xola’s built-in analytics, for example, can show you booking trends, spell out the busiest tour dates and times, and show you where conversions are coming from. Plus, Xola delivers reports directly to your inbox, keeping you up to date without all the extra manual work.
By combining these powerful analytics with customer behavior insights from GA4 — including metrics like total users, pageviews, and conversions — you can refine your offerings and ultimately drive more direct bookings through your site.
Adjusting strategies based on data insights
The beauty of using analytics is that it allows you to track performance in real-time and make informed decisions quickly. Booking trends, customer demographics, and website interactions explicitly show you what’s working and what needs extra attention. If Xola’s reports show that your early morning tours have the highest conversion rates but your afternoon slots are lacking, you could create a campaign targeting those less popular time slots. Similarly, suppose analytics from Google or social media platforms reveal which marketing channels drive the most traffic. In that case, you can reallocate your budget to focus more on those, which, in turn, will max out your return on investment.
Measuring success: key metrics to track
Regularly monitoring these metrics will keep your finger on the pulse of your marketing strategy.
- Booking Conversion Rate: Or the percentage of website visitors who made a booking. A higher conversion rate means your website effectively encourages users to purchase.
- Customer Acquisition Cost: The cost associated with acquiring each new customer. You can determine if your advertising spend makes sense by tracking how much you spend on marketing and how many customers convert.
- Average Booking Value: How much each customer is spending on average. If this figure is low, upselling or bundling can increase it.
- Website Traffic and Engagement: Use tools like Google Analytics to track the number of visitors coming to your site, how long they stay, what pages they view, and whether they take action (like booking a tour).
- Repeat Customer Rate: A high percentage of repeat customers indicates customer satisfaction.
Keeping up with industry changes and trends
Staying ahead of industry changes is a must in the fast-paced world of tours and attractions. As customer expectations evolve and new technologies emerge, regularly updating your marketing strategy is key to growing your business.
Consider how the rise of sustainable tourism is reshaping how people choose their activities, or how easy-to-use AI tools like ChatGPT are helping your guests plan their trips. Both of these trends can impact operators in all industries. Stay informed by reading the top industry blogs, attending conferences, and paying attention to customer feedback to adapt your offerings to shifting preferences.
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Your marketing only works when every piece pulls its weight. The website that loads fast and answers real objections. The ads that attract qualified guests instead of bargain hunters. The emails that nudge people back to book instead of adding noise. None of this happens by accident.
Attractions that win aren’t the ones doing the most. They’re the ones tightening the right screws, eliminating guesswork, and doubling down on what actually moves revenue.
Use this guide to pressure-test your current approach. Spot the weak links. Improve the touchpoints that shape trust. And keep refining, because guest expectations won’t slow down for anyone.
