In the competitive travel and tourism industry, attracting attention can be challenging. Whether you manage a holiday park, run guided excursions or promote a local attraction, outdoor marketing can help potential customers discover your services and find their way around.
From advertising activities to welcoming guests, the right signs and promotional displays can make your business easier to recognise and approach.
Here are seven practical ways to make your outdoor marketing more effective.
Your outdoor displays should tell visitors what you offer and how they can take the next step. Use concise wording, legible fonts and strong contrast so people can understand your message at a glance.
For example, a travel agency promoting specialist holidays could highlight a key destination or experience rather than list every available package. A message such as ‘Discover Local Wildlife – Book Your Tour’ gives potential customers a clear reason to stop and find out more.
Choose colours, logos and imagery that reflect your business and suit your audience. Adventure activities may call for energetic photography, while a luxury resort might benefit from a more understated look. Ensure images accurately represent the experience customers can expect.
A website address or QR code can provide further details without overcrowding the display. Keep itineraries, booking conditions and other lengthy information for supporting materials.
Visitors arriving at your premises or an organised activity should be able to identify the entrance quickly.
Use signs, banners or flags to mark reception areas, ticket offices and meeting points. Keep instructions short and specific to the location.
For example, a guided walking experience could display ‘Guided Tours – Meet Here’ near its departure point, helping participants locate their guide without confusion.
Clear entrance signage creates a smoother arrival, particularly for visitors unfamiliar with the area.
Busy outdoor environments often contain competing messages, so positioning matters as much as the design itself. Place displays where your intended audience is likely to notice them, while keeping routes clear and complying with venue requirements.
Vertical formats can be particularly useful for attracting the attention of passing pedestrians. For instance, custom feather flags can mark a promotional stand or meeting point and help visitors spot it as they approach. Consider what people need to see at different distances:
A boat excursion company might place a flag along a waterfront promenade and show departure times near its boarding point. Secure all equipment properly and check local restrictions before setting up.
Different display types can work together to create a more useful promotional area.
A destination marketing team might use a banner to introduce the area, a branded canopy to shelter its information stand and a printed table covering to present maps and visitor guides.
Give each item a distinct purpose instead of repeating the same message throughout. Consider what visitors need at each stage, from noticing the stand to picking up information or speaking with a representative.
Choose only the materials suited to the available space and the way you plan to engage with visitors.
Tourism businesses often promote their services in different settings throughout the year. A company offering guided excursions, for example, may work with accommodation providers, attend local events and exhibit at travel shows.
Portable, reusable options can make these changes easier to manage. Custom printed feather flags can be incorporated into different promotional layouts without requiring an entirely new setup each time.
Before purchasing equipment, consider transport, storage, assembly time, durability and the space available at each venue. Check whether it can withstand expected weather conditions and whether the venue permits its use.
Outdoor signage can support navigation as well as promotion, particularly at attractions and larger visitor sites with several facilities. Use short, familiar instructions such as:
A holiday park could use signs to guide guests towards accommodation and leisure facilities, reducing uncertainty and helping visitors make better use of the site.
Position signs at decision points where people might otherwise be unsure which way to go. Keep them accessible and ensure they do not obstruct walkways or emergency access.
A planned collection of outdoor marketing materials can simplify campaigns throughout the year. Identify which items can be used repeatedly and which need updating for specific promotions.
For example, a visitor attraction might keep a core set of banners, flags, canopies and directional signs, adding campaign-specific information when required. Before each campaign, check:
Afterwards, review enquiries, bookings and QR code visits where possible. These results can help you identify which activities generate interest, improve future campaigns and allocate your budget more effectively.
Outdoor marketing can help travel and tourism businesses attract attention, communicate their services and make visits easier for customers.
Start by considering where visitors encounter your business and what they need to know. Then choose suitable materials, position them thoughtfully and make essential information easy to find.
Here are seven practical ways to make your outdoor marketing more effective.
1. Communicate Your Offer Clearly
Your outdoor displays should tell visitors what you offer and how they can take the next step. Use concise wording, legible fonts and strong contrast so people can understand your message at a glance.
For example, a travel agency promoting specialist holidays could highlight a key destination or experience rather than list every available package. A message such as ‘Discover Local Wildlife – Book Your Tour’ gives potential customers a clear reason to stop and find out more.
Choose colours, logos and imagery that reflect your business and suit your audience. Adventure activities may call for energetic photography, while a luxury resort might benefit from a more understated look. Ensure images accurately represent the experience customers can expect.
A website address or QR code can provide further details without overcrowding the display. Keep itineraries, booking conditions and other lengthy information for supporting materials.
2. Make Your Entrance Easy to Find
Visitors arriving at your premises or an organised activity should be able to identify the entrance quickly.
Use signs, banners or flags to mark reception areas, ticket offices and meeting points. Keep instructions short and specific to the location.
For example, a guided walking experience could display ‘Guided Tours – Meet Here’ near its departure point, helping participants locate their guide without confusion.
Clear entrance signage creates a smoother arrival, particularly for visitors unfamiliar with the area.
3. Improve Visibility Through Strategic Placement
Busy outdoor environments often contain competing messages, so positioning matters as much as the design itself. Place displays where your intended audience is likely to notice them, while keeping routes clear and complying with venue requirements.
Vertical formats can be particularly useful for attracting the attention of passing pedestrians. For instance, custom feather flags can mark a promotional stand or meeting point and help visitors spot it as they approach. Consider what people need to see at different distances:
- From afar: A recognisable shape and brief message.
- Up close: Your business name and main service.
- At the point of contact: Practical details, such as activity times or booking instructions.
A boat excursion company might place a flag along a waterfront promenade and show departure times near its boarding point. Secure all equipment properly and check local restrictions before setting up.
4. Combine Complementary Promotional Materials
Different display types can work together to create a more useful promotional area.
A destination marketing team might use a banner to introduce the area, a branded canopy to shelter its information stand and a printed table covering to present maps and visitor guides.
Give each item a distinct purpose instead of repeating the same message throughout. Consider what visitors need at each stage, from noticing the stand to picking up information or speaking with a representative.
Choose only the materials suited to the available space and the way you plan to engage with visitors.
5. Choose Displays That Suit Multiple Locations
Tourism businesses often promote their services in different settings throughout the year. A company offering guided excursions, for example, may work with accommodation providers, attend local events and exhibit at travel shows.
Portable, reusable options can make these changes easier to manage. Custom printed feather flags can be incorporated into different promotional layouts without requiring an entirely new setup each time.
Before purchasing equipment, consider transport, storage, assembly time, durability and the space available at each venue. Check whether it can withstand expected weather conditions and whether the venue permits its use.
6. Use Directional Signs to Guide Visitors
Outdoor signage can support navigation as well as promotion, particularly at attractions and larger visitor sites with several facilities. Use short, familiar instructions such as:
- Entrance
- Reception
- Tour Check-in
- Ticket Office
- Visitor Information
- Parking
- Activity Centre
- Meeting Point
A holiday park could use signs to guide guests towards accommodation and leisure facilities, reducing uncertainty and helping visitors make better use of the site.
Position signs at decision points where people might otherwise be unsure which way to go. Keep them accessible and ensure they do not obstruct walkways or emergency access.
7. Plan for Reuse and Measure Results
A planned collection of outdoor marketing materials can simplify campaigns throughout the year. Identify which items can be used repeatedly and which need updating for specific promotions.
For example, a visitor attraction might keep a core set of banners, flags, canopies and directional signs, adding campaign-specific information when required. Before each campaign, check:
- which items are needed
- how they will be transported, assembled and stored
- whether they suit the location and expected weather
- whether any information needs updating
Afterwards, review enquiries, bookings and QR code visits where possible. These results can help you identify which activities generate interest, improve future campaigns and allocate your budget more effectively.
Final Thoughts
Outdoor marketing can help travel and tourism businesses attract attention, communicate their services and make visits easier for customers.
Start by considering where visitors encounter your business and what they need to know. Then choose suitable materials, position them thoughtfully and make essential information easy to find.
A clear message, practical signage and well-planned displays can encourage enquiries and help potential customers remember your business! (Photo credit: Bram Naus)
