What makes a great visitor experience? 5 proven ways to keep tourists coming back

Experience Design

Jun 20

If your region is seeing visitors—but not seeing repeat visits, rave reviews, or word-of-mouth buzz—it’s time to rethink the experience you’re offering.

Visitor experience isn’t just about what people see; it’s about what they feel, remember, and share. Here's how to improve the visitor experience in your town or region so guests keep coming back—and bring others with them.

1. Make it easy, make it welcoming

A confusing arrival, poor signage, or unfriendly staff can ruin even the best destination.

Ensure your town has clear, consistent signage from entry points
Make parking, toilets, and maps easy to find
Train front-line staff and volunteers to provide a warm, knowledgeable welcome
Encourage locals to act as ambassadors—pride and friendliness go a long way

Tip: Consider secret shopping your own town. What’s confusing or frustrating for a first-time visitor?

2. Go beyond the obvious

Iconic attractions draw people in—but experiences make them stay.

Ask:

What can visitors do (not just see)?
Can they take a class, join a tour, try something hands-on?
How can we surprise and delight them?

Example: Instead of just promoting a lake, offer kayak hire, a sunset paddle tour, or a photo competition.

3. Tell your story—then let visitors be part of it

Regional tourism thrives when it taps into local stories.

Create signage or digital content that shares your town’s heritage, people, or quirks
Encourage businesses to display local art, produce or storytelling
Invite guests to contribute to your story—through guestbooks, social media hashtags, or shared experiences

The most memorable destinations are the ones where people feel like they belong, even for a day.

4. Design for different types of travellers

Families. Solo travellers. Grey nomads. Adventure-seekers. Each visitor type wants something slightly different.

Think inclusively:

Family-friendly attractions and amenities
Accessible pathways, venues, and transport options
Itineraries for couples or short-stay visitors
Experiences that are affordable (and high-value)

Great destinations cater to a range of needs without losing their local flavour.

5. Be consistent—and keep improving

Your brand, signage, tone of voice, and service delivery should be cohesive and consistent across touchpoints.

But don’t stop there—collect feedback, track reviews, and keep evolving.

Use tools like TripAdvisor and Google Reviews to identify pain points
Offer feedback cards or QR surveys at key locations
Involve your community and operators in regular reflection and improvement

Want to turn visitors into raving fans of your region?

Explore our Experience Design Services – we help towns and tourism operators build authentic, memorable visitor experiences that keep people coming back.

Cristy Houghton

Cristy's unique career has taken her from country NSW to the city lights of Clarendon Street South Melbourne and back again. With an early career in radio as a copywriter and creative strategist, she is now a Jill of all trades as a graphic designer, website builder, blog writer, video editor, social media manager, marketing strategist and more.

In fact, give her any task and this chick will figure out how to do it! Go on, we dare you!

No, really, we DARE you!!

Cristy has won two Australian Commercial Radio Awards (ACRAs) for Best Ad and Best Sales Promotion, and even has an 'Employee of the Year' certificate with her name on it.

Cristy and her husband James have traveled extensively through Russia, China and South East Asia, and have two fur-babies, Sooty (cat) and Panda (puppy). Cristy loves drinking coffee, meeting people to drink coffee, coffee tasting and coffee flavoured cocktails. She also enjoys road trips, TED Talks and watching cat videos on youtube.

http://www.embarketing.com.au