Cities use tourism programs to attract visitors and support local business.
Every city has something to offer. But how do you convince tourists that your city is the best choice? Well, you reward their visit. Learn a few reasons why city marketing teams should invest in tourism programs.
Local Shopping
When the Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce began their program, the city was recovering from COVID-19. So, sustainable economic recovery was a priority. The city’s program invited residents to spend gift cards at local shops. This controlled area, called a closed-loop, boosts local spending and improves local morale.
It is shown that small business owners struggled financially and physically during COVID-19. Yet, there is a strong argument that communities rely on small business to drive a sense of community. This means governments must prioritize local spending to maintain a sense of local identity. Rewards programs are a proven way to do this.
The user design for Fort McMurray’s local tourism program.
Attracting Tourists
Everyone knows tourists have options. From cars to planes to boats, many places are within reach of Canadian consumers. So, your city needs to stand out. This is done by incentivizing tourists through a tourism rewards program. Your program may bridge stakeholders like hotels, shops and restaurants to offer exclusive deals. Further, you may offer a loaded prepaid Visa card based on certain criteria—like staying in participating hotels for two nights. This attracts tourists who could spend their money elsewhere.
The City of London and TruCash partnered to run the city’s Stay a Little Longer program.
Live Insights
A custom dashboard shows where card users are spending their funds. These records differ from other daily spending. This is because local governments can only estimate economic activity, as travellers commonly use personal bank cards. This activity, unlike with programmed prepaid cards, is untraceable for municipalities.
Now, governments will know how much of the funds are spent on small versus big business. Moreover, they will know which partners—like hotels and resorts—have success with the program. And all of this information is available in real-time.
Program dashboards, like this one from TruCash, provide live analytics.
Smarter Decisions
These insights lead to smarter strategic decisions. This benefits local leaders, businesses, residents and visitors. It is difficult to form a successful plan without data. So, rewards programs meet municipal needs for data-driven policy. This saves time and money, which are then spent elsewhere.
For instance, perhaps London sees tourists spending most funds at music venues. Now, organizers may consider larger spending on the summer’s Sun Fest music festival. Decisions like these support smart budgets and improve the city’s quality of life.
