Signage is a key part of destination marketing, but it’s frequently an afterthought.
While the travel industry invests heavily in marketing to create great visitor encounters, it often fails to consider the importance of signage. When designed properly, signage systems have the power to attract and inform travelers, provide direction and wayfinding, and improve the overall tourist experience.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE MANY BENEFITS THAT EFFECTIVE TRAVEL AND TOURISM SIGNAGE CAN OFFER VISITORS, LOCAL BUSINESSES, AND THE GREATER COMMUNITY.
- Educate visitors about local attractions and amenities. Signage systems support marketing and promotion efforts by informing travelers about entertainment venues, amusement parks, museums, and other attractions. Certain destinations, such as retail shops or dining establishments, can also be promoted. The use of digital signage even allows for customization, like the inclusion of suggested landmarks or little-known places of interest.
- Make wayfinding a breeze. Navigating unfamiliar territory can be challenging and stress-inducing to weary travelers. Signage is an essential tool in safely guiding them to their destination and orienting them upon arrival. The interactivity offered by digital signage is particularly helpful, as it makes it easy for travelers to determine the most direct route to their destination and locate other area attractions that may be of interest.
- Facilitate interaction between tourists and the local business community. In the past few years, the travel industry has begun to embrace “localism”. Travelers have lost interest in boring cookie-cutter restaurants, lodging, and entertainment. Instead, they want to take in the local ambiance, savoring regional cuisines, enjoying area attractions, and connecting to the lifestyles of residents. Use signage to share this kind of local sought-after information with visitors. By connecting tourists to local shops, accommodations, and restaurants, it encourages them to explore the area and helps generate revenue for merchants.
- Share news and important local information. Digital signage allows visitors to learn more about their destination and make educated travel decisions. Keep them updated by posting real-time information regarding the weather, traffic, news, and upcoming events. You can even incorporate live data streams, such as those from social media networks or local broadcast stations.
- Improve safety with effective warnings. When danger is looming, warnings are imperative to advise people that peril lies ahead. Signage can be a valuable communication tool when patrons and staff are in harm’s way. In the airport, for example, digital signage can quickly alert passengers to critical emergency situations.
- Enhance the overall visitor experience. Well-planned signage systems help travelers arrive at their destination safely, find the services they’re seeking, and leave with a positive perception. A great visitor experience is the key to ensuring repeat business and long-term tourism success.
It’s important to follow the principles of good tourism signage design. To be effective, travel signage can’t be erected thoughtlessly. Its design, manufacture, and installation should comply with these proven principles:
- Be consistent in appearance with other area branding and promotional messaging
- Use minimal words and an uncluttered design to facilitate legibility and comprehension
- Work cohesively with other signage elements to provide consistency
- Be positioned in the proper location and clearly visible to passersby
By focusing on the traveler experience, you can create a welcoming, enjoyable environment for everyone who visits. For more than 80 years, the friendly professionals at Adler Display have been creating tourism signage solutions that work. Please contact our knowledgeable team to learn more.
About Adler Display: Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, Adler Display brings more than 80 years of experience to its clients in need of recognition displays, lobby and corporate interiors, custom exhibits, historical timelines, trade show displays, and signage and graphics. For more information about Adler Display, please visit the website at https://adlerdisplay.com/ or call 855-552-3537.