How do I promote cultural tourism?
This is one of the most common question cultural communities ask. And the answer isn’t a simple one.
Cultural tourism is wholly unique industry. So the marketing strategies must also be unique. Cultural tourism isnāt just about promoting museums or showcasing the best landmarks to capture an insta-moment. Cultural tourism is about diving into the essence of a placeāthe stories, the rituals, the flavors, and the history that make a destination unique.
Cultural travelers donāt just want to observe culture; they want to experience it. They want to share it. They want to be transformed by the experience.
So that means the best way to promote cultural tourism is to start with the heart of your heritage – the people.
Below are six ways to promote cultural tourism and examples of current cultural tourism marketing strategies that resonate with travelers and local constituents.
Showcase What Makes Your Destination Unique
Before people visit your community, they need to know your community exists. And WHY they should visit. So, highlight those things that make your destination especially uniqueānot just the attractions but the unique stories and experiences behind the attractions.
This is where a great content marketing strategy can help. Major brands like Red Bull and GoPro lean into content marketing because it works. Content drives awareness and it motivates purchases.
š Marketing Tip: If you are looking to attract cultural travelersāthe people who want to meet locals and experience uniquely local activitiesāthen write content that spotlights the activities and people that make your destination special. Introduce the artisans, chefs, and storytellers who are central to the one-of-a-kind experiences visitors wonāt find anywhere else.
Cultural Tourism in Action
More than three centuries ago, Edward Teach (AKA Blackbeard) perished in North Carolina. But his legacy lives on. North Carolina shares the story of this famed pirate with a four-day pirate itinerary filled with pirate hideouts and an exploration of the waters where his sunken ship rests. Pirate-inspired cocktails? But, of course.
For a deeply personal connection, Visit North Carolina also highlights Blackbeard’s Lodge, where proprietor Stanley āChipā Stevens’ family history dates back to William Howard who purchased Ocracoke Island from King George III.
Elevate Your Icons
The term ābucket listā has become a global phenomenon because travelers love āmust-seeā destinations. But what makes these experiences so bucket-list worthy in the first place? Their uniqueness.
Whether you celebrate your festivals, your national parks, your local traditions, or your unique landmarks, it is the icons that will help elevate your destination. Not only do these icons help get your destination noticed, they provide context to visitors. For example, if you’re located *near* a national park, this helps people define when and how to visit.
Your icons don’t have to be places; they can (and should) be your people. Locally born celebrities, social media influencers, or anyone who elevates your culture, make great cultural icons.
š Marketing Tip: Travel media and local media *love* stories about super-unique activities and experiences. Korea’s Starfield Library, for example, quickly went viral for a number of reasons including it’s selection of tens of thousands of books and it’s partially underground location. Find the unique stories behind your visitor experiences and let the media help you spread the world.
Cultural Tourism in Action
Local festivals make great icons. The annual Calaveras County Fair & Jumping Frog Jubilee, held in Angels Camp, California, draws visitors from around the world. Born from Mark Twain’s 1865 story, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, the fair attracts nearly 50,000 visitors annually. Not bad for a town with a population of less than 4,000.
Or, if you want to elevate your local influencers, take a page from Patuk Glenn, an IƱupiaq influencer, who captivates her nearly 19K Instagram followers with stories of traditional life as an Alaska Native.
Say It. Then Say It Again. And Again.
Just like everyone else, travelers are bombarded with marketing messages. If you want to stand out, you need to make your content compelling and memorable, and deliver it frequently and consistently. Just like one campfire storytelling session couldn’t possibly capture the essence of your community, neither can a single blog post.
š Marketing Tip: Commit to a regular publishing scheduleāwhether itās blogs, newsletters, or social mediaāand stick to it. Repeat your core messages throughout your messaging to ensure your core messages stay memorable. Think of Folgers Coffee: everyone remembers āthe best part of waking upā because Folgers says it over and over again. Consistency will help keep your destination top-of-mind.
Cultural Tourism in Action
Michigan has done an especially good job of promoting a consistent brand over nearly two decades. The Pure Michigan brand launched in 2006, and it has held steady ever since. In addition to raising awareness for the potential of tourism… “Pure Michigan also instills a sense of pride for those of us who are lucky enough to live in this great state,” wrote M. Christine Byron and Thomas R. Wilson in a 2016 article for Michigan Blue.
What’s especially notable about the campaign is that it has a built-in mechanism, the Pure Awards, that recognizes “sites, attractions and organizations who are working to preserve and protect our cultural, historical and environmental sites.”
Focus on Magical Experiences
While your budget may not allow you to directly compete with larger-budget destinations, focusing on your unique and magical cultural aspects will provide outsized benefits.
So dive deep to focus on the magical experiences visitors can only have in your destination. These stories donāt always have to be long and immersive. They don’t even have to be about the iconic. They just have to be personal. So showcase the amazingly helpful front desk clerk whose sister is a silversmith, or the local restaurant owner who knows the best fishing spots.
Itās also okay to feature content that defines which cultural elements are off limits. If your churches donāt allow visitors during certain times, share this info. This sets up realistic expectations for travelers.
š Marketing Tip: True cultural travelers understand that travel destinations are not 24-hour theme parks, so don’t be afraid to remove the varnish and get real.
Cultural Tourism in Action
Finland has been recognized as the world’s happiest country for a whopping seven years in a row. Imagine celebrating the culture of happiness.
To commemorate the award, Finland introduced a new media series, a Master Class in Happiness. Although Finland has a significantly smaller budget than many destinations, this unique program resulted in a pick up from more than 2,500 global media outlets. Kim Kardashian also shared the campaign to her 200 million+ followers. This wildly unique and successful campaign drove an increase in overnight stays by eight percent.
New Mexico’s Pueblo of Acoma reminds us that visitors are not always welcome under all circumstances. To demonstrate this point, Acoma features a “guidelines and etiquette” visitor policy, which starts with, “Pueblo of Acoma tours are privileges granted by the Acoma Tribal Council. Therefore, your cooperation is requested in adhering to all laws, rules and regulations of the Pueblo.”
Grow Your Community Through Collective Voices
Cultural tourism is a team effort. One voice creates a ripple; many voices create a wave. Encourage your community to collaborate by sharing events, promoting each otherās attractions, and amplifying one anotherās stories.
Also, share testimonials that showcase the magic of your destination, told through the voices of those who have traveled there and experienced the magic.
š Marketing Tip: Invite local leaders, cultural bearers, and even visitors to contribute their perspectives. Their stories add authenticity and help expand your reach.
Cultural Tourism in Action
In 2022, New York City Tourism launched the genius Get Local NYC campaign, which features local influencers who are native to each of the city’s five boroughs. In engaging YouTube videos, these influencers walk visitors through āday-in-the-lifeā activities, and subsequently elevate neighborhood eateries, museums, and activities that might normally be off the radar for travelers.
On a recent trip to Baton Rouge, I had one goal. Enjoy a local Po’ Boy. I didn’t want a tourist favorite, no siree, I wanted to eat what the locals eat.
Obviously travel review sites would not be helpful in my quest for the local favorite Po’ Boy. So, imagine my delight when I found the Local chefs pick their favorite po’ boy article at The Advocate. And you know what? The local chefs were right! I did enjoy the best Po’ Boy in town.
There is no better way to lend authority to your visitor marketing than by having locals advocate for their favorite sites to visit and things to do. (And places to eat.)
ā Monica Poling, Cultural Trails
Wondering where I went? Check out my yummy Facebook post here.
Empower Your Community
Cultural tourism thrives when the local community thrives. Offer training and resources for artisans, guides, chefs, and other cultural bearers to help them succeed in tourism. If your local heroes want to elevate their status, help them do so.
When locals have the tools and the confidence to share their stories, visitors appreciate the authenticity. By supporting your community, you create a sustainable tourism ecosystem that helps the entire economy flourish.
š Marketing Tip: Equip your hospitality partners (internal and external) with toolkitsālike press releases, free-to-use images, and social media templatesāto make sharing your message easy for everyone. This helps keep things consistent as you expand your reach.
Cultural Tourism in Action
In September 2024, the Colorado Tourism Office unveiled its ten-year Destination Stewardship Strategic Plan, which was created with input from more than 1,000 stakeholders, including tribes, land managers, and local communities. The plan’s intent? To balance record-breaking visitation (93.3 million visitors in 2023) with environmental sustainability, cultural preservation, and quality of life. It includes 118 strategies for statewide and regional collaboration. Particularly notable is an adjacent, 23-page Partner Communications Toolkit, with templates and socia media posts that are designed to help stakeholders share a cohesive, consistent message.
How to promote cultural tourism: Quick Steps
Create a Content Calendar: Plan and produce original content regularly. Encourage visitors to sign up for your newsletter at the end of every post.
Launch a Newsletter: Collect emails and share uniquely local content. Follow Only in Your State or Atlas Obscura for inspiration on how to share uniquely local stories.
Highlight Cultural Icons: Showcase local people, places, and experiences that define your communityās cultural identity.
Expand Your Content Reach: At first, share your content on one or two key platforms until you build a consistent rhythm. Then start sharing your content across more platforms, including blog posts, multiple social media platforms, email newsletters, and partner networks.
Collaborate with Partners: Work with chambers of commerce and tourism boards, tour operators, influencers, and other partners, to amplify your message and to cross-promote your events and activities.
Build Media Relationships: Reach out to local media, travel blogs, and magazines. Pitch the uniqueness of your stories and share polished press materials.
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