Visitor Attraction Marketing and Gift Shop Display Ideas

Signage and displays for visitor attraction marketing

VisitBritain have forecast 38.7 million visits to the UK in 2024 [1], so things are looking good for inbound tourism!

Clever visitor attraction marketing will ensure that both overseas tourists and staycationers alike are drawn in to the many museums, galleries, zoos, heritage sites, and theme parks that this country has to offer.

Visitor attraction signage

Pavement signs and A boards are the perfect way to encourage visitors into your venue. They can be used to signpost the location, letting people know where you are and what's on.

These outdoor signs are also a good opportunity to advertise any specific promotions, such as seasonal discounts for during the bank holidays or for cash-strapped families in summer months.

Use easels and poster stands or tall banners indoors for stylish visitor attraction signage.

Custom-printed event flags are excellent for outdoor use in around larger attractions. They're bigger than standard pavement signs, allowing them to be seen from a distance. This is why they're often used on forecourts and and festivals!

"Offer seasonal discounts with stated expiration dates. These create a sense of purchase urgency"- ‘Marketing Visitor Attractions: A Segmentation Study’ [2].

Shop brochure holders

Shop donation boxes

Leaflet dispensers are an ideal way to present your brochures for marketing and information.

Leaflets and brochures are known to be effective promotional tools in museums and galleries [2].

In these areas you may also wish to add a museum donation box to collect contributions, feedback and competition entries from the public.

Another way to attract visitors to your destination is by keeping up with the times and installing interactive digital displays. Digital display screens are rapidly taking over as the most effective form of advertising display there is.

Holidaymakers, local visitors and shoppers all love an immersive experience, and an interactive screen is the best way to increase engagement. They're particularly great for zoos, galleries and museums, as well as in gift shops.

An engaged visitor is a happy one, so using a touchscreen display will increase their satisfaction. This, in turn, will increase their positive reviews, word-of-mouth, and their potential spending, too!

Using CMS software with your screen makes it truly versatile. Use it to provide more information about displays, add wayfinding details, or even install educational games!

Essential supplies for visitor attractions

Retractable barriers are essential to organise busy queues, especially during the summer and bank holidays.

They keep visitors safe, and they're even available with add-on poster holders and hand sanitiser dispensers.

For more upscale attractions such as art galleries and museums, use a stylish rope barrier to separate your visitors from the art or relics.

In these locations, you might want enclosed acrylic display plinths to elevate items for viewing, while protecting them from being touched. If you don't need your displays to be enclosed in a case, consider a wooden or wire display plinth for a sophisticated look.

Wayfinding signs, including door signs and wall signs, are really important too.

Use easy-to-clean stainless steel or acrylic toilet signs to direct your visitors to the facilities.

Changeable door and wall sign holders make fantastic art gallery wall labels and museum exhibit signs.

Ceiling hanging signs are a space-saving and eye-catching way to display wayfinding signs, graphics and other promotions.

For your everyday essential signs, including toilet cleaning rotas and promotional posters, snap frames make it really easy to swap over your posters whenever needed.

Snap frame sign holders are available in a wide range of colours and sizes to suit your brand and requirements.

Use a freestanding snap frame to provide easy-to-read information about your exhibits.

Don't forget your gift shop display!

Regardless of what your visitor attraction is, it's almost guaranteed that you will have merchandise to sell. This is where your gift shop display ideas will really shine!

Fill dump bins, wooden crates and merchandising tubs with small, irresistible impulse-buys. Place higher-value items on wooden shelving and freestanding display units.

For a large, full-wall merchandising display, or a smaller gondala, slatwall or gridwall is a versatile choice.

References

1. ‘2024 Inbound Tourism Forecast’, VisitBritain (2024), https://www.visitbritain.org/research-insights/inbound-tourism-forecast.

2. Litvin, Stephen, ‘Marketing Visitor Attractions: A Segmentation Study’ (2007), International Journal of Tourism Research, Vol. 9 (1): 9-19.