Remote doesn’t mean invisible. Whether you’re tucked into the mountains, perched on a riverbank, or running guided hunts in the wilderness, you still need to show up when your customers are looking online.
Tourism marketing is more than pretty pictures and catchy slogans. It’s about trust, timing, and visibility. If you operate a lodge, tour company, or outfitter service, your marketing needs to generate buzz and bring people through the door (or to the trailhead).
Know Your Guests Before They Book
Every marketing effort should begin with understanding your audience. Are you targeting families looking for weekend getaways? Anglers chasing trophy fish? International travelers craving something off the beaten path?
Once you know who they are, tailor your messaging. Speak to their desires. Solve their travel hesitations. Highlight the unique experiences only you offer. By personalizing your approach with each type of traveler you build a relationship with your customer before they even arrive.
Your Website is the Booking Desk
We can’t state this firmly enough: your website should function like your front desk. It needs to be fast, mobile-friendly, and crystal clear about what you offer, when it’s available, and how to book.
Travelers don’t have patience for clunky navigation or slow-loading pages, especially if they’re browsing on their phones during a lunch break or in between flights. If it takes more than 10 seconds to understand what kind of experience you provide, you’ve already lost them.
Can they check availability without digging through three menus? Can they book directly without sending an email, submitting a contact form, or waiting for someone to call them back?
Your website design should streamline the entire customer journey. Use real-time booking tools, intuitive calendars, and upfront pricing. Make it easy to compare packages. Display what’s included in a stay or tour, answer common questions, and highlight seasonal availability.
And don’t bury the good stuff. Feature your cabins, tours, gear rentals, and packages with vivid descriptions, original photography, and a tone that captures the spirit of your experience. The goal is to make visitors feel like they’re already there hearing the river, smelling the campfire, and seeing the mountain skyline. That kind of connection converts curiosity into bookings.
SEO + Local = More Heads in Beds
Most guests won’t type your lodge’s name into Google. They’ll search for “fly fishing lodge in Montana,” “guided elk hunt near Meeker,” or “hiking tours in Glacier National Park.” They’re not looking for your brand. They’re looking for a solution to their travel itch. That’s where local SEO comes in.
Start by claiming and fully optimizing your Google Business Profile. Make sure your Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) are consistent across your site, directories, and social platforms. Google uses that consistency to verify your legitimacy and reward you with visibility.
But don’t stop there. Create landing pages tailored to each location or experience you offer. These pages should match how people actually search. Instead of general copy about “guided tours,” say “3-day rafting trips on the Arkansas River.” Instead of just “lodging,” say “riverfront log cabins near Estes Park.”
Use real location names, natural search terms, and conversational phrasing. Your goal is to intercept the exact moment someone’s ready to plan. You need to be the option that feels closest, easiest, and most trustworthy.
If your content doesn’t reflect how your guests search, you won’t be found. And if you’re not found, you’re not booked. Period.
Paid Ads, Smart Budget
PPC (Pay-Per-Click) ads can be a smart play, especially before peak booking seasons when travelers are actively planning. With Google Ads, you can show up exactly when someone searches for experiences like yours: “horseback riding near Bozeman” or “backcountry lodges in British Columbia.” Geo-targeting allows you to zero in on key markets, whether it’s urban travelers looking for an escape or international tourists planning ahead.
Retargeting is equally important. Many guests visit your site more than once before booking, especially for higher-ticket experiences. Retargeting ads help you stay top of mind and pull people back to the booking page when they’re ready to commit. While we recommend focusing more of your budget on search ads, retargeting with display can help your business stay top of mind and build buzz long after your customer first visits your website.
But here’s the part most companies overlook: conversion tracking.
If you’re running ads but not tracking conversions, you’re flying blind. You need clear data on what’s working, what’s not, and where your budget is actually delivering ROI. That means setting up conversion tracking through Google Analytics and ad platforms, ideally with booking data tied to actions on your site, not just clicks.
And be cautious with third-party booking platforms. Many claim to show attribution data, but in reality, they often obscure the original traffic source. The result? You’re not getting a true picture of how guests find and book with you.
PPC is powerful if it’s paired with disciplined measurement. Without it, you’re spending money without knowing what’s working. With it, you’re investing in a system that can scale your bookings predictably.
Word of Mouth Goes Digital
Referrals still matter, but they’ve moved online. Guest reviews, YouTube videos, Google ratings, tagged Instagram posts, and even TikToks are today’s version of word-of-mouth. When someone shares their experience, it builds social proof far more powerful than any sales pitch.
Encourage happy guests to leave reviews on platforms like Google, TripAdvisor, and Facebook. Don’t just hope it happens. Ask for reviews in a way that provides credibility for your business. Follow up with a post-stay email or a text message with a direct link to leave a review.
Make sharing effortless. Create photo-worthy moments at your lodge or on your tours. Encourage guests to tag your account or use a branded hashtag. Reshare that content on your own social platforms. It’s authentic, it’s persuasive, and it costs you nothing.
And don’t let that content disappear into the void. Feature guest quotes and review highlights on your website. Build a gallery of real photos. Create a testimonial section that actually feels human.
Your future customers trust past guests more than they trust you. Use that to your advantage.
Final Take
Running a lodge, outfitter, or tour company is already a full-time job. But without smart, focused marketing, you’re making it harder than it has to be.
At Divining Point, we specialize in helping tourism brands go from hidden gems to booked solid. We blend SEO, web design, and digital strategy into one clear path that brings guests to your doorstep. Because even the most remote adventures need to be discovered.
We are adventurers ourselves and understand what it takes to build buzz and bring travelers to your door. Contact us today and let’s make your next peak season better than ever before.