Sometimes tourism businesses are not born from the traditional stock of tourist attractions. Some businesses wear many hats – the grower, manufacturer, creator, educator, region advocate, marketer, retailer… Many of these businesses are seeing the opportunity to grow into unexpected and untapped tourism markets using what they are already doing as the attraction and creating unique, highly branded and unmissable experiences.

How can you harness what you already have to make your place unmissable?

Many years ago, a family planted a vineyard. As primary producers, they grew grapes good enough for some of the best winemakers in the region. They decided to get into manufacturing, and try wine making themselves – first it was just wine for themselves, then for friends. Crushing a tonne or two grew to many, a few hundred bottles grew to hundreds of cases. A few years back, they decided to get serious, ‘do things properly,’ and open a cellar door.

But the story doesn’t end there for this family. They knew that to stay ahead of the competition, they couldn’t just make a great wine with a cool label. Cellar doors were opening up everywhere – how would they attract customers to visit their cellar door, to buy their wine, among the dozens on their doorstep?

Such is the story of so many wineries. From grower to manufacturer, wine craftsman to seller. The next step is just as big a leap, from seller to retailer, from sampling to tourism.

In this success story the family used their wine, history, place and space to develop an understanding of what makes them unique. They brought life to the brand that grew from a bottle label and evolved into a brand centred, character filled wine tourism experience that you can’t get anywhere else. They reinforced their branding across their spaces and places so that their story, their brand, was recognisable across every facet of their business. Their efforts drove growth and high profits, and were rewarded with loyal customers, a great reputation, productive and happy staff, and a sustainable, flourishing business. And that’s how their happily ever after begins.

Tourism is an Evolution of Your Brand

Most businesses have inherent understanding of brand – incredible efforts go into branding product to stand out on the retailer’s shelf. It’s no different when it comes to tourism. What makes your attraction and product different to the one down the street? You’ve already done the hard work to develop a logo – now you need to make it live across every facet of your business.

Great Tourism Experiences are Natural Extensions of What You Already Do

A brand that has a life of its own has strong character. Perhaps it’s outside the square like D’Arenberg, playful like Molly Dooker, or serious fun like Wirra Wirra. What ever that character is, if it is genuine and authentic you will find its antics (and the activities that your tourists can partake in) are a natural extension of what you already do. They will also sell better because tourists will feel genuinely involved in your brand.

Where to start?

Start by understanding what your brand character could look like in building form. To try the Building Profiler Quiz click here.

Like some advice? Drop us a line and let’s just start with a coffee.