1. Rules For Tourism
Web Design
2010

2. 1. Create a lasting impression
1 http://www.austintexas.org/
Austin uses a consistent theme throughout its
website. Talking virtual people are present to
2 http://www.savannahvisit.com/
grab the attention of the viewer as seen in
figure (1).
Savannah sets a relaxing ambiance by
matching the background images to sounds
of music and allowing the user to choose
their preference seen in figure (2)
This is done by storytelling. Storytelling touches on three key
Storytelling uses product steps during the travel process: (1)
experiences to take people on an Inspiration, (2) Research, and (3)
emotional journey appealing to Planning.2
their wants and needs for
something more personal and Research has discovered that with
connected. It grabs their tourist the most important driver of
attention and pulls them in.1 first impression was inspiration-related
elements.3
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3. 2. Create a mental image of Beverly Hills
http://www.beverlyhillshotel.com/
http://www.scottsdalecvb.com/
http://www.experiencewa.com/home.aspx
Important to help tourist imagine After evaluating (15) exemplar
what a destination will be like. Travelers CVB website banners; common
tend to be interested in content attributes included large rotating
elements such as pictures, graphics pictures, motivating visuals of
and maps that convey a “sense of major attractions, themed
place.” Rich sensory descriptions do colorful graphics and top news
have a positive influence in the mind stories of the destination
of the consumer.4 Research discovered
motivating visuals and content were
most important to tourist.5
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4. 3. Optimize Graphics
Cannon Drive
Benchmark Idea 1: http://www.breakfastinbh.com/#/Hotels/
Located in the body of the new Apply the same format already being used
website create miniature frames on the website to showcase hotel specials,
of pictures highlighting all of and use it to promote other attractions of
Beverly Hills attractions. (i.e. Beverly Hills on the homepage
Rodeo Drive, Cannon Drive,
Beverly Drive, Restaurants, Hotels)
Allow pictures to rotate frequently Two Outcomes:
when viewing the page. (i.e. for
the restaurant alter several pictures i. Determine wants and needs of guest
of restaurants in one box) based on popularity of sensory
influence and click impressions.
Progressively monitor which ii. Use as an interactive tool to help
pictures are chosen to help guest make a to-do list. After five
determine: pictures are selected, offer
• Where traveler would like to go suggestions pre-programmed into
in Beverly Hills computer. (If guest like A,B, & C they
• What they are interested in will most likely also like F)
doing while in Beverly Hills
• What segment visitors fall under Objective: Measure customer
based on type of place, hotel preferences using click impression
or restaurant they view most analytics
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5. 4. User Friendly Design and Content
The website the design must be user friendly
and provide basic and credible information.6
Tools to do this are:
i. Navigation Toolbar
ii. Secondary Navigation
Toolbar
iii. Calendar of Events and
Event Listings
iv. Special Deals & Offers
v. Interactive Maps
vi. Trip Planning Elements
Navigation Toolbar Example
i. Navigation Toolbar
The CVB has to meet the informational needs of all types of travelers and tourists.
A proper navigation toolbar gives the capability to target articles, pictures, and
information geared towards those specific needs and showcase why destination is
uniquely attractive based on those needs.
What is clear from studies into the reading habits of users online is that people will
often decide whether to stay or leave a website on what they see without
scrolling. So, its important that you include key content in the window that is
viewable before people have to scroll7
Example: The three CVB websites showed segment their navigation tool bar into
links of target markets. By doing so the website is able to customize and target
each page per segment vs. trying to market to everyone at one time
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6. Secondary Navigation Toolbar Example
http://www.visitwesthollywood.com/
http://www.palmbeachfl.com/
http://www.savannahvisit.com/
ii. Secondary Navigation Toolbar
A secondary navigation toolbar allows the CVB to direct travelers to the best shopping,
restaurants, nightlife, outdoor activities etc the destination has to offer. It can be
formatted in a variety of ways, but it is important to keep in mind the short window of
opportunity the CVB has capture the attention of the viewer. The goal must be to display
the most desired attributes of the destination without overdoing it.
We found most attractive is to offer a visual element with the attribute. In the following
examples CVB’s have chosen to display their top qualities as a destination in a more
colorful way than simple text writing.
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7. Calendar & Events Example
http://www.neworleanscvb.com/
http://discoverlosangeles.com/
http://www.nycgo.com/
iii. Calendar of Events
Research found that customers ranked “rapid information” and “user-friendly system” as
most important to potential customers and e-buyers.8 Research also found that successful
National Tourism Organization websites need to provide localized and detailed
information on activities and have communication available to actually plan a trip
online.9
Enable key tasks to be completed from the homepage. Experience from travel web sites
shows that people like to transact from the home page . Users should be able to do such
things as see a selection of forthcoming events and/or look for accommodation from the
homepage10
Thus, a calendar can be used as a powerful business tool. It provides to customer access
to quick information based on date of choice, while giving localized and information on
activities for upcoming weeks or months, and if combined with a reservation system it
creates the ultimate user-friendly system for the customer.
Consider the importance of making the booking process easy for users when developing
a calendar of events. A functional calendar that combines rates of OTA’s, Hotels, Rooms
etc. will be of greater value to the customer and may ultimately help convert viewers into
purchasers due to the simplicity of the process.
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8. Special Deals & Offers Example
http://www.neworleanscvb.com/
http://www.beverlyhillsbehere.com/
http://www.palmbeachfl.com/
iv. Special Deals & Offers
Beverly Hills did an excellent job promoting their Breakfast Special.
However, this should not be the focal point of the homepage. Instead use
placement strategy to display the ad near the reservations system where
guest might be persuaded to make a purchase.
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9. Map Example
Current Map
http://www.everyscape.com/View/LoveBeverlyHills/ http://www.visitwesthollywood.com/maps/
v. Make Maps Interactive
Link websites to surrounding businesses and integrate user-generated content,
reviews, and recommendations into the map. This strategy can help target
Staycationers, and gain the support of local businesses by drawing local
consumers looking for places to eat, stay, and visit on their staycation.
Pair 360 view map with regular map to help traveler or tourist find direction and
location of specific places not for touring purposes
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10. Website Redesign Example:
Welcome to Beverly Hills
Family Fun
Cannon Drive Shopping
Special Deals & Offers
Select Arrival Date:
‐ News Article
‐ Website Links
‐ Social Media
‐ Weather
‐ Upcoming Events
‐ Map
‐ Reservation System
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11. References
1 Collins, Robert. New Marketing Labs, “In Search of Storytellers” (2010)
http://newmarketinglabs.com/blog/
2 Cole, Robert. RockCheetah LLC, “Web 2.0 Technologies in the Hospitality Industry” (2009)
http://prezi.com/qct23lpz19yw/web-20-technologies-in-the-hospitality-industry/
3 Kim, H. and Fesenmaier, D.R. (2008). “Persuasive Design of Destination Web Sites: An Analysis of First
Impression.” Journal of Travel Research, 47(3), 3-13.
4 Lee, W., Gretzel, U. and Law, R. (2009). “Quasi-Trial Experiences through Sensory Information on Destination
Web Sites.” Journal of Travel Research, 0, 1 -14.
5 Kaplanidou, K. and Vogt, C. (2006). “A Structural Analysis of Destination Travel Intentions as a Function of
Web Site Features.” Journal of Travel Research, 45(2), 204-216.
6 Kim, H. and Fesenmaier, D.R. (2008). “Persuasive Design of Destination Web Sites: An Analysis of First
Impression.” Journal of Travel Research, 47(3), 3-13.
7 The Tourism Company, “Design Tips for Tourism Destination Websites” (2010)
http://www.thetourismcompany.com/topic2.asp?projectid=1127&topicid=6
8 Cheung, C. and Law, R. (2009). “Have the Perceptions of the Successful Factors for Travel Web Sites
Changed Over Time? The Case of Consumers in Hong Kong.” Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research,
33(3), 438-446.
9 Han, J.H. and Mills, J.E. (2006) “Zero acquaintance benchmarking at travel destination websites: what is the
first impression that national tourism organizations try to make?” International Journal of Tourism
Research, 8(6), 405-430.
10 The Tourism Company, “Design Tips for Tourism Destination Websites” (2010)
http://www.thetourismcompany.com/topic2.asp?projectid=1127&topicid=6
See Also:
The Tourism Company, “How to improve the effectiveness of tourism destination websites”
http://www.thetourismcompany.com/topic.asp?topicid=6
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