Producing a tourist brochure
A brightly coloured, professional-looking brochure is one of the cheapest and most effective
promotional tools. It tells people about the service you offer and how they can make a
booking. So how do you go about creating a tourist brochure?
A tourist brochure has a very specific purpose and there are certain guidelines you can
follow to ensure it achieves these goals. Before you start producing yours, look at some
examples and how they have been done.
You also have to be clear on what your business aims to achieve, so you understand what
the object of your brochure should be. Are you targeting a specific market and if so, how
will this impact the focus of your brochure? Once you've answered all these questions, you
can get down to designing and producing your brochure.
Brochure content
If writing is not your strength, then hire a professional writer to write the content
for you. Keep it short and sweet. Include a quick description of your business,
where you are, how to get there, facilities/services and most importantly, your
contact details. It's best not to list prices, as this means you'll have to print new
brochures when the prices change.
When writing the copy, think about how you are fulfilling the customer's needs. Highlight
the unique selling points of your product and how they set you apart from other operators.
Use emotive words, but don't embellish or create a false impression of what you can deliver.
The bottom line is that the average tourist is looking for a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so
tell them how you can give it to them.
Design hints and tips
If you do not have a big budget for brochures, you can design it yourself, but it must look
good and make a potential customer want to pick it up and read it. Factors to consider are:
1. Format: No matter how big, small or how many pages your brochure has, the most
important point is that one can scan it quickly for the information one needs
2. Don't be too creative about the brochure size. They're often put into brochure
stands next to a hundred others, so stick to the standard size: 100mm x 210mm
3. Use fresh, eye-catching colours, but don't go overboard
4. Include good quality photos and images that highlight your product or service.
Make sure you have permission to use and reproduce these. If necessary, you may
want to include a map to give people an idea of where you are
5. Make the sure the font can be read easily
Source: SATSA
For more information on how to start or grow your tourism business, visit the 'Tourism'
category on the SME Toolkit at http://southafrica.smetoolkit.org.