The most successful communities start with clear goals, local insights, and a strategy that supports both residents and visitors. A great plan guides smart investment, improves quality of life, and strengthens your local economy—doing exactly what civic leaders work hard to achieve. Below is a practical, from-scratch roadmap built for city planners, economic developers, and tourism directors.
At Destination by Design, we partner with civic leaders across the U.S. to plan, build, and promote vibrant places. Our services include community branding, trail and park planning, wayfinding planning, signage design, and destination marketing- all aimed at boosting quality of life and economic vitality. Looking to move your community forward? View services and contact us today.
Start With a Clear Vision for Your Community
Before talking amenities, attractions, or marketing tactics, your team needs clarity on why tourism matters for your community. A tourism development plan should align with long-term economic development goals while honoring what makes your place special.
Identify What You Want Tourism to Accomplish
Tourism can:
- Increase local revenue and sales tax collections
- Support local small businesses
- Boost downtown activity
- Encourage private sector investment
- Strengthen community identity
- Improve outdoor recreation assets
A vision anchored in economic resilience gives your plan direction—and helps rally community support.
Analyze Your Current Tourism Assets & Gaps
A smart tourism development plan is grounded in real data. You can’t promote assets you don’t have.
Take Inventory of Existing Assets
This includes:
- Parks, greenways, and trail systems
- Downtown districts
- Historic and cultural assets
- Festivals and recurring events
- Scenic views, water access, or natural features
- Signature attractions
Identify Gaps and Opportunities
Maybe visitors struggle to find parking, or your trail network lacks connectivity. Maybe your downtown needs stronger branding or better wayfinding signage. Destination by Design often finds that communities underestimate how small improvements—such as new kiosks, refreshed branding, or upgraded trailheads—can drastically improve the visitor experience.
Engage the Community Early and Often
Public input is one of the most valuable components of a tourism development plan. Residents, business owners, and civic leaders often know what’s working and what’s missing long before the data shows it.
Use Tools That Build Trust
This includes:
- Community forums
- Community surveys
- Stakeholder workshops
- Focus groups with downtown merchants and hospitality partners
- Online engagement platforms
A transparent engagement process yields a plan that people feel proud of—and excited to support.
Strengthen Your Community’s Brand Identity
Tourism development and community branding go hand in hand. A compelling brand gives people a reason to visit, stay longer, and tell their friends.
Build a Brand That Reflects Your Story
Your brand should highlight:
- What your community stands for
- What makes it distinct
- How it looks, feels, and communicates
Destination by Design’s branding agency team helps communities translate their identity into logos, taglines, color palettes, typography, imagery, and messaging that show up consistently on signage, digital platforms, visitor guides, and more.
When it comes to tourism development, brand clarity is often the difference between being overlooked and becoming a must-visit destination.
Prioritize Wayfinding, Recreation, and Infrastructure Investments
Tourism isn’t built on marketing alone. It’s built on the physical features that make a place enjoyable and accessible.
Wayfinding & Signage
A cohesive wayfinding system improves visitor movement, increases spending downtown, and raises community pride. Strategic signage leads visitors to assets they might otherwise miss.
Parks, Trails & Outdoor Assets
Communities with beautiful parks, greenways, and trail networks have a competitive advantage. These assets extend visitor stays and create year-round tourism.
Downtown Revitalization
Vibrant downtowns naturally attract travelers. Strengthening lighting, sidewalks, plazas, public art, and gathering spaces supports both residents and the visitor economy.
Align Funding, Partnerships, & Implementation Steps
Even the best plan fails without a roadmap for getting it done. Clear implementation is where strategic tourism planning becomes real change.
Identify Funding Opportunities
- State and federal grants
- Tourism development authorities
- Public-private partnerships
- Local budgets
- Trails and recreation funding programs
Prioritize Projects
Break your plan into short-term, mid-term, and long-term investments so decision-makers can take action efficiently.
Work With Experts Who Understand Tourism + Economic Development
Tourism development isn’t just about attracting visitors—it’s a strategy for economic resilience and community pride. Destination by Design combines planning, engineering, design, and destination marketing under one roof to help communities:
- Strengthen their identity
- Improve visitor navigation
- Build destination-quality parks and trails
- Revitalize downtown districts
- Promote what makes their place special
Our multidisciplinary team helps civic leaders nationwide build tourism development plans that boost local economies and improve quality of life.
If you’re ready to create a tourism plan that truly moves your community forward, we’re here to help.
Request a Proposal
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bring your vision to life.
