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Blog / Beyond Locals: Platforms and Content Strategies To Reach Tourists

Beyond Locals: Platforms and Content Strategies To Reach Tourists

Capacity AUTHOR: Capacity
Aug 15, 2025
6 Min Read
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We spend a lot of time in the weeds of digital strategy for arts and culture organizations, and one of the most common marketing blind spots we see is this: not all of your ticket buyers live nearby. Some are flying in. Some are road-tripping. Some are booking from their hotel room the night before. Tourists (yes, even last-minute ones) are a crucial part of your potential audience. But is your marketing strategy built to reach them?

Whether you’re a major museum in a tourist hub or a theater festival in a charming small town, there are strategic ways to market to people visiting your community. We’re breaking down four advertising platforms and approaches that can help you connect with out-of-towners, turn curiosity into ticket sales, and make your venue a “must-see” experience for tourists.

Google Things to Do: Capture High-Intent Searches

If you’re only running paid search or Performance Max campaigns on Google, you’re missing out on one of the most tourism-optimized ad placements available: Google Things to Do (aka “Tickets & Tours” or Travel Ads).

These ads appear above traditional search ads and organic results when users search for phrases like:

  • “Things to do in [your city]”
  • “[Your attraction] tickets”
  • “Tours in [your city]”

That premium placement makes them especially valuable for targeting visitors actively looking for activities. What’s more, these ads often outperform traditional paid search in click-throughs, and they allow you to access pricier keywords you might otherwise avoid due to cost.

The catch? You’ll need to set up a product feed and work with a Google partner to run the campaign. Your events also need to occur at least 14 times to qualify.

  • Best for: Organizations with regular performances, events, or bookable experiences that tourists are likely to search for.
  • Pro tip: Use this format if you’re running into high CPCs on search and want a more prominent, tourism-friendly placement.

Location-Specific Creative: Make the Distance Feel Close

Sometimes, the key to reaching tourists isn’t just where you show up—it’s how you talk to them.

In campaigns for clients like the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, we’ve seen that ads that specifically mention the viewer’s city and how easy it is to get to the destination perform significantly better than more generic creative.

We’re talking:

  • “Just a 2-hour drive from Boston!”
  • “Hop a quick flight from L.A. to see this must-do experience.”

These campaigns often use flexible ad formats on Meta (Facebook/Instagram) that allow the algorithm to pick the best-performing creative for each viewer. In just three weeks, one city-targeted campaign drove 88 purchases and delivered a 100% ROI.

  • Best for: Regional destinations or cultural experiences with strong appeal beyond the immediate city.
  • Pro tip: Use city-targeted ad sets and test combinations of location + travel time/distance language. The more personalized, the better.

TripAdvisor Ads: Be There When Tourists Are Browsing

TripAdvisor is the definition of a tourism-first platform. And while it doesn’t offer the same granularity of targeting or tracking as other platforms, it can still help you get visibility among travelers looking for what to do in your area.

You’ve got two primary options here:

  1. Listing Boosters: These promote your TripAdvisor listing in search results—your listing gets more real estate and appears ahead of unsponsored results.
  2. Sponsored Placements: These allow you to upload image or video creative to run more traditional ad placements within TripAdvisor’s ecosystem.

A word of warning: metrics are limited. You’ll see impressions and clicks, but not true ROI* (and the click-through rate may be low, and comparable to what we used to see in old-school display-only CTRs). Because of the limited targeting capabilities, TripAdvisor ads are more comparable to a direct buy than a programmatic/behavioral option.

*It is possible to run programmatic campaigns using other ad networks that include travel sites such as TripAdvisor (purchases can be tracked in this scenario!).

TikTok Search Ads: Be Part of the Itinerary Planning

If you think TikTok is just for dance trends or Gen Z memes, think again.

TikTok is rapidly becoming one of the most powerful search engines for travel inspiration. According to a recent survey:

  • 60% of users say TikTok made them interested in visiting a new destination. 
  • 45% of millennials say they’ve traveled to a place they discovered on the app.
  • Nearly 30% of users say they’ve visited an attraction after seeing a TikTok about it.

Even better? The barrier to entry is low. You don’t need to hire influencers or create high-gloss video content. A simple, “normal, cute video” of your space—filmed on a phone—can be incredibly effective when paired with TikTok’s search campaign functionality (e.g., bidding on “Things to Do in [your city]”). Research by Adobe found that more than 60% of Gen Z Americans have used TikTok as a search engine.

  • Best for: Arts organizations with a photogenic space or immersive experience, especially those looking to reach Millennials and Gen Z.
  • Pro tip: Think like a tourist. Show the vibe, the visuals, and what makes your venue unique. Run the video as an ad targeted to city-specific travel searches.

A Tourist is Just a Click Away

When someone is planning a trip (or already in the car), they’re making decisions fast. Which show should they see? Which museum is worth their time? What’s close to their hotel?

Your digital ad presence can be the answer to that question.

By pairing platform-specific strategy with creative that speaks directly to out-of-town buyers, you can expand your reach, increase ROI, and make sure tourists choose your organization when they arrive.

Ready to turn tourists into ticket buyers? Let’s talk.

TOPIC: Digital Advertising

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