Beyond the prize: Why tourism rewards work better when they support exploration
- Andrew Applebaum
- il y a 2 jours
- 5 min de lecture
A tourism rewards app can be a powerful tool for a destination when it guides visitors through local businesses and hidden gems. Rather than acting as a standalone prize draw, these campaigns often create a stronger impact when they tie incentives directly to exploration. This approach can help destinations move visitors beyond high-traffic areas and support a wider range of local partners.
The shift from prizes to participation
I have noticed a common pattern when talking with destination marketing leaders about gamification. There is often excitement about the prize, but less focus on the path. Many campaigns rely on incentives that reward a simple sign-up or a social media post. While that might increase download numbers in the short term, it rarely changes how a visitor actually spends their time in your destination.
The real opportunity for a DMO is using a tourism rewards app to help shape visitor movement. When rewards are tied to physical discovery, they can become a tool for dispersal. You are providing a reason for someone to drive a bit further down the road to a community or business they might have otherwise bypassed.
How rewards support visitor dispersal
The most effective rewards campaigns are often those that reinforce the behaviors a destination team actually wants to see more of. If your goal is to support local businesses across an entire region, your rewards should ideally require check-ins at multiple points of interest.
Bruce County demonstrated this well with their Explore the Bruce initiative. Rather than a generic contest, they ran a gamified exploration campaign that offered region-branded rewards like hats and stickers. This approach helped them achieve over 18,000 visits and 1,300 downloads, all without needing to add extra staff to manage the daily logistics.
This suggests that regional tourism can grow deeper when there is a balance between discovery and incentive. For other destinations, the payoff will still depend on how well the rewards reflect the local brand and how actively the campaign is promoted to visitors.
Strategic comparison: Disconnected vs. Integrated Rewards
Caractéristique | Generic Prize Draw | Exploration-Based Rewards |
Primary Action | Online entry or sign-up | Physical visit or check-in |
Local Impact | May stay purely digital | Can drive physical foot traffic |
Visitor Behavior | Often static | Encourages movement through the region |
Partner Value | Partners may not be visited | Partners can gain direct visibility |
Common mistakes in Rewards design
One common mistake is making the ask too disconnected from the place. If a visitor can earn a reward without ever interacting with a local business or a historical site, the campaign may miss its potential to support the local economy.
Another pitfall is a complex redemption process. If a visitor has to jump through too many hoops, the momentum of the trip can be lost. The best rewards feel like a natural part of the journey.
What to consider avoiding when planning
Rewards with no location requirement: Incentives that can be claimed without visiting a site do little to support local partners.
Complex rules: If a visitor finds it difficult to understand how to earn points, they may be less likely to participate.
Static participation: Ensuring points can be earned at various types of locations (retail, nature, heritage) can help keep the experience interesting.
Where this approach works best (and where it doesn't)
This strategy often works well when you have a defined route, a series of seasonal stops, or a collection of local businesses that could benefit from more visibility. It is particularly relevant for:
Regional Trails: Encouraging visitors to see a full circuit of stops.
Seasonal Activations: Giving people a reason to visit during the shoulder season.
Shop Local Campaigns: Providing a digital passport experience for downtown cores.
However, this model may be less effective if your destination lacks a cluster of points of interest or if your primary goal is purely high-level brand awareness rather than in-destination engagement. If a visitor cannot reasonably reach multiple stops in a single trip, a high-threshold reward system might lead to lower participation.
Making the campaign measurable for stakeholders
One of the biggest pressures tourism leaders face is reporting back to boards and municipal partners. A reward or coupon management app should provide more than just impressions.
When rewards are tied to check-ins, it can be easier to understand visitor flow. You can see which businesses are being visited and which communities might need more marketing support. This data is helpful when making the case for future budgets or showing local operators the value of their partnership with the DMO.
Key takeaway: Rewards are often most useful when they act as a guide, not just a gift. Use them to reinforce the visitor path you want to create, supporting local discovery and partner visibility along the way.
Foire aux questions
Q: How much staff time does it take to manage a rewards campaign?
A: The administrative load depends on your platform, but some tools are designed to handle the heavy lifting. Bruce County managed their regional campaign with no extra staffing by using automated check-ins and clear redemption instructions.
Q: What kind of rewards work best for regional tourism?
A: Items that reinforce local pride or enhance the trip often perform well. Branded apparel or local vouchers can provide enough incentive to encourage that extra stop. The key is making sure the reward feels relevant to the destination.
Q: Do we need to offer expensive prizes to get participation?
A: Not necessarily. Participation is often driven by the experience and the sense of discovery as much as the value of the prize. Small, meaningful local items can be very effective in some regions.
Q: How do we prove value to our board members?
A: By using check-ins instead of just sign-ups, you can report on engagement at specific locations. This allows you to show which businesses or regions benefited directly from the campaign, making your reporting much more concrete.
Q: What if our businesses are spread far apart?
A: In large regions, you can group rewards by zones or smaller trails. This can help make participation feel achievable for visitors who might only be in one part of your destination for the day.
Take the next step in your destination strategy!
If your team is planning a seasonal campaign or a regional trail, Driftscape can help turn those plans into a mobile-friendly experience. By using Driftscape Points and Rewards features, you can design a program that supports local partner visibility and provides the engagement data your stakeholders need.
About the author: Andrew Applebaum is a digital tourism expert at Driftscape who helps destinations, BIAs, museums, and tourism teams create self-guided visitor experiences rooted in local stories. He writes about practical ways to improve visitor engagement, support local businesses, and make tourism initiatives easier to launch and manage.
View Andrew’s profile and connect on LinkedIn.
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