How Do You Create a Tourism Website That Travellers Actually Want to Visit?

April 26, 2017 | 3 minute read

A tourism website that travellers actually want to visit doesn’t just list attractions—it helps people imagine their trip and feel confident planning it. The real purpose of a tourism site is to inspire, inform, and guide visitors toward taking action, whether that’s booking, calling, or saving your destination to their travel plans. To do that well, you need a clear plan for who you’re targeting, what they care about, and how your content will move them from “just browsing” to “excited to visit.” When you treat your tourism website like a carefully mapped trip—planned, written, and presented with your ideal traveller in mind—it becomes a powerful tool for attracting more visitors to your region.

🔍 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What makes a good tourism website?

A good tourism website is easy to navigate, visually inspiring, and clearly organized around the needs of travellers. It helps visitors understand what your region offers, how to plan a trip, and what to do next.

2. Why is planning so important before building a tourism website?

Planning helps you define who your ideal visitors are, what they're looking for, and how your website can answer their questions. Without planning, it's easy to create a pretty site that doesn't actually convert interest into visits.

3. What content should a tourism website include?

Strong tourism sites include clear descriptions of experiences, attractions, and amenities; helpful trip-planning information; maps or itineraries; and obvious calls-to-action like "Book now," "Plan your trip," or "Contact us."

4. How can I make my tourism website more user-focused?

Write with your traveller in mind: their questions, concerns, and dreams. Use simple navigation, clear headings, and content that speaks directly to the kinds of trips they want to take, whether it's family travel, outdoor adventure, or cultural experiences.

5. Can a small region or destination still compete online?

Yes. Even smaller regions can stand out with a clear message, focused content, and a website that's structured around the visitor's journey—from discovering your destination to becoming a repeat traveller.

Just like your tourist region, your tourism website needs to make users fall in love with it so they’ll keep coming back.

How To Create Tourism Websites To Attract Visitors

For most businesses a website is a storefront. For your Ontario tourist region, your website offers the first glimpse into what your destination has to offer. Whatever amenities your region boasts, it’s easy to get caught up in creating a stellar final product that allows your region to sell itself. But focusing the final product omits one important element: the tourists you’re trying to attract to your website.

Follow These 3 Steps When You Create Tourism Websites

Treat your tourism website with the same care your prospective tourists treat their travel planning. Plan, write, then present your website. It's their first glimpse of your region and keep your content user focused.

Planning: Let’s face it, no one likes to plan. The planning stage is the most often overlooked phase of tourism website creation. The planning stage is when you need to sit down and really think about who you’re trying to attract to your website, who they are and what they want from your tourism region and your website.
Writing: Writing for your website can be hard work. However, planning makes writing content for your website easier. It allows you to hone in on exactly what you need to write and for whom: the prospective tourists you want to attract to your region.
Presenting: This is the fun part. Once you have a plan you can create a user experience that keeps prospective tourists on your website because they’re satisfied, trusting, and, most of all excited, to visit.

You know your Ontario tourist region has plenty to offer prospective tourists. The best way to reflect that in your tourism website is to plan, write, and present your region in a way that turns prospective tourists into return travellers.