How to work with Visitor Information Centres to promote your tour business 

For a lot of tourists, a Visitor Information Centre is the first point of contact at their destination. A lot of operators will distribute brochures, flyers, and posters to these centres in the hope of attracting tourists’ attention. But are you making the most of your local centre? Here's how to do it. 

Visitor Information Centres don’t just provide information to tourists. Their job is to help visitors have the best possible experience during their stay. They provide tourists with free information on the best attractions, accommodations, tours, activities, and more. They can initiate bookings for accommodations, tours, and transportations.  

In Australia, centres are run by either the state or local government or managed tourism operator associations on behalf of the government.

How to work with Visitor Information Centres in your area 

Because they provide booking and referral services for hotel accommodations, tours, activities, and transportations, connecting with your local centre is a top priority. 

Submit every bit of information they need about your business. Discuss your brochure and flyer distribution options and make sure they always have plenty of brochures to giveaway to tourists.  

If you have a booking system, you can create an account for the centre to access and make bookings on visitors’ behalf. Centres often prefer operators with booking systems, as it makes their job easier. Plus, it makes it easier to manage their commissions. Make sure your booking system allows this feature!

Set the commission for them and make sure you pay the right amount every time. Create a commission report for transparency to eliminate the risk of disputes.  

Visitor Information Centres can be a goldmine for tourism operators to expand their reach. If you want to increase bookings, you need to tap this distribution channel so you can optimise every opportunity.  

Tackle It Today: Want to connect with your local Visitor Information Centre? Check out Australia.com for a comprehensive list of accredited Visitor Information Centres.