Creating a Visitors Guide map is an excellent way to help people explore your area, whether it's a neighborhood, city, or region. A well-crafted Visitors Guide not only highlights key attractions but also enhances the overall experience by providing valuable information in an accessible format. In this post, we'll walk you through the process of creating an engaging and informative Visitors Guide map using Proxi, complete with tips and examples to inspire you.

What is a Visitors Guide and Why They’re Important

A Visitor's Guide is a curated collection of information about a specific area, designed to help tourists and locals alike navigate and enjoy their surroundings. These guides typically include points of interest, restaurants, hotels, and other attractions. Visitor's Guides are crucial because they:

• Enhance the visitor experience by providing relevant and useful information.
• Promote local businesses and attractions.
• Help visitors plan their trips effectively, ensuring they don't miss out on key highlights.
• Foster a sense of community by showcasing the unique aspects of an area.

Common Use Cases for a Visitor's Guide

• Downtown District Map
• Short Term Rental Area Guide
• Hotel Area Guides
• Visit Main Street Map
• Campus Map

Why Map Your Visitors Guide

While most visitor's guides are traditionally printed assets like booklets, brochures, and magazines, they can fall short in aiding visitors to navigate the local area efficiently. Mapping your Visitor's Guide introduces an added layer of interactivity and convenience. Digital maps allow visitors to pinpoint their location and make decisions based on proximity, plan their routes, and maximize their visit.‍

Core Features Of A Proxi Interactive Map:

Real-Time Location Tracking: Shows a visitor’s location on the map in real time, enabling them to find nearby attractions, plan routes, and get directions effortlessly.

Personalized Exploration: Includes interactive features like filters and categories, allowing visitors to tailor their exploration and find exactly what they’re looking for.

Rich Multimedia Support: Supports multimedia content such as photos, videos, and audio, showcasing what makes your area special and engaging visitors with immersive experiences.

Easy Updates: Can be easily updated as business and event information changes, with no coding required, ensuring that the guide is always current and accurate.

Mobile-Friendly Accessibility: Is mobile-friendly and readily accessible, making it convenient for all visitors to use on the go.

How to Build Your Visitors Guide with Proxi

Creating a visitor's guide shouldn't require technical expertise. With Proxi, destination marketing organizations and creators have all the tools they need to build dynamic and engaging maps. Proxi makes it easy to showcase the unique aspects of your destination and promote upcoming events, captivating and informing your audience.

Proxi understands that destinations are always evolving, so we make it easy to edit and update your map. Seamlessly embed your map directly on your website and social media, providing a compelling and accessible invitation for the world to explore your area. With Proxi, you can create a visually appealing and informative visitor's guide that adapts to the ever-changing nature of your destination. Let’s get started building your map, here's how in 5 steps: 

1. Create Your Base Map

Center Your Map Around Your Visitor Area: Start by choosing the geographic focus of your map, whether it’s a neighborhood, city, or region. Ensure the map is centered appropriately to cover all relevant points of interest.

Brand Your Map: Add your logo, give your map a catchy title, and select colors and background styles that reflect your brand or the theme of your guide. A visually appealing map attracts more viewers and provides a cohesive experience.

2. Add Categories and Tags

Before you start adding points, decide how you want to organize your map. Categories and tags act as filters that help users navigate your map efficiently. Consider common themes such as:

• Dining
• Attractions
• Accommodations
• Historical Sites
• Outdoor Activities
• Shopping

Pro Tip! Proxi has thousands of in-house icons to curate your categories with. However, You can also upload custom icons to really make your brand shine through. 

3. Add Points

Start populating your map with points! Each point can include detailed descriptions with rich text, photos, links, and multimedia content like video and audio to provide users with comprehensive information about the location. 

Pro Tps!

Bulk Add with Spreadsheets: If you have a large number of points to add, use a spreadsheet to upload them in bulk. This saves time and ensures consistency.

Use Search to Find Points: Proxi’s in-house search tool allows you to easily search and add points to your map. It's perfect for adding categories of points like "coffee shops" or pinpointing specific places like "Starbucks."

4. Advanced Settings & Customizations

Enhance your map with Proxi's advanced features:

Calls-to-Action: Make it easy for visitors to take the next step by adding custom calls-to-action on map points. Direct them to business websites, social media pages, and direct booking links with personalized buttons.

Events & Promotions: Promote local excitement by featuring events like fairs, exhibits, and sales. Highlight special promotions and participating businesses for extra engagement, and include coupons and special offers to attract visitors.

Lead Generation: Use map pop-ups to capture viewers' email addresses and grow your subscriber list, enabling you to keep in touch with your active audience.

Image Overlays: Personalize your map by adding images like stickers. These overlays can also serve as sponsorship opportunities, adding another layer of customization and potential revenue.

5. Share Your Map

Once your map is ready, share it with the world! 

Share Your Map Link on Social Media and Email Newsletters: Promote your map across social media platforms and through email newsletters to engage a broader audience and drive traffic to your map.

Embed Your Map on Your Website: Add the map directly into your website for easy access, ensuring your audience can find it where they're most likely to visit.

Include a Map QR Code on Print Media: Add a QR code linking to your map on flyers, postcards, and posters, giving people instant access with a simple scan.

Print Your Map for Paper Distribution: Create physical copies of your map for distribution as brochures or paper maps, providing a tangible guide for visitors to use on-the-go.

Examples of Visitors Guide Maps

Downtown Visitors Guide

Showcase all the best your downtown has to offer! With curated categories, visitors can find exactly what they’re looking for, grab directions, and start exploring. St. Michaels Tourism uses Proxi to highlight everything that makes their historic downtown unique, from charming boutiques to local eateries.

Specific Interest Visitors Guide

Create guides tailored to niche interests, perfect for foodies, history lovers, and more! Visit Vancouver Washington built a brewery guide to showcase the area's craft brewers and encourage visitors to embark on their Brewery Passport Challenge, offering a curated experience for beer enthusiasts.

Short-Term Vacation Rental Visitors Guide

Enhance the guest experience with personalized area guides. Print your map and Include the Proxi QR code in your guest book. Explore this map from the Chal-A-Frame House, which highlights top Vermont attractions and off-the-beaten-path spots only the locals know about.

Ideas to Take Your Visitors Guide Further with Passport Challenges 

Take your Visitors Guide to the next level by incorporating Passport Challenges! The Proxi Passport Challenge offers a dynamic and immersive experience, engaging participants in a unique community-driven adventure. This digital alternative to traditional stamped passport booklets not only encourages participation but also drives foot traffic and boosts revenue for local businesses. Elevate your Visitors Guide with this innovative feature and create unforgettable experiences for tourists and locals alike!

Proxi: Your Solution for Your Visitors Guide Map

Crafting an engaging visitor's guide map is effortless with Proxi. From highlighting key attractions to promoting local businesses and events, Proxi empowers you to curate a dynamic and immersive experience that captivates both tourists and locals alike. With features like real-time location tracking, personalized exploration options, and rich multimedia support, Proxi ensures your map is not only informative but also visually stunning and interactive.

But Proxi goes beyond maps; it's about fostering connections and driving engagement. With advanced settings like calls-to-action, events, promotions, and lead generation tools, you can transform your visitor's guide into a powerful marketing tool that drives foot traffic and boosts revenue for local businesses. Start building your map today with Proxi and showcase the best your area has to offer, creating unforgettable experiences for all who explore it.

Get Started with a Template!

Proxi offers templates to help you get started quickly and easily. These templates provide a solid foundation, allowing you to focus on adding your unique content and customizations.