A,B,C, Tourist Info, 1,2,3.

I went to a lot of tourist information offices in the Czech Republic this year, and developed a bit of a love/hate relationship with them. Some were absolutely wonderful, other times getting an answer to even the simplest of questions was like getting commonsense from a bureaucrat.

The thing that bothers me most about the mediocre places is that they don’t understand what an opportunity they’re passing up.

The opportunity to create a good impression of their city and country, the opportunity to deepen visitors’ appreciation for their locations, and the opportunity to encourage their visitors to stay longer. Or at least to provide them with the information they need to make the decision to stay longer.

I say that because I think, even though foreign tourists have been coming here freely for almost 20 years, the Czech Republic remains drastically underrated and underappreciated. Most people only go to Prague. Some will make a daytrip to Kutná Hora or Karlštejn. Others might go to Český Krumlov or Karlovy Vary as well, but for 90% of foreign visitors that’s it. That’s all they think is worth seeing.

I think the misconception is caused mostly by lack of information or reassurance. “I’ve never met anyone who’s been to Litomyšl”, “Olomouc, never heard of it, why would I go there?”, “I don’t think Liberec is in my guidebook”.

And it’s reinforced every time travellers talk to each other, because nobody wants to think they missed out. Someone who spends one night in a place will always say “one night is enough”, someone who spends two will always say “two nights is ideal”, someone who only goes to Prague will say “just go to Prague and do a daytrip to the bone church”.

Assuming most other places would like to attract more visitors, how should they go about it? The traditional way is by going to travel expos, directing print or television ads towards a target audience, and inviting travel journalists in for all-expenses-paid weekends. But who takes notice of glossy ads and expense account journos anymore? People are much more likely to listen to friends or acquaintances, sometimes even random strangers.

And there’s the opportunity. The goal of a tourist information office should be to do everything possible to make sure their visitors, however few or many, have such a wonderful stay that they want to go away and spread the word without being asked.

So when a tourist does somehow wander in to a tourist information office in an underappreciated destination, the opportunity that presents itself is tremendous.

It's an opportunity not only to give visitors the information they need, but also information they didn’t know they needed, and anything and everything else they might use to enhance their stay. An opportunity to send visitors away surprised and delighted about the place they’ve ‘discovered’ and just itching to tell everyone they meet and all their friends at home. An opportunity to create willing and able voluntary ambassadors.

Once a tourist information office comprehends that opportunity, what can they do to seize it? Easy. Pay attention to three things. Staff, surroundings and information. Every Czech tourist information office I’ve ever been to (expect one) could improve at least two of those.

Here’s what they should do.

Hire staff capable of realizing that tourists and other visitors are their clients.
The same staff should also be capable of showing interest in their clients, without coming across as shallow. The staff shouldn’t only have answers for clients but also a few questions like “What would you like to see and do while you are here? How long will you be in town? Where have you just come from? Where are you going next? Do you know that the second oldest/tallest/deepest/weirdest…in Europe is 10km from here? Do you know about the concert at the university tomorrow night? Have you ever taken a boat ride along an underground river?

Provide lots and lots of information. Provide all the information and when that’s done, seek out more. But organize it and make it easy to get to. Clients shouldn’t have to line up to ask for it. Have it in folders or on posters, or use modern technology; big screen slideshows of local attractions, especially the lesser known ones and the interiors of prominent buildings, use computers and have digital databases of everything searchable by category. Smoking, non-smoking, vegetarian, kosher, wheelchair access, ruined, restored, open on Mondays, child friendly, suitable for rainy days….and so on. And a printer.

Turn the tourist information office into a tourist information lounge; encourage visitors/clients to linger long enough to absorb all this information they didn’t know they were missing out on. Free tea and coffee would be good. Local music, documentaries, films playing gently in the background. Sofas, armchairs and some tables to sit at, write and make notes too, if space permits. If space doesn’t permit, find more space. Internet access and baggage lockers would bring extra clients through the doors. So might a travellers’ bulletin board of upcoming events. Maybe even a Laundromat? Free walking tours. A taste of the local specialty, anyone?

Seems obvious, doesn’t it? Or doesn’t it? Are there actually good reasons I don’t know about for tourist information offices not to do things this way? I thought about cost and space, but you’d save on all those expensive ads, and getting rid of those unsellable souvenirs and those big desks that the current staff hide behind would free up some floorspace…

If tourist information in your town, state or country suddenly became your responsibility, what changes would you make…?

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