Delaware to rope in those tourists with new online travel guide

It could be Delaware’s most important marketing tool: the state travel guide, and the new one has just been unveiled. The economy and a reduced tourism marketing budget have Delaware officials saying this version of the guide is particularly important.

It could be Delaware’s most important marketing tool: the state travel guide, and the new one has just been unveiled. The economy and a reduced tourism marketing budget have Delaware officials saying this version of the guide is particularly important.

Listen:
[audio: reports20090324tour.mp3]

Because of a decline in statewide hotel bookings, the tourism office has less money to work with and it’s trying to attract people with less money to spend.

So how do you do that? Tourism officials hope a flashier, easier to carry travel guide with a much greater presence on the internet is the answer.

Delaware Director of Tourism Linda Parkowski: Seventy percent of travel is booked online so we needed something that was definitely user-friendly, web-based and interactive and that’s the difference with this guide.

The good news for Delaware is that even in this down economy, studies show people will still go on vacation, but that they’ll stay closer to home.

To take a look at the online guide, go to visitdelaware.com and click on “View e-guide.”