How Small Attractions Compete With Big Tourism Brands

You don’t need a massive budget or a global name to stand out in tourism. In fact, being smaller can be an advantage if you know how to use it.

We’ve worked with a lot of destinations and attractions over the years, and one thing keeps coming up: the places that succeed aren’t trying to compete head-on with bigger brands. They’re leaning into what makes them different and building from there.

Here’s how we approach it with clients.

Understand Your Real Position and Unique Offer

Before you do anything else, get clear on where you actually fit and what you offer that no one else can.

It sounds simple, but this is where a lot of attractions get stuck. It’s tempting to copy what larger brands are doing or smooth out your quirks to appeal to everyone. The problem is, that usually makes you easier to ignore.

If you’re working through this, here’s where we’d focus first:

• Look at the full landscape: Not just direct competitors, but any experience a visitor might choose instead of yours
• Name what makes you different: Your history, your people, your setting, your perspective
• Use research to guide decisions: Especially when it comes to partnerships and how visitors move through your region

When you’re clear on your role, your decisions get a lot easier. You stop chasing and start focusing.

Craft and Share a Brand Story That Feels Real

Your story doesn’t need to be flashy. It needs to feel honest and grounded in what you actually offer.

We’ve seen this firsthand in projects like the Travel Manitoba rebrand, where the strongest ideas came from listening to communities and reflecting what was already there. The result was a brand people could see themselves in. That’s always the goal.

Instead of asking “What sounds impressive?”, we ask:

• What feels true here?
• What would a visitor remember after they leave?
• What would locals be proud to share?

When your story comes from a real place, people connect with it more easily and carry it with them.

Use Partnerships to Grow Your Reach (Without Stretching Yourself Thin)

You don’t have to do everything on your own. In fact, you probably shouldn’t. Some of the most effective tourism strategies come from thoughtful collaboration. Not the kind where logos get grouped together, but the kind where experiences are built together.

We’ve explored this more deeply in our piece on collaboration in destination marketing, but the short version is this: the right partnerships make your offering stronger and more complete.

Partnerships can look like:

• Working with local food producers to create seasonal events
• Partnering with nearby attractions to build a full-day or weekend experience
• Coordinating messaging so visitors get a consistent, welcoming impression

There are also great real-world examples, like California’s agritourism networks, where collaboration has helped smaller operators stay visible and resilient over time.

The key is to be intentional. Choose partners who align with your values and your audience, and take the time to plan together.

Work With Creators Who Actually Get You

Influencer marketing can be a great tool, but only if it feels like a natural fit. It’s easy to focus on numbers, but what matters more is whether a creator understands your space and can share it in a way that feels genuine.

We’ve seen this play out in projects like Travel Manitoba, where working with a group of creators helped the story travel further and feel more grounded than traditional ads.

Here are a few things that make these partnerships actually work:

• Start with clear goals so everyone knows what success looks like
• Choose creators whose content already feels aligned with your experience
• Give them helpful context, not a script
• Pay attention to what resonates and adjust over time

When it works, it doesn’t feel like advertising. It feels like someone sharing something they genuinely enjoyed.

Show Up in the Right Places (Not Everywhere)

You don’t need to be on every platform or in every channel. You just need to show up consistently where it matters.

We usually guide clients to focus on a mix that makes sense for their audience. That might include social content, local media, on-site experiences and signage or community events and partnerships.

The important part is that it all feels connected. No matter where someone encounters your brand, it should feel like the same place.

Programs like the Recreation Economy for Rural Communities initiative are a good reminder that tourism works best when it’s tied to real community value, not just visibility.

Measure What Matters and Keep Adjusting

This part isn’t always the most exciting, but it’s what keeps everything moving forward. If you’re not checking what’s working, it’s hard to know where to focus your time and energy.

From our experience, it doesn’t need to be complicated. A few simple habits go a long way:

• Setting a few clear metrics for each campaign or partnership
• Gathering feedback from visitors and partners
• Looking for patterns over time, not just one-off results

You don’t need perfect data. You just need enough insight to make your next decision a little smarter than the last.

In Summary

Being a smaller attraction doesn’t put you at a disadvantage. It gives you room to be more thoughtful, more personal and more connected to your community.

When you focus on what makes you distinct, build strong relationships and share your story in a way that feels real, you create something people remember. And in tourism, that goes a long way.

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