Word-of-mouth remains the most trusted form of advertising—89% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family above all other forms of advertising (Nielsen). But for byway leaders, the question is:
Do you know what travelers are actually saying about your byway?
Are visitors able to safely navigate the route and find the places that tell your story?
Are restrooms, food, and fuel easy to locate? Do travelers leave wanting to return, and do they encourage others to visit?
Byway communities invest too much time and money to assume everything is working as intended. The best companies consistently gather and use customer feedback to improve their products. Byways should do the same, but limited time and budgets can make that challenging.
Fortunately, there are cost-effective ways to gather meaningful visitor feedback that can:
- Improve the quality of the visitor experience.
- Strengthen corridor management planning.
- Support successful grant applications.
- Ultimately, help grow visitation and community support.
Smart Ways to Collect Visitor Feedback
You don’t need a big budget to get started. Here are several low-cost, high-impact strategies:
1. Surveys
Use tools like SurveyMonkey or Google Forms to create a short online survey (5–10 questions). These can be used to monitor visitor satisfaction, evaluate grant-funded projects, or collect data to support funding requests.
Distribution Ideas:
- Post the survey link on your website, social media, or mobile app.
- Email it to travelers who have requested information.
- Display QR codes at visitor centers, kiosks, or popular sites.
- Ask local partners to share on their platforms.
Offer an Incentive:
A small giveaway, like a gift card drawing, can boost participation.
2. Social Media & Online Reviews
Monitor what travelers say in the comments and in online reviews. Look for patterns—both positive and negative—to better understand what’s working and what’s not.
3. Observation
Recruit volunteers to observe visitor behavior at popular stops.
- Are people reading interpretive panels or skipping them?
- Is parking adequate?
- Are visitors finding the trailhead, restrooms, or photo ops with ease?
4. Front-Line Hospitality Staff Feedback
Interview or survey those who interact with travelers daily, such as visitor center staff, restaurant servers, retail clerks, hotel staff, or park rangers.
Ask questions like:
- What type of information are visitors asking for?
- What’s confusing them?
- What seems to surprise or delight them most?
Ready to Better Understand Your Travelers?
Corridor Solutions can help you design surveys, train volunteers, and interpret feedback to inform your planning, improve your visitor experience, and support your next grant application. Contact us to get started.
