We’ve just come back from two weeks of traveling, which made me think about why tourists make such great customers:  they are relaxed about spending money, they’re excited about seeing things for the first time, and they consider shopping to be part of the travel experience.  Are you doing all you  can to capture this market?

Some businesses are situated in such a way that tourists can’t help but stop in — the most famous being attractions that force visitors to exit through the gift shop. If you were excited to hear that there was a movie by that name (Exit Through the Gift Shop, 2010),  I hope you weren’t disappointed to find that it really didn’t have anything to do with retailing. The movie is about the infamous street artist Banksy, whose work is, incidentally, now available as a line of greeting cards from Full Color Black.

The last business we visited on our recent trip was the Blue Lagoon in Iceland, a unique geothermal spa that was formed following the construction of a plant for the Suðurnes Regional Heating Corporation.  As we were leaving, relaxed after bobbing around in six million liters of geothermal seawater, there was that infamous sign: Exit through the gift shop.

And if we missed our chance to buy spa products on our way out, there was another chance in the ultimate exit point, the airport. (The photo accompanying today’s blog is from another attractive shop in the Iceland airport.)  Both of these shops were selling Scandinavian products, but more what is more important is the fact that they were selling a physical way to take home and share the experience of visiting Scandinavia.

What products represent the experience of visiting your area?  Gone is the day when adding the name of a tourist attraction to dozens of identical items qualified these knick-knacks as good souvenirs.  It does, however, still work to add a good image of your area to a custom item, even if it isn’t make locally. You can also select a product with art work that represents your area. New technology makes this kind of souvenir creation financially feasible, as well as the printing of low runs of picture postcards.  There is no reason why you shouldn’t offer postcards if you have any visitors to your area.

Be sure to look to regional crafts people and small manufacturers for locally produced merchandise. It’s easy to add a “Made in ___ “ label using your store computer, if the goods aren’t already labeled this way. And don’t forget to put a sign near your local merchandise to make it easy for visitors to find.

There is a saying that a good souvenir is something you can’t buy at home, and is reasonably priced.  The very word “souvenir” comes from the Old French for to remember, so I would add that it needs to be something that recalls the experience you’ve had on your trip.  What images, and products, can you offer to visitors that allows them to take home something of your area?

Even if your shop is not at the exit point of a major attraction, you shouldn’t dismiss the value of the tourist dollar.  We did most of our souvenir shopping in small local grocery stores in both Denmark and Iceland — and were pleased to find Danish honey and chocolate, and Icelandic socks, cookies and knitting wool that will help us remember this truly memorable trip.

Happy Retailing,

Carol “Orange” Schroeder