How do you make cash out of a ”virtual tourist”? You turn them into real ones. There is a wide range of free, hands-on tools you can use to visualize how an experience at your place would be long before your potential guest has actually thought of travelling somewhere. Long gone are the times when you had to produce expensive colour brochures for distribution by stoneage mail.

Getting new tourists to a destination is a question about bringing people from being more or less unaware of your existence to a true confidence in that your place is the best place to visit. Just a few years ago, you had to make a strategic marketing decision if you should briefly display your trademark to the mass market or penetrate certain target groups with in-depth information about your business. Today, you can kill two birds with one stone.

Google Earth
It´s estimated that about 400 million people use Google Earth - virtual flights to anywhere in the world. Or even space! Tempt them by adding your tours, place or destination. Don´t forget Google Earth Outreach.

Skype
IP-telecommunication invented by a Swede, Niklas Zennström, and Janus Friis. Let your clients call you for free from any internet-connected computer in the world! Skype-to-Skype video and voice calls are always free. You can also have free group chats and conference calls with up to 25 people on Skype. Excellent for sales support or just to keep in touch with your distributors worldwide.

Blog
Oh-my-God, is anyone still counting how many blogs there are? Technorati alone states they are tracking over 112 million blogs, a number which obviously does not include all the 72 million Chinese blogs as counted by The China Internet Network Information Center. Tease your clients with daily anecdotes from your tourism business. Or be the destination expert. Your choice. Software? WordPress is free.

YouTube
With 71 million unique users a month, YouTube is the 6th largest audience on the net. Connect with your guests in a personal and targeted way - at massive scale. Upload a trailer of your place or the best spots around. Here´s a low budget sample: Come to Sweden.  You can do it better.

Free radio & TV broadcasting
How about hosting your own radio- or TV show? There are lot´s of free software to produce and broadcast a documentary, debate, educational clips or pure entertainment directly from your place. Google “free broadcasting software” and pick one that suits your needs.

E-books
Why not become an author? E-publishing is free. Write a book about your place, be it the history, wildlife or nightlife you´re offering to guests. Write it by using Open Office and turn it into a bestseller by PrimoPDF or similar tools.

Good luck!

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