Measuring How Communities Enhance the Visitor Experience
The Challenge
A regional tourism organization wanted to know if local businesses were enhancing—or detracting from—the visitor experience. Leadership suspected gaps in frontline behavior and cross-promotion.
Concerns:
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Do restaurant, retail, hotel, and attraction staff recommend other things to do nearby?
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Are any responses dismissive (e.g., “there’s nothing to do”)?
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Are hospitality basics (greeting, friendliness, knowledgeable answers) consistent?
The tourism center needed objective data to present at community meetings and to guide future training.
The Objective
Partner with Confero to:
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Measure friendliness, product knowledge, and local recommendation behavior.
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Establish a baseline for how well businesses promote their community.
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Deliver data-driven insights to shape training and encourage cross-promotion.
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Provide breakouts by geography and shop type for stakeholders.
Our Approach
New to mystery shopping, the organization worked with a Confero PM who guided setup for success:
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Program Design: Clear survey wording, role-specific scenarios.
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Customized Surveys: Tailored for hotels, restaurants, retailers, attractions.
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Community Prompt: Shoppers consistently asked, “What else would you recommend to do in the area?”
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Comprehensive Coverage: Shoppers dined, browsed, explored, and inquired across locations to capture real visitor moments.
The Results
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Missed Opportunities Identified: In 30%+ of shops, associates did not provide knowledgeable local recommendations.
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Targeted Training: Results pinpointed where to re-train, while positive examples became model behaviors.
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Actionable Reporting: Findings segmented by geography and business type gave a clear map of strengths and gaps.
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Community Impact: Insights supported refreshed training to boost staff confidence in promoting the region and increase cross-promotion.
The Success
Thus, the program uncovered actionable, community-wide insights and reinforced the value of cross-promotion—empowering local businesses to deliver a warmer, more informative visitor experience.
Key Takeaway
Confero helps tourism and hospitality organizations evaluate the broader visitor journey, not just single touchpoints. With tailored surveys and actionable reporting, communities strengthen service, promote local gems, and encourage repeat visits.
Learn more about Confero’s Restaurant & Hospitality Customer Experience Research Services.
