How Leaning into Uniqueness Transforms Your Destination's Tourism Strategy: A Creative Overview in Authentic Destination Marketing

Originally published by Liza Graves , founder of StyleBlueprint,

Travel, for me, is about connection.

As the founder of StyleBlueprint, a digital publication reaching millions of readers annually, I receive nearly 1,000 pitches each week. Yet few stand out — most tell stories of sameness rather than uniqueness.

The way people travel has fundamentally changed since 2020. Today's travelers seek authentic connections with the places they visit, craving experiences that feel personal and deeply rooted in local culture. Research shows that 71% of travelers want their spending to directly benefit the communities they visit. This shift has given rise to a new kind of tourism – one where visitors don't just pass through, but genuinely engage with a destination's unique character. These hyperlocal experiences not only support small businesses but also help preserve and celebrate what makes each community distinct.

To illustrate how destinations can leverage their distinct character, I've created two fictional wine festival concepts (I promise you will enjoy reading these and they will spark ideas!) that showcase how leaning into what makes your town different can transform your tourism strategy. The festivals aren't the point – they're just the vehicle to demonstrate how any town can turn its unique attributes into unforgettable experiences. ??

Wine Festivals That Lean Into Your Town’s Unique Story

When it comes to creating memorable experiences with tourism, the magic is in the details. The towns that lean into their unique branding will always win.

Instead of “let’s have a wine festival!”, consider how that wine festival can be different than any other one that exists and how that difference coexists with your town branding.

Here are two fictional examples of unique wine festivals that I created to illustrate exactly what I mean. One is in a town known for quilting, Hamilton, Missouri, and the other is one where I went all nerdy, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

"Quilts & Vines: Hamilton's Patchwork Wine Festival" - Hamilton, Missouri

For example, if Hamilton, Missouri, the quilting capital of America, held a wine festival, how fun would it be if there was a quilting theme?!

Let's call it "Quilts & Vines: Hamilton's Patchwork Wine Festival."

The concept would blend Missouri wine culture with quilting themes:

The venue setup would feature "quilt blocks" - different themed areas laid out like a giant quilt pattern across the festival grounds, each offering different experiences. Bonus point for some drone video that captures this from above!

• The Tasting Blocks are where Missouri wineries would set up in pavilions decorated with specific quilt patterns. Each winery's space would feature the actual quilt pattern it's themed after, creating a visual connection between Missouri's wine and quilting heritage.
• The Pattern & Pour Workshop Area would combine crafting and wine tasting. Attendees could do simple quilting projects while enjoying wine. Think small projects like coasters or wine bottle bags using traditional patterns.
• The Heritage Square would showcase both quilting and Missouri wine history, with demonstrations from Missouri Star Quilt Company artisans and presentations from regional winemakers.
• The ‘Pieced Together’ Marketplace would feature vendors selling quilting supplies and wine-related items, creating interesting crossover products like quilted wine totes or pattern-inspired wine labels.

To make it uniquely Hamilton:

• Partner with Missouri Star Quilt Company for exclusive festival patterns
• Feature local food vendors serving "patchwork picnic" style meals
• Create special edition wine glasses featuring classic quilt patterns
• Host "Square & Sip" social areas with quilting-themed photo opportunities

Final thoughts on this Hamilton, MO, wine festival

Do you think this wine festival will garner more UGC (user-generated content) than a typical wine festival? YES.

Will this wine festival draw the ideal visitor to Hamilton, which will draw them back again and again? YES.

Will this festival organically grow year over year and provide marketers with an ideal persona to go after? YES.

Yes to all of it.

Next, let’s look at the fictional "Algorithm & Ales: Where Academia Meets Oenology" in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Now, let’s create a nerdy wine festival in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the home of MIT and Harvard. We’ll call it "Algorithm & Ales: Where Academia Meets Oenology" with the tagline "Calculate Your Perfect Pour"

For signature experiences, I asked Claude/ai to come up with five signature experiences:

#1: The Golden Ratio Wine Bar

• Wine glasses designed to golden ratio proportions
• Perfect pour demonstrations using mathematical principles
• Interactive displays showing how the golden ratio appears in wine bottle and glass design
• Wine flight portions calculated using phi (1.618...)

#2: The Fibonacci Tasting Room

• Progressive tasting flights following the Fibonacci sequence
• 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8 oz pours of different wines (we might have too many overly served people with this one!)
• Spiral-shaped tasting bar reflecting the Fibonacci spiral
• Wine storage displays arranged in Fibonacci patterns

#3: The Probability Parlor

• Mathematical wine gambling games using probability theory
• Blind tasting challenges with statistical analysis
• "Monte Carlo" method wine selection algorithm
• Professional sommeliers explaining wine selection through probability trees

#4: The Academic Quarter (Paper Presentations)

• TED-style talks about wine chemistry
• Research presentation happy hours
• Wine options paired with different academic disciplines
• "Peer review" tasting sessions

#5: The Chess & Wine Lounge

• Tournament-style chess setups with wine pairings
• AI vs Human chess matches with victory toasts
• Chess-piece-shaped wine glasses
• Strategy-based wine selection games

Let’s dig deeper, as this was fun to explore:

Interactive Elements:

• "Calculate Your Perfect Wine" algorithm stations
• Digital "Wine Matrix" recommendation system
• Machine learning wine preference predictor
• AR displays showing the molecular structure of wines

Educational Components:

• "Wine Chemistry 101" mini-lectures
• Statistical analysis of wine preferences
• Mathematical modeling of fermentation processes
• Historical mathematics of winemaking

Special Touches:

• Custom periodic table of wine elements
• Binary code wine bottle labels
• Equation-based scoring for wine ratings
• Mathematical theorem-named wine cocktails

Do you see how these wine festivals are so much more fun than just “Let’s have a wine festival to attract visitors!”?

They actually pull in tourists with a specific interest who are likely to come back over and over again and meet like-minded people as well. AND, you’ll likely get visitors who also enjoy wine festivals and are keen to go to ones that stand out for the experience.

Both of these examples lend themselves to editorial writeups, plenty of social media mentions, and happy local businesses.

Tips for destinations when planning events that will benefit the community and resonate with potential visitors:

• Partner with local businesses, artisans, and cultural leaders. Co-hosting events like food festivals or art walks can draw visitors (and increase revenue) while strengthening community ties.
• Tell real stories from locals and visitors. Authentic stories resonate deeply, especially in a world filled with increasingly generic and ad-heavy marketing.
• Use geo-targeting to reach people nearby who are actively looking for things to do. This method is simple and effective and ensures you’re reaching the right people. Don’t just market to people who are 300 miles away — there are plenty of people nearby who will attend, and if they enjoy themselves, they will serve as marketing megaphones for future events, drawing in visitors from further away.
• Highlight hidden gems on social media. Only locals know about tucked-away coffee shops or scenic trails, so showcasing these treasures helps people feel like they’re discovering something extra special. As someone who has been tracking reader engagement for over 16 years on StyleBlueprint, the hidden gems are always the ones that readers enjoy reading about the most!

But it doesn’t end when your visitors go home. The key to making sure they come back and become advocates is to keep providing those hyperlocal experiences they can’t get anywhere else, and stay connected with them after the trip ends.

• Create tailored itineraries for specific interests like food, history, or outdoor adventures and highlight them on social media and your website.
• Host unique, smaller events throughout the year that make visitors feel like insiders, like behind-the-scenes brewery tours, or meet-the-artist sessions. Market these at your signature event(s).
• Use digital marketing products to continue to be in front of visitors who visit these festivals and market to them after they leave.
• Partner with niche publications to tell your story (yes, a plug for StyleBlueprint here!).
• Ask for feedback and share visitor testimonials. It makes them feel valued and gives you authentic stories to share. And, when there is really terrible feedback, either learn from it or laugh at it. For example, if your town is small and someone found it too boring and it was so quiet that they could hear the birds chirping all day long, well, add that into your branding. “XYZ town was so boring, it’s like all they want you do is sit in a hammock, listen to the stream, and be annoyed by birds chirping all day.” - Put that out there, and you’ll be flooded with people seeking that exact experience.
• Again, lean into what makes you unique, and you’ll attract your perfect visitors with aligned expectations.

Tourism, at its best, connects you to places, people, and stories. At StyleBlueprint, travel for places throughout the South is our bread and butter (or biscuit and jam). We’ve seen firsthand how intentional strategy and partnership lead to meaningful growth. If you’re ready to tell your community’s story authentically and impactfully, let’s connect. We have the resources to make it happen.

At StyleBlueprint, we shine working with travel destinations to uncover your unique story to share with our readers.

Ready to Transform Your Destination's Story?

At StyleBlueprint, we've spent over 16 years helping Southern destinations connect with engaged travelers. Let's explore how we can help tell your community's unique story.

Connect with me:

Liza Graves

StyleBlueprint.com