Provide a Short Guidebook of Things to See and Do in the Outer Banks
The Outer Banks happens to be one of the most fun and interesting places to live or take a vacation. There are always plenty of great things to see and do, but many of your guests might only know a smattering of activities in the area. If you want to provide them with an even better vacation, take the time to create a short “guidebook” that they can use to find things to do.
Creating the Guidebook
It is easier than you might think to create one of these guidebooks, and it is a good idea to have a digital version, which you can offer for a download, as well as a physical copy. A word processing program, such as MS Word, will provide you with all you need to create the book. You can add text, graphics, photos and more very easily, and the tools make putting it together a breeze. If you aren’t sure how to do it on your own, ask friends or family, or hire a freelancer to take care of it for you.
You can have the guidebooks printed out at a local printer, or you can print them out yourself if you have a decent high resolution printer. You will want to use a good printer so that any of the photos and graphics you have look great. Put the pages into plastic sleeves and then put them into a binder.
You can make just one of these for each property you own, but keep in mind that eventually, you will want to replace the pages because they may get worn or outdated. Replace the plastic sheets and the binder occasionally, as well. This is a nice and low cost option that is easy to maintain, but that your guests will truly appreciate.
What Should You Include?
What types of attractions should you consider adding to the guidebook? You will find that there are numerous things to do in the area, including some of the following. In addition to these places, be sure that you include the names, addresses, and websites of some of the local places to dine and to shop.
Places to Visit
The Airport Museum at the Dare County Regional Airport is a great place to visit for those who want to learn more about the history of aviation. After all, modern aviation began in this area, so it is certainly worth a trip.
The Lost Colony is a massive outdoor drama unlike anything you’ve seen before, and it is put on by the Roanoke Island Historical Association. It’s a very entertaining way to learn more about the mysterious disappearance of the first European settlers on Roanoke.
Those who like to get outdoors and enjoy nature, which is just about everyone who comes to the Outer Banks, will love visiting the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. It features more than 154,000 acres to explore, and your visitors are sure to want to bring a camera with them when they venture to the refuge. They can see a range of animals including black bears, alligators, and even red wolves. Plenty of hiking trails are available, as well as places to fish. Canoeing and kayaking is also available.
Unless you can keep up to date with all the prices for activities and attractions in the area, you may not want to put any prices on them. After all, the prices tend to change. Instead, you can provide the website address to the location so the guests can look up the latest pricing information on their own.
Visitors to the Outer Banks might also like to tour some of the many lighthouses in the area. These include Bodie Island Lighthouse and the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. Plenty of museums are in the area, as well. They can visit the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, the Frisco Native American Museum and Natural History Center, the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, and take a walk along the Civil War Trail.
These are just a handful of the locations and sights the area offers. The Outer Banks has something for everyone, so make sure you include many different types of destinations and activities when you are putting your guidebook together.
Talk to Local Businesses
Contact some of the local businesses, such as restaurants, for example. See if they might want to provide you with a coupon that you can place in your guidebook. Put any of the coupons that you have for locations on the last page in the book, and be sure to provide some scissors so the guests can cut them out and use them. Also, be sure you replace this coupon sheet each time that you have new guests coming to the property.
While some businesses might not want to do this, you should still be able to find some that understand what an added boon it can be for their business. After all, it never hurts to ask.
Two Types of Guidebooks
If you are feeling ambitious, you might want to consider having different types of guidebooks based on the sorts of guests that you will be expecting. For example, if you often cater to families, but you also have couples who are looking for a nice getaway with just one another, having two could be advantageous. You could have one that focuses mainly on the things that families might like to do together, and another one for couples looking for a romantic vacation.
It Is Easy and the Guests Will Appreciate It
As you can see, it is quite easy to put together these guidebooks, and they have the potential to make your guests’ stays smoother and more enjoyable. They will never lack for things to do. In fact, they might just find so many things that they want to see and do that they will want to come back for another vacation. Chances are that they will want to stay in your Outer Banks vacation rental, too.