The Case for Printed Visitor Information in Hotels
What hotels that offer printed visitor information tell us — and what it could mean for yours.
A briefing for hotel owners, managers and front-of-house teams.
If your hotel doesn't currently offer visitor information displays — brochures, maps and guides — this is worth a few minutes. We asked 298 hospitality professionals across nine countries who already offer it what difference it makes. Their experience is remarkably consistent, and it points to genuine, practical gains for the guest experience, for the team at the desk, and for the hotel's place in its destination.
Printed information gets used. In nearly nine out of ten hotels that offer it, guests reach for it as a natural part of their stay.
Five findings, and what they mean for your hotel
say printed brochures and maps save the team time
What this means for your hotel — Fewer "what's good round here?" questions arriving at the desk. A well-stocked rack answers many of them before a guest ever asks, so the team spends less time repeating directions and more time looking after the guest in front of them.
say print influences where guests choose to go
What this means for your hotel — You help shape your guests' days out. Point them toward experiences they'll enjoy and they come back to the hotel happier — and a guest who has a great time is the one who books again and tells others.
say it supports local businesses and attractions
What this means for your hotel — When the destination and the businesses around you thrive, your hotel thrives with it. Guests who love the area stay longer, return, and recommend it to friends — a strong local scene is one of the best reasons for a guest to choose you in the first place.
say printed information adds a more personal touch
What this means for your hotel — It makes the welcome feel warmer and friendlier — a thoughtful, human gesture that tells guests you want them to enjoy their stay, not just check in and out. It's exactly the kind of detail guests notice, remember, and mention in a review.
trust print more than AI-generated content
What this means for your hotel — A recommendation placed in a guest's hands carries real weight. When so much online content is now automated, something printed and provided by the hotel feels trustworthy, curated and personal — a point of difference that's yours to offer.
A balanced view, not a trade-off
Colleagues surveyed agree that a balanced approach — print and digital together — is what best supports their environmental goals. A professionally managed display sits comfortably alongside digital channels, and print carries real credentials of its own: today's brochures are printed on paper from responsibly managed forests that are actively growing, because paper is a crop, planted and replanted. Paper is biodegradable, and it's among the world's most widely recycled materials.
All the upside, none of the overhead
Offering printed visitor information asks nothing of the hotel. Visitor International members provide the display and look after it entirely.
Provided and serviced free of charge
Visitor International members install the display, then keep it stocked and up to date — at no cost to the hotel.
Print and digital, side by side
It sits comfortably alongside any digital touches already on offer, each doing what it does best.
Six figures worth remembering
Ready to offer visitor information in your hotel?
For your hotel, it's all upside: brochure displays are provided, installed and serviced free of charge by members of Visitor International.
Visit VisitorInternational.com