Neurology and the Multisensory Impact of Visitor Brochures

How the sensory richness of brochures, maps and guides builds stronger memory and moves visitors to act

Visitor brochures, maps and guides shape travel decisions because they work with the way people think, feel and act. Neuroscience and consumer research point the same way: physical media engages the brain more deeply than the same message on a screen.

A Multisensory Experience

Picking up a brochure engages several senses at once: the texture of the paper, the movement of unfolding a map, the sound of a turning page, the richness of printed photography. Each of these cues gives the brain more to work with, and that helps information stay with the visitor.

The effect is measurable. In a study commissioned by Royal Mail and run by Millward Brown with Bangor University, researchers used functional MRI (fMRI) brain scans, which track blood flow to show which areas of the brain are active, to compare physical and digital material. Physical material produced more activity in areas linked to emotional processing. It also produced more activity in the parietal cortex, which integrates visual and spatial information, suggesting print leaves a better-connected memory trace. Participants processed physical material in relation to their own feelings and memories, a sign the content was being internalized.

Later studies have confirmed and extended these findings. Neuromarketing research by Temple University's Center for Neural Decision Making for the US Postal Service Office of Inspector General found that people spent more time with physical ads, responded to them more emotionally and remembered them better. Physical ads also triggered stronger activity in the brain's value and desirability center, a signal of intent to buy. A Canada Post study by True Impact found physical media took 21% less cognitive effort to process and delivered 70% higher brand recall than digital.

Picked Up, Pictured, Acted On

When a visitor picks up a brochure, the brain starts picturing the experience. The visitor is reading about a place and imagining being there, a first step toward commitment.

Touch strengthens that connection. Research by Joann Peck and Suzanne Shu, published in the Journal of Consumer Research, found that simply touching an object increases the sense of owning it and raises the value people place on it. A brochure that is chosen and held becomes the visitor's own guide.

Visitor International's research shows what follows. Among visitors who used a brochure, map or guide on their trip:

• 91% say a brochure led them to visit a place
• 93% say a brochure highlighted something to see or do
• 69% say a brochure led them to make a purchase
• 65% changed their plans because of a brochure
• 81% were reminded by a brochure to do something they had planned

These figures reflect each visitor's experience of brochures across a whole trip. Together they show print turning interest into action, in-destination, at the point of decision.

Trust Is Tangible: The Brain Trusts What the Hands Choose

With so much content competing for attention, trust decides where visitors go and what they do. Printed brochures earn that trust because they are real, curated and chosen by hand.

Visitor International's research among visitors who used a brochure, map or guide shows how strong that trust is:

• 98% consider visitor brochures trustworthy
• 97% value brochures as something tangible to hold
• 90% would rather pick up a printed guide than download one
• 86% remember what they read in print better than digital content
• 86% prefer printed visitor information to digital

These figures are indicators of confidence, and they connect directly to the visitor's own choice. Picking up a brochure is an act of interest, relevance and intent. The brochure becomes the visitor's chosen guide, and that choice builds both trust and recall. Trust then carries through into visits, bookings and purchases.

The Brain Loves Structure, and Brochures Provide It

A brochure or map gives information a physical layout: pages, panels, folds and spatial cues that help the brain build a mental map. That helps visitors find their way around a destination and plan what to do in it.

A printed map shows everything at once, giving a clear sense of orientation and possibility. Research supports the advantage. A 2018 meta-analysis by Pablo Delgado and colleagues, covering 54 studies and more than 170,000 participants, found reading comprehension is stronger on paper than on screens for informational text, and especially when time is short. In a wayfinding study led by Toru Ishikawa, people navigating with a paper map built better knowledge of their route than those using GPS, and made fewer errors along the way. Among Visitor International's brochure users, 77% say printed maps are easier to use than digital ones.

That spatial understanding builds confidence and commitment. Visitors feel prepared, and they are more likely to follow through on their plans.

Brochures also stay with visitors. 87% of brochure users keep brochures of interest for their trip or take them home, and 95% share what they find with others in their group. A brochure that is held, carried and shown to companions keeps working every time it is picked up again.

Conclusion

Visitor brochures, maps and guides are opt-in, emotionally resonant, sensory-rich and trusted. They support memory, guide discovery and lead to action.

Neuroscience shows that print engages the brain more deeply. Visitor research shows that brochures influence decisions throughout a trip. For tourism businesses, the conclusion is practical: brochures work because they match the way people are wired to notice, remember and act.

Visitors respond to what is tangible, chosen, connected and trusted, and that is exactly what a brochure delivers.

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NOTE: The Visitor International insights in this article are based on a 24-month study conducted by Visitor International — the International Association of Visitor Information Providers — from July 2024 to June 2026. The study gathered responses from over 8,100 travelers across 12 countries, representing visitors from 113 countries. Percentages are based on the 5,871 respondents who used a visitor brochure, map or guide during their trip, and reflect their experience of brochures across the whole trip rather than any single brochure.

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