Advertising for Hotels, Guest Houses and Tourism: Flyers, Posters and Graphics — Ideas and Examples

Industries8 min read · Updated: 03.11.2026

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In tourism, customers choose with their eyes: they look at the photo, the price and how quickly they can book. A well-designed flyer in a tourist information rack, a banner on the approach road or a voucher under the Christmas tree can bring in guests that no booking platform will ever reach. Below you'll find the materials that genuinely earn their keep in hospitality and tourism, 10 ideas you can put into practice, ready-made slogans, colour choices, a seasonal calendar and the mistakes that most often undermine results.

Which advertising materials matter most for hotels and tourism?

Tourists make up their minds in seconds: at a flyer rack, at a trade show, in a café in a small town or while scrolling on their phone. That's why the most important materials are the ones that show your place in a great photo and tell people straight away how to book. Print works where tourists already are: at tourist information centres, at partner businesses, at petrol stations and at local attractions.

The second pillar is material for guests who are already staying with you: a price list, a menu, a map of the area and a voucher for their next visit. They cost very little, yet they build repeat stays and recommendations — the cheapest source of bookings in this industry.

10 advertising ideas for hotels, guest houses and hire businesses

Every one of these ideas can be put into practice without a big budget. They work best when combined into a single, consistent campaign using the same photos and colours.

• Flyer with a local map — your property and offer on the front, and a simple map of attractions within a few dozen kilometres on the back. Guests use it throughout their stay and take it home.
• Flyer swap with partners — the hotel displays the kayak hire company's flyers and the hire company displays the hotel's. Add a discount code unique to each partner so you know where each customer came from.
• Gift voucher — DL or 210×100 mm on heavy board, with space for a number, expiry date and a description of the package. Sell it in the run-up to Christmas, Valentine's Day and Mother's Day.
• "Come back soon" card — a small A6 card left in the room before departure, offering a discount on an off-season stay and a QR code for direct booking.
• Banner on the approach road — 300×100 cm with your name, a few words at most, an arrow and the distance. Drivers have only a moment to read it.
• Roll-up for trade shows and the lobby — a large photo, the logo near the top, and the QR code and phone number at eye level. The bottom 20–30 cm is often hidden by tables and people, so don't put anything important there.
• Seasonal poster around the area — an A3 poster with a single offer (family kayak trip, sleigh ride, spa weekend), dates and a phone number. Ask for space in shops, bakeries and with local transport operators.
• Matching price list and menu — A4 or A5 in the same colours as your flyer. For kayak hire, add the routes with paddling times and what's included in the price.
• Certificate for children — an A4 certificate for completing a kayak trip, a pony trek or a workshop at a farm stay. Parents photograph it and post it online, and your logo travels far and wide.
• Series of posts and Stories — the same photos and slogans as on the poster, in 1080×1080 px and 1080×1920 px formats. This way customers recognise your offer both online and offline.

What should you put on a flyer or poster? Example slogans

A proven flyer layout: a benefit-led headline, a large photo, 3–5 specifics (what's included), a "from" price, one clear call to action and contact details with a QR code. On a poster, three things are enough: the headline, the offer and a phone number or QR code — move everything else to the flyer or your website.

Write in specifics, not adjectives. Instead of "a unique atmosphere", write "a log burner in every room" or "breakfast with eggs from our own hens". If you claim that booking direct is cheaper than through booking platforms, make sure that's actually true.

• "Lakeside weekend — 2 nights with breakfast for two"
• "Peace, woodland and home-cooked breakfasts — a farm stay far from the city"
• "Family kayak trip: a 2-hour route, kayak transport included"
• "Half-term with the kids: pool, sleigh rides and activities every day"
• "Give the gift of a break — a stay voucher as a present"
• "Team away days for 20–50 people: meeting room, accommodation, campfire"
• "Book direct — scan the code and choose your dates"

Which colours and style suit tourism advertising?

In tourism, the photo matters more than the colour. Use real, bright photos of your property and the surrounding area — guests quickly spot stock images, and disappointment ends in a poor review. Choose colours that match the character of the place and use them everywhere: on your sign, flyers and social media.

Remember that print uses CMYK, while phone photos are in RGB. Vivid sea turquoises and sky blues can come out darker and less saturated in print — for an important print run, it's worth ordering a proof.

Calendar of seasonal opportunities for tourism and hospitality

Prepare your materials about 6–8 weeks before each occasion: that's how long design, printing and distribution take, and customers plan trips further ahead than they buy other services. School holiday dates, especially half-terms, vary between local authorities and between the UK nations and Ireland, so check them for the areas your guests come from.

Common mistakes in hotel and tourism advertising

Most ineffective materials share the same problems: too much text and too few specifics. Check that your design doesn't make any of the mistakes below.

• Too much text on posters and banners — nobody reads paragraphs from several metres away.
• Dark, blurry photos, or photos taken from the internet without a licence.
• No "from" price and no clear information on how to book.
• Prices and dates printed for the whole year — a separate price list insert is better.
• Every item in a different style, so customers don't connect them with one brand.
• Important elements in the trim zone and no 3 mm bleed.
• The phone number set in small type in a corner.
• A QR code that's too small (under approx. 2×2 cm) or not tested before printing.

How to prepare print files for flyers, posters and banners

Prepare flyers, posters and vouchers at 1:1 scale, at 300 DPI, with 3 mm bleed on every side and a 3–5 mm safe area for text. Large formats such as roll-ups and banners are usually accepted by large-format printers as a PDF at 1:10 scale — in that case the resolution in the file must be correspondingly higher, as the print will be enlarged tenfold.

If you don't have a designer, at plakaty.shop (wielkareklama.eu studio) you fill in a short form with your text, style and colours, and within a few minutes you receive design proposals as PNG and print-ready PDF with bleed — a package with 1 proposal costs €12, and with 3 proposals €24. Whoever prepared the design, read through every phone number, address and price yourself before it goes to print.