How to Attract Tourists Through Digital Ads in Pennsylvania’s Smaller Towns

Smaller Pennsylvania towns offer unique charm but face stiff competition for tourist dollars, which is why a focused marketing strategy is needed. One that specifically targets how to attract tourists through digital ads in Pennsylvania’s smaller towns.

Drawing on best practices from Penn State Extension and leading tourism marketers, we at LeaseMyMarketing will show you the steps to craft high-impact ads that put your community on the map.

Key Takeaways

• Defining clear visitor personas guides hyperlocal ad targeting for history buffs, outdoor enthusiasts, and weekend road-trippers.

• Geo-targeted search, display, and social media campaigns ensure your town appears to potential visitors within a 1–2 hour drive.

• Tagging links, monitoring click-through and acquisition costs, and reallocating the budget to top performers fuels continual growth.

Define Your Visitor Personas

Understanding who you’re talking to is the cornerstone of any successful digital ad campaign. The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s Marketing to Attract Tourists program emphasizes that identifying and targeting the right visitor segments drives higher returns on ad spend and boosts regional visitor spending.

Similarly, Penn State Extension notes that effective agritourism and, by extension, small-town tourism marketing “requires that you understand your target consumer group(s), their needs, how your product or service meets their needs and developing a strategy to reach those consumer groups."

Use these core personas as a starting point:

History buffs: Drawn to “most important historic sites” and “Pennsylvania the Great American Getaway” narratives. They research landmarks and museums via search engines, engage with blogs about local heritage, and often book guided tours or historic hotel stays.

Outdoor enthusiasts: Motivated by “thrilling outdoor recreation” in state parks like Pine Creek Gorge. They respond well to paid social media ads showcasing hiking, kayaking, and scenic overlooks and convert to itineraries that emphasize “outdoor adventure experiences.”

Weekend road-trippers: Looking for a “premier weekend getaway destination” within close driving proximity of major hubs. They’re active on Instagram and Facebook, scanning for “unique events” or “award-winning restaurants” on a 1–2 hour drive.

Foodies & culture seekers: Enticed by “world-class restaurants,” local breweries, and specialty festivals. They follow influencers, click on video ads tasting seasonal menus, and subscribe to email updates about “summer travel marketing campaigns” and farm-to-table experiences.

Mapping each persona’s preferred platforms and online behaviors (whether “actively searching” on Google Ads or scrolling through paid social media) lets you tailor your ad sets, messaging, and landing pages for maximum relevance and direct bookings.

Leverage Geo-Targeted Search & Display Ads

When Deputy Secretary Anne Ryan announced the $6 million Marketing to Attract Tourists program, she emphasized the power of precision targeting to boost Pennsylvania’s tourism industry and support local businesses.

And when Governor Josh Shapiro, Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis, and Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger unveiled the “Great American Getaway” brand, they highlighted digital channels as a core pillar of the state’s economic development strategy.

Here’s how to turn those resources into high-impact campaigns for your town:

Set up Google Ads location targeting: Draw a radius around your town—ideally a 1–2 hour drive from major hubs or statewide tourism leaders’ focus areas—and apply bid adjustments for users within that zone. This ensures your ads for hidden gems and week-long RV tours appear in the right regional markets.

Create “near me” and attraction-specific campaigns: Separate campaigns for generic searches (e.g., “PA state parks near me”) and named landmarks (e.g., “Pine Creek Gorge hiking”) let you tailor ad copy, landing pages, and budgets precisely to maximize your return on ad spend and driving direct bookings.

Once your geo-targeted campaigns are live, you’ll be well-positioned to inspire travelers and increase overnight visitor spending in your smaller town.

Deploy Hyperlocal Social Media Campaigns

Social media’s detailed targeting tools let you zero in on travelers before they even plan their trip. When DCED Deputy Secretary Anne Ryan announced the $6 million Marketing to Attract Tourists Program, she highlighted digital channels, especially paid social media, as a way to boost Pennsylvania’s tourism industry and support local businesses.

Geofence high-traffic zones: On Facebook and Instagram, set up geofencing around nearby metro areas, highway rest stops, and popular visitor centers. This keeps your ads for hidden gems and weekend getaways in front of road trippers while they’re deciding where to go next.

Target by interests and behaviors: Layer in interest targeting for “local history,” “outdoor recreation,” or “festivals” to reach history buffs, outdoor enthusiasts, and culture seekers. Matching your ad copy and creative to these passions makes your ads more relevant and engaging.

Optimize for visitor spending: With Pennsylvania tourism contributions hovering above $76 billion annually, even small increases in click-through rates can translate to tens of millions in overnight visitor spending for your region.

Leverage dynamic creative: Rotate different ad headlines, images, and calls to action, such as “Discover Pine Creek Gorge” or “Plan Your Memorial Day Weekend Escape,” to see which combinations generate the most clicks and direct bookings.

Promote Seasonal Events & Attractions with Video Ads

Now that you’ve built awareness in the feeds of your target audience, it’s time to bring your story to life with video.

Video brings your town’s events and attractions to life, creating emotional connections that static ads can’t match. 

Visit PA’s “Your Great American Getaway Starts Here” campaign used multi-screen video across YouTube, social feeds, and programmatic placements to showcase seasonal experiences—from Memorial Day Weekend festivities to autumn foliage tours—driving millions of visits each summer.

With overnight visitor spending rising by $4.8 billion most recently, investing in short, compelling video clips can pay dividends for your local businesses and boost Pennsylvania’s economy.

Produce short-form videos for YouTube and social feeds: Highlight your town’s signature events, scenic trails, or world-class restaurants in 15– to 30-second clips. Show a quick montage of popular vistas or a taste test at a seasonal food festival to inspire viewers to plan their trip.

Schedule boosted posts around key dates: Match your video ad boosts with event calendars, like summer travel marketing campaigns or top-tier sports weekends, to capture interest when potential visitors are researching getaways.

Partner with Local Businesses & Influencers

Building alliances with neighboring businesses and trusted voices amplifies your digital advertising and spreads both the workload and rewards. The Pennsylvania Tourism Office encourages co-op marketing efforts that leverage shared budgets, boosting government revenues and supporting jobs across the travel industry.

Co-market bundled offers: Team up with lodging providers, restaurants, and tour operators to create package deals. Promote these bundles in a single ad set to highlight value and drive direct bookings, increasing business sales and improving residents’ quality of life through tourism.

Engage micro-influencers and travel bloggers: Partner with Pennsylvania natives who have niche followings in major cities or regional markets. Their authentic content shared via paid social media and sponsored posts inspires travel to your smaller town.

Leverage the “Great American Getaway” brand: Incorporate campaign messaging from the statewide tourism brand into your ads so you benefit from broader budget calls and unified promotional efforts.

Highlight economic impact: In your ad copy and landing pages, emphasize that tourism generates tens of millions in overnight visitor spending and creates jobs in small towns. Demonstrating this tangible benefit can motivate both locals and visitors to support your co-marketed campaigns.

By pooling resources and tapping into authentic voices, you’ll multiply the reach of your ads and make your smaller town a must-stop destination.

Next, let’s retarget those interested visitors to seal the deal.

Retarget Interested Visitors

Once someone has explored your itineraries, maps, or booking pages, they’re already primed to convert, so don’t let them slip away. Retargeting these warm leads with tailored ads reminds them why Pennsylvania’s smaller towns deserve a spot on their travel plans.

Set up remarketing campaigns: In Google Ads and paid social media, create audiences based on visitors who viewed specific pages, like “Pine Creek Gorge hiking” or your “week-long RV tour” booking form. This ensures your ads reach people who’ve already shown genuine interest.

Use dynamic display ads: Link your ad creative to the exact attractions or events they browsed. For example, someone who checked your Memorial Day weekend schedule sees a carousel of that festival’s highlights, making your message more relevant and increasing click-through rates.

Geo-Fence Competitor & Transit Locations

Precision location targeting helps you reach potential visitors at key decision points and capture their attention before they commit to another destination. With tourism generating over $76 billion in economic impact and contributing $4.7 billion in state and local taxes, every late-stage impression counts.

Fence nearby airports and transit hubs: Draw virtual perimeters around Harrisburg International, Pittsburgh International, SEPTA stations, and park-and-ride lots. Ads triggered as travelers wait or transfer can steer them toward your town’s hidden gems.

Fence rival destinations: Set geofences around competing attractions, such as historic sites or state parks in neighboring counties, so you intercept travelers who might otherwise bypass your community.

Offer last-minute packages: Serve dynamic ads advertising day-trip itineraries or weekend deals (“Book a Pine Creek Gorge kayak trip today!”) to capture on-the-fence visitors. Time these to appear during typical rest-stop breaks or dinner-hour commutes.

Create location-specific ad sets: Group your audiences by fence zone in Google Ads or your paid social media platforms. This lets you tailor ad copy and adjust bids for maximum efficiency. (Highlight proximity! For example, “Just 30 minutes from Philadelphia!”)

With these hyper-targeted fences in place, you’ll reel in travelers at the perfect moment.

Next, measure, optimize, and scale to amplify your results.

Measure, Optimize & Scale

A data-driven approach ensures your campaigns not only perform today but grow stronger over time. By tagging links, tracking performance, and shifting your budget to your best ads, you’ll maximize every dollar and expand your reach across Pennsylvania’s smaller towns.

Tag every ad link with UTM parameters: Append UTM codes to your Google Ads, social media posts, email blasts, and any other digital creatives. This lets you see exactly which ads, platforms, and messages drive visits, inquiries, or bookings in Google Analytics.

Monitor key metrics: Keep a close eye on click-through rate, cost per acquisition, on-site engagement (time on page, pages per session), and conversion rate. These KPIs reveal which audiences and creatives resonate most.

Reallocate budget to top performers: Pause or tweak underperforming campaigns, then funnel additional spending to high-impact ads. Whether it’s a well-timed Memorial Day Weekend package or a scenic trail video, doubling down on what works fuels growth.

Iterate and expand: Use your insights to test new audiences, creative formats, or seasonal offers. As you refine your targeting and messaging, gradually increase bids and geographic reach to turn successful campaigns into scalable engines for drawing more visitors.

With consistent measurement and agile optimization, your digital ads will keep evolving and drive ever-greater tourism impact and economic growth for your Pennsylvania community.

Open Your Town’s Digital Doors

You now have a playbook for defining visitor personas, running geo-targeted ads, crafting social campaigns, and measuring what matters. At LeaseMyMarketing, our fractional digital marketing team brings local know-how and hands-on execution to manage your campaigns without the full-time overhead.

Contact us today for a complimentary strategy session and start welcoming more visitors to your Pennsylvania town.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can the tourism industry in Pennsylvania’s smaller towns leverage digital ads to drive growth?

By targeting ads to specific visitor personas—like history buffs or outdoor enthusiasts—and using geo-fencing and remarketing, local attractions can spotlight their unique offerings and convert online interest into actual visits, fueling the region’s tourism industry.

What advantages does aligning with the state tourism brand offer for my digital campaigns?

Incorporating “Pennsylvania Invites Travelers” or “Great American Getaway” imagery and messaging taps into statewide recognition, lending credibility to your ads and boosting click-through rates through a unified state tourism brand.

How do digital ads help capture a share of the “tens of millions” in overnight visitor spending?

Hyperlocal search and display ads—set to a 1–2 hour drive radius—position your town as a convenient getaway, ensuring that a portion of Pennsylvania’s tens of millions in overnight visitor spending flows into your local businesses.

What initiatives has Governor Shapiro promoted to support small-town tourism marketing?

Governor Shapiro’s administration has backed programs like the $6 million Marketing to Attract Tourists fund and the “Great American Getaway” campaign, emphasizing digital channels and cooperative marketing to help smaller towns draw more visitors.