Destination Marketing with Creators: Briefing Checklist for Tourism Boards

Rocher de la Vierge with footbridge and Villa Belza on the rocky coast of Biarritz
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Destination Marketing with Creators: Briefing Checklist for Tourism Boards

What the briefing is used for

A creator briefing is a working document: it translates internal expectations into an assignment that a creator can understand, price and carry out on location. This guide provides the structure for this, criteria for choosing a creator, and how a collaboration with me works.

Contents of this article9 chapters

Clarify internally before the briefing goes out

First, the wishes of communications, service partners and contacts should be weighted. Then you need a core message in one sentence and a check of which experiences support it. Otherwise the creator receives a lot of information but no priority.

Influencer briefing template in ten sections

Quick referenceBriefing template in ten sections
  1. 01Goal
  2. 02Target markets
  3. 03Core message
  4. 04Must-have shots and no-gos
  5. 05Formats
  6. 06Schedule
  7. 07Approvals
  8. 08Rights and duration
  9. 09Measurement
  10. 10Contact person
  1. Goal: one main goal, separate from additional wishes. Reach on the creator's channels and files for the client's own channels are two different results.
  2. Target markets: Markets, languages and travel interests rather than a broad age group, plus prior knowledge about the destination.
  3. Key message: The most important message without interchangeable advertising language, separate from facts that must be correct.
  4. Must-have shots and no-gos: Only shots that are truly necessary. Optional items are listed separately, dependencies come with an alternative.
  5. Formats: Reels, posts or carousels, stories, image packages. With me, a story set comprises up to three individual stories; the blog post is included in the Premium package and can otherwise be added; the image film is a separate module.
  6. Schedule: Travel time, access, coordination, desired go-live date. With me, production time depends on format and scope, post-production takes about two weeks, and three to six weeks should be planned from confirmation to go-live.
  7. Approvals: Who checks facts and names, and who provides a compiled response? Factual corrections are something different from subsequent creative requests.
  8. Rights and duration: channels, duration, edits. With me, organic rights are included in the package: 30 days in the Standard, 90 days in the Professional, six months in the Premium package. Paid, print and OOH are available on request. Planned advertising use belongs in the request.
  9. Measurement: which key performance indicators and qualitative observations are suitable for the goal, when they are considered, and who receives them.
  10. Contact person: a contact who can make decisions, people responsible on site, deputies and responsibility for external confirmations.

Add production conditions

A sunrise at a viewpoint is quickly planned as an experience, but for a reel and drone footage it needs access, permits and travel time. Confirmed services belong separately from open possibilities. Aerial footage is not a guaranteed result; whether it is possible is clarified in advance for the specific location. Travel costs are handled separately from the scope of services: with me they are not included and are generally borne by the client. Rates on request.

Choose a creator

If you first want to Book a Travel Content Creator , compare work samples with the assignment itself, not just profile figures:

  • Thematic fit with travel style and core message
  • Target audience focus: language, interests, target markets
  • Narrative style: are motifs combined to form a story?
  • Production quality for the intended channels
  • Scope of services: Publication and file delivery clearly separated
  • Collaboration: Questions, approvals and rights are transparently regulated.

I have worked as a travel creator since 2013 and have collaborated with more than 30 tourism board destinations, including Tourism New Zealand and Visit Saudi. A duo production with Janet Dannehl is optional. For an overview of roles and forms of collaboration, see the Guide: Book travel influencers.

Process from request to publication

StepsFrom inquiry to publication
  1. 01Inquiry
  2. 02Coordination
  3. 03Production
  4. 04Publication and evaluation
  1. Inquiry: via the collaboration page, with destination, goal, time window and desired services. Management replies within 48 hours. Open decisions are sent along as questions.
  2. Alignment: Scope of services, rights, travel organization and dates, including a check that all must-have shots fit the production frame.
  3. Production: The briefing serves as a guide; prioritization determines the alternatives. Feedback is then compiled and unambiguous.
  4. Publication and evaluation: Assign files to the responsible parties, document rights duration internally, and describe key performance indicators and qualitative responses separately.

Typical mistakes in tenders

  • Unweighted must-have shots, unclear usage rights and no approval process.
  • Request all formats as a complete package so that offers are not comparable.
  • Mixing the idea phase and the binding plan.
  • Demanding business results that cannot be attributed to a single post. For evaluation, see Influencer Marketing in Tourism: KPIs and Case Studies.

Final check before sending

Without internal conversations, does the briefing answer which goal, services, travel dates and rights apply, and who decides? If not, it is not finished. For hotels there is the counterpart Hotel Influencer Marketing. To enquire, destination, goal, time window and formats are enough: Request a collaboration.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do tourism boards find a creator without an agency?

Through a portfolio, relevant work samples, and a clear request. You can contact me via the collaboration page; my management responds within 48 hours. Both routes side by side: Agency or direct booking with the creator.

Are there freelance travel creators for tourism boards?

Yes, tourism boards can book travel creators directly for a defined assignment. Rates on request, travel costs are not included.

What should be included in a creator briefing for a destination?

Objective, target markets, core message, mandatory themes and no-gos, formats, timeline, approvals, rights with duration, measurement and contact person.

Key figuresDirectly with me
48 hoursThe management replies within 48 hours.
3–6 weeksfrom confirmation to go-live
2013I have worked as a travel creator since 2013.

How many mandatory themes should a tourism board specify?

As many as fit within the production framework. A reel with a story set carries a core message and a few motifs; everything beyond that is optional.

What usage rights do Tourism Boards need?

Organic rights are included in the package with me; paid, print, and OOH can be added. The required campaign duration depends on the planned use, which should therefore be included in the inquiry.

How much lead time does a creator campaign need?

Allow three to six weeks from approval to go-live.

Is there a template for an influencer briefing in the tourism industry?

Yes, the template above has ten sections: objective, target markets, core message, mandatory themes and no-gos, formats, timeline, approvals, rights and duration, measurement, and contact person. Tourism boards and DMOs can use it as a basis for their request.

Max Haase Travel Creator
About the author

Max Haase

Travel Content Creator · Drone Photographer · Visual Storyteller

For over 10 years I have been a professional travel creator with 4M+ followers; I specialise in high-end tourism board collaborations and visual travel stories.

4M+Followers
82Countries
500+Collaborations
10+Years

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