WHY MAPS MATTER

In Why Maps Matter, I highlight how destinations, tourism boards, and travel brands can use maps to stand out and enhance the visitor experience. You’ll find practical insights, examples of what makes a map truly effective, and occasional behind-the-scenes looks at how I build maps that work.

How illustrated maps help tourism boards inspire visitors, and what goes into creating a great one

ByLe CartographisteCategoriesInUncategorizedPosted onOn

Header of the article on how illustrated maps help tourism brands inspire visitors. Represents a picture of a spread of the Visit Napa Valley visitors guide featuring a full illustrated map of the region

As a freelance illustrator, over the past few years, I’ve seen tourism boards, DMOs, CVBs and marketing agencies increasingly turn to illustrated tourist maps. Destinations want to stand out, and maps have become an essential part of their storytelling, visitor guides, websites and seasonal campaigns.

Whether it’s an urban center, an outdoor region, a scenic trail or a small town, tourism professionals are looking for ways to stand out and tell a richer story. And one thing is clear: illustrated maps are no longer only navigation tools. They’ve become visitor experience tools.

To show how destinations use these maps, I’ll share an example from one of my collaborations with Visit Napa Valley and how they used a coordinated series of custom maps to connect with visitors and promote the region’s identity. But first, let’s talk about what sets the foundation for any successful map.

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Illustrated vs practical tourist maps: how destinations can stand out

ByLe CartographisteCategoriesInUncategorizedPosted onOn

Header for the article What is an illustrated map showing a split image made of 4 different illustrated map examples

Over the years as a freelance map illustrator and designer, I’ve had the pleasure of creating a wide variety of tourist maps for destinations around the world. While working with cities, tourism boards, and travel-focused brands, I’ve often found that people are unsure about the difference between illustrated and practical maps, and which one best fits their needs. So in this article, I’ll break down the two approaches, explain how they differ, and share why both can be incredibly useful in a tourism context.

Read MoreIllustrated vs practical tourist maps: how destinations can stand out