For Tourism Centres

A guide for visitor information centres and tourism operators on how Loclie can complement your work and help visitors discover everything your region has to offer.

Time to complete: 10 minutes

How Loclie Complements Tourism Centres

Loclie is a digital companion to visitor information centres. It extends your reach beyond the front desk by giving travelers a way to discover local businesses, events, amenities, and attractions from their phone — before, during, and after their visit.

What Loclie adds to your work:

• A searchable, always-available directory of local businesses and services
• AI-powered natural language search ("Where can I get breakfast?" or "Is there a swimming pool nearby?")
• Up-to-date event listings managed directly by event organisers
• Community clubs and groups visitors can discover and join
• An interactive map with businesses, amenities, and points of interest
• Business announcements and campaign promotions that keep content fresh

What stays with you:

• Face-to-face local knowledge and personalised recommendations
• Printed maps, brochures, and regional tourism collateral
• Relationships with local operators and stakeholders
• Visitor data collection and reporting for your region

Loclie doesn't replace your centre — it gives visitors another way to find what you already know is there.

Getting Started

Step 1: Create a Loclie Account

1. Visit app.loclie.com.au and create a free account
2. Verify your email address
3. Set your town in the header so you see content relevant to your area

Learn more: Creating an Account

Step 2: Register Your Tourism Centre as a Business

Your visitor information centre is itself a local business that travelers need to find.

1. Go to manage.loclie.com.au and sign in
2. Register your tourism centre as a new business
3. Fill in your details — name, address, phone, opening hours, website
4. Add a photo of your centre
5. Set your categories (e.g., Tourism, Information Services)
6. Add a tagline like "Your first stop in [town name]"

Once approved, your centre will appear in search results and on the map, so visitors can find you before they even arrive.

Learn more: Claiming Your Business | Editing Business Info

Step 3: Explore Your Town on Loclie

Before mapping content for your region, spend some time browsing what already exists:

1. Check the Businesses page to see which local businesses are already listed
2. Browse Events to see upcoming community events
3. Look at the Attractions page to see parks, trails, lookouts, and other points of interest already imported
4. Check the Amenities list to see public facilities like toilets, parking, and caravan parks
5. Try the Ask Bar with questions a visitor might ask

This will help you identify gaps — businesses that should be listed, attractions or amenities that are missing, or events that aren't yet represented.

Mapping Your Region: A Suggested Process

The key to making Loclie useful for your visitors is to systematically add the content they'll be looking for. Here's a suggested approach, organised by entity type.

Understanding Loclie's Entity Types

Loclie has several content types, each suited to different kinds of local information:

Businesses with Tourist Attractions

Many tourism-relevant places are businesses that also contain attractions or activities. These should be entered as a business with experiences added inside that business listing.

Examples:

• A winery is registered as a business. Its cellar door tastings, vineyard tours, and lunch experiences are each added as separate experiences within that business.
• A wildlife sanctuary is registered as a business. Its guided walks, keeper talks, and feeding sessions are added as experiences.
• A farm stay is registered as a business. Its horse riding, farm tours, and campfire dinners are added as experiences.
• An art gallery is registered as a business. Its exhibitions, workshops, and artist talks are added as experiences.
• An adventure tourism operator is registered as a business. Its kayaking trips, abseiling sessions, and bushwalking tours are added as experiences.

How to set this up:

1. Register the business on manage.loclie.com.au (or have the owner do it)
2. Complete the business profile — description, photos, hours, contact details
3. Go to Experiences in the business dashboard
4. Add each experience or activity with its own name, description, and details
5. Visitors will see these experiences listed on the business detail page

Non-Managed Tourism Entities (Attractions & Amenities)

Not every point of interest has a business behind it. These are split into two categories:

Attractions — places visitors want to see and do:

• Lookout points and scenic viewpoints
• Walking and hiking trails
• Public parks, gardens, and picnic areas
• Swimming holes and beaches
• War memorials and monuments
• Public art and murals
• Heritage sites and historical markers
• Free camping areas

Loclie already has 77,000+ attractions imported from OpenStreetMap. Attractions are searched area-wide in the Ask Bar, so visitors find results across the whole local area — not just one town.

Amenities — essential infrastructure visitors need:

• Public toilets
• Public boat ramps and fishing spots
• Public BBQ facilities
• Caravan parks
• Parking areas

How to submit additions:

Attractions and amenities are managed by Loclie staff to maintain data quality. To request additions:

1. Use the Help button in the app to send a message to the Loclie team
2. Include the name, location, category, and a brief description
3. Specify whether it is an attraction (place to visit) or amenity (infrastructure)
4. If you have coordinates (latitude/longitude), include those too
5. The Loclie team will review and add the entry

Events

Community events are a major drawcard for visitors. Encourage local event organisers to list their events on Loclie.

Examples of events to promote:

• Weekly markets and farmers' markets
• Annual festivals and agricultural shows
• Live music and performances
• Sporting events and competitions
• Community fundraisers
• Workshops and classes
• Seasonal celebrations

How events work on Loclie:

1. Any registered user can create an event on manage.loclie.com.au
2. Events support date ranges, recurring schedules, ticketing links, and venue details
3. Event organisers can send updates to subscribers
4. Events appear in search results, on the map, and in the What's On section

Your centre can create events for community happenings, or encourage organisers to list their own.

Learn more: Creating Events | Event Dashboard

Clubs and Community Groups

Visitors staying longer or considering relocation often want to know about community life. Encourage local clubs to register on Loclie.

Examples:

• Sporting clubs (cricket, football, netball, bowls, tennis)
• Arts and craft groups
• Garden clubs and landcare groups
• Service clubs (Lions, Rotary, CWA)
• Historical societies
• Book clubs and social groups

Learn more: Creating a Club

Using Campaigns and Announcements

Once your tourism centre is registered as a business, you can use two powerful tools to promote timely information:

Announcements

Post updates directly on your business listing that visitors see immediately.

Use announcements for:

• Seasonal alerts ("Whale watching season starts this week!")
• Temporary changes ("Centre closed for public holiday Monday")
• Visitor tips ("Road closures on Highway 1 — take alternate route via...")

Announcements have a compulsory expiry date, so stale information is automatically removed.

Campaigns

Create promotional cards that appear in search results and on the home page for your town.

Use campaigns for:

• Promoting upcoming regional events or festivals
• Highlighting seasonal activities ("Spring wildflower trails now open")
• Drawing attention to new businesses or experiences in your region

Learn more: Creating Campaigns

Suggested Mapping Workflow

Here's a practical workflow for systematically adding your region's content to Loclie:

Phase 1: Your Centre

1. Register your tourism centre as a business
2. Add your hours, contact details, and a welcoming description
3. Add a photo of your centre

Phase 2: Key Businesses

1. Make a list of the top businesses visitors ask about — cafes, accommodation, fuel, supermarkets
2. Check which ones are already on Loclie
3. For missing ones, reach out to the owners and encourage them to register
4. For businesses that are unlikely to self-register, consider registering them on their behalf (they can claim the listing later)

Phase 3: Experiences and Activities

1. For each tourism-oriented business, identify experiences they offer
2. Work with business owners to add experiences to their listings
3. Prioritise unique and region-defining experiences

Phase 4: Attractions and Amenities

1. Check the existing Attractions page — Loclie already has 77,000+ entries from OpenStreetMap
2. Identify any missing attractions (lookouts, trails, parks, heritage sites) and submit them to the Loclie team
3. Review the Amenities list for missing infrastructure (toilets, parking, caravan parks)
4. Include location details and descriptions with all submissions

Phase 5: Events and Clubs

1. Compile a calendar of regular and upcoming events
2. Create events for community happenings, or connect organisers with Loclie
3. Reach out to local clubs and encourage them to register

Phase 6: Ongoing Maintenance

1. Use announcements for timely visitor information
2. Run campaigns for seasonal promotions
3. Check your region's listings periodically for accuracy
4. Encourage new businesses to register as they open

Tips for Tourism Operators

Making the Most of Loclie

• Think like a visitor — Search for things a traveler would ask. "Where can I eat?", "Is there fuel nearby?", "What's on this weekend?" If the answer isn't there, that's a gap to fill.
• Use the Ask Bar — Test your region's content by asking the AI search questions your visitors commonly ask at the counter. This quickly shows what's well covered and what's missing.
• Keep it current — Outdated information erodes trust. Encourage business owners to update their hours and details regularly.
• Add photos — Listings with photos get significantly more engagement. Encourage businesses to upload quality images.
• Spread the word — Display QR codes at your centre that link to Loclie for your town. Visitors can scan and browse on their phone.

What to Prioritise

Focus on the content visitors need most:

1. Food and drink — Cafes, restaurants, pubs, bakeries
2. Accommodation — Hotels, motels, caravan parks, B&Bs
3. Fuel and essentials — Petrol stations, supermarkets, pharmacies
4. Activities and attractions — The things that make your region worth visiting
5. Events — What's on this week and upcoming highlights

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Loclie free for tourism centres?

Yes. Loclie is completely free for all users, businesses, and organisations. There is no cost to register your centre, list businesses, or create events.

Can I manage listings for businesses that aren't mine?

You can register a business listing on behalf of an operator. If the actual owner later creates a Loclie account, they can claim the listing and take over management. This is a great way to seed your region's content while encouraging long-term ownership.

Can I add content for multiple towns?

Yes. Your Loclie account works across all towns. If your tourism region spans several towns, you can create events and register businesses in any of them.

How do I add a lookout, trail, or natural attraction?

These are classified as attractions in Loclie. Many are already imported (77,000+ entries from OpenStreetMap). Check the Attractions page first — if it is missing, use the Help button in the app to send the details to the Loclie team, and they will add it.

Can visitors use Loclie without internet?

Loclie requires an internet connection. However, visitors can browse and save favorites while connected, then refer to saved items later. The app works well on mobile data in regional areas.

How do I get QR codes for my town?

Loclie supports QR codes that link directly to your town's page. Contact the Loclie team via the Help button or support page to request town QR codes for your centre.

Next Steps

Get started today:

1. Create an account — Sign up for free
2. Register your centre — List your tourism centre as a business
3. Explore your town — See what's already on Loclie
4. Create an event — List your next community event

Related guides:

• Business Dashboard — Manage your listing
• Creating Campaigns — Promote seasonal highlights
• Exploring Attractions — Discover parks, trails, lookouts, beaches
• Exploring Amenities — Understanding the amenities system
• Using the Ask Bar — Test your region's search coverage

Need Help?

• FAQ
• Troubleshooting
• Contact Support