The Visitor Impact Score framework is small on purpose. Seven weighted categories, one multiplier, four sub-criteria each, scored on a single afternoon of fieldwork. Here is the whole thing, end to end, with the arithmetic shown.
The score asks one question: where will the next defensible dollar go, and what will it move. Seven qualities are weighted 0 to 100 and summed into a raw composite. The eighth, the Unique Hook, is a multiplier, because indistinguishable Main Streets are penalized even when they grade well. A flawed town with one unrepeatable thing beats a pleasant town that could be any other.
| Letter | Category | What it reads | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| W | Website and Story | One mark, one tagline, one through-line across signage, digital, merch. | 15% |
| B | Beds and Lodging | Inventory, occupancy, hours, the friendliness of the desk. | 13% |
| A | Anchor Activity | The one thing that gets a visitor in the car, and keeps them past noon. | 16% |
| D | Downtown Density | Storefronts occupied, walkable blocks, evening hours kept. | 14% |
| C | Community Capacity | Who actually shows up to the meeting. Chamber, council, volunteers. | 15% |
| S | Safety and Cleanliness | Curb appeal, trash, sidewalks, lit corners. | 12% |
| R | Reviews and Reputation | Lodging tax trend, repeat-visit revenue, locally owned vs chain. | 15% |
| U | Unique Hook | The one unrepeatable thing. A multiplier, not a summand. | 0.8 to 1.2x |
Weighted categories sum to 100%. U is then applied as a coefficient on the weighted total.
Read the rubric as a budget, not a ranking. The category two points below the composite is almost always where the next dollar goes. The category fifteen points below is structural and slow. The category fifteen points above is the asset to protect.
The towns that win the next decade get serious about their story now.