A souvenir reminds people of a destination. A custom board game can do more: bring new people around it, reactivate the emotions of a trip and create another reason to return. But only if the play experience is good enough to make people take the box off the shelf again.

A traditional souvenir already extends the presence of a place: we see it, touch it and associate it with a moment. A game adds something different. It is not merely seen. It is activated.

One box, several circles of players

The first difference is social. Most games bring several people together, and the same box can later move between family, friends, children, grandparents or guests who were never present on the original trip.

Take a simple illustrative scenario: if one box is played by ten different groups of four or five people, it already creates dozens of contacts with the destination’s world. This is not presented as an industry average; it simply makes the game’s built-in multiplier effect tangible.

“We found it on our holiday in Chamonix.”

“It’s the game from the park where we rode the alpine coaster.”

“That mountain on the box is the Aiguille du Midi.”

The buyer is no longer the only audience. They also become the person who tells the story, explains where the game came from and naturally brings the destination back into the conversation.

From visibility to attention

This is an important difference from an object that simply carries a logo. A magnet, mug or piece of clothing can remain visible for a long time, but that presence quickly becomes passive. During a game, people read, name, handle and discuss its elements.

The destination no longer receives only exposure time. It receives shared attention.

A game does not only recall a memory — it helps reconstruct it

Research by Kim and Jang (2016), published in the Journal of Travel Research , examined how different cues — including souvenir objects — can help retrieve autobiographical memories linked to lived experiences.

A game adds another layer: it does not dictate the whole memory. An illustration, place name or action can open the door, then imagination and conversation rebuild the rest. Two families will not reactivate exactly the same experience when they see the same card.

This can be especially powerful for children, but it also works for adults: the memory is both personal and shared, and repeated play creates new opportunities for it to return.

What does that mean for a destination?

Longer exposure The relationship does not end when the trip does.
Qualified word of mouth The game naturally gives people a story to tell.
An audience beyond the buyer Every new play can introduce the destination to other players.
Another reason to return The product can rebuild desire and provide a route back to the destination.

Unlike a conventional advertising medium, the game is first a product sold in the shop. It can generate revenue and retail margin when purchased, then continue acting as a medium for months or years.

The essential condition: people must genuinely want to play again

“Shall we play again?”

Everything rests on that sentence. If the game is not good enough to come back to the table, the player-to-player reach, memory effect and destination exposure disappear with it.

The destination cannot be decoration placed on top of a mediocre game. That is why Better Journey starts with published, proven titles: the mechanics must create a real desire to play first; the customisation then gives that experience local meaning.

What if the game could extend the visit in practical ways too?

The box can become a useful bridge back to the destination: a QR code to information or booking, a practical map, a reward or a clear reason to return. These elements should not interrupt play; properly integrated, they can extend its story.

Concealed silhouette of the forthcoming Taco Cham’ box for Les Planards Confidential design · reveal in December 2026
Taco Cham’: the project and its uses are revealed, while the final box remains under wraps until December.

Taco Cham’: from souvenir to an extension of the experience

In Taco Cham’, created for Les Planards in Chamonix, the rule booklet includes a detachable map of the park. The box therefore does more than recall the destination: it also carries useful information linked to the site.

A proportion of the boxes also contains a surprise that gives the holder a free alpine coaster ride. That surprise is visually associated with one of the game’s cards.

Imagine the family that discovers it, enjoys the ride during their stay, then takes the game out again months — or years — later. Every time the associated card appears, it can bring back that particular moment. The retail product, the game and the on-site experience reinforce one another.

From souvenir product to experience medium

A custom game can therefore do several jobs at once: act as a genuine shop product, create a social experience, trigger a memory, introduce new people to the destination and build a bridge towards a future visit.

A souvenir recalls a place. A good game gives people a reason to bring it back to life, again and again.