In this post: tourism development. Create theme trails for visitors to discover. Entice visitors to stay longer. Grow revenue for the hospitality industry and increase economic impact. Change from being a stopover to a tourist destination.
An Excuse to Come and Stay Longer – Themed Trails
Tourism development should be designed to draw visitors so as to increase hotel bookings and revenue for the community at larger. Great opportunities lie ahead for destination management organizations (DMOs) – convention and visitors bureaus and chambers of commerce – willing to blaze trails for visitors to explore. Similar to Lewis and Clark’s Journey of Discovery that opened up the west leading the way for the creation of the Oregon Trail and western migration, trails encourage travel.
When I was growing up, my family loved the outdoors. We hiked whenever we could. Some trails were well-trodden paths amid tall pine trees and through meadows, and fortunately, someone had come before us and marked the trail. What I enjoyed most was that along the way my dad would explain the life cycle of forests, the difference between raccoon and deer prints and the value of fallen trees.
Mom would point out various species of birds and remind us that this was someone else’s home. We trekked on trails winding down hillsides to reveal a mountain lake or on those strewn with rocks and boulders en route to a clearing with a panoramic view. I savor those memories with my family and the learning experiences.
DESTINATION MARKETING
For a destination, trails string together a similar themed topic – art, architecture, gardens, wine, craft beer, moonshine, nature, history, NASCAR®, culture, food or shopping, among many others – and are a perfect example of tourism development. The economic impact can be substantial.
A Texas Historical Commission’s study reported, “More than 10.5 percent of all travel in Texas is heritage-related, and that number continues to rise. Heritage tourists, a particular tourism development market segment, contribute more than their share, spending $7.3 billion or about 12.5 percent of total visitor spending in Texas. Of that, nearly $2.3 billion can be attributed directly to the heritage-related portions of their trips. According to a survey of participating sites, the Texas Heritage Trails Program increases revenue 2 percent and visitation by 13.9 percent.”
The World Food Travel Association’s recent report cited, “Food and beverage are an increasingly significant motivator for travel as 75 percent of leisure travelers have been motivated to visit a destination because of culinary activity. As many as 86 percent of respondents claimed to having a positive food and drink experience on a trip would make them more likely to return to that destination. Food and beverage are essential to the visitor experience.”
An economic impact study of beer tourism in Kent County, Michigan, was commissioned by its destination marketing organization Experience Grand Rapids. The agency’s passport program works in conjunction with its Beer City Ale Trail with (as of this writing) 95-plus breweries, distilleries and cideries.
The report cited, “Beer tourism is a growing part of the economic mix in the Grand Rapids area. Currently, this includes over 42,000 visitors primarily for the purpose of beer tourism with over 13,000 individuals traveling from outside of Michigan. Their direct spending makes up 0.5 percent of the Grand Rapids-Wyoming spending on accommodations and food services. If we assume double occupancy, this generated over 14,000 hotel nights at an average of $148 per night spent on the room. The total impact of these beer tourists is now over $12 million per year.” Strategic tourism development not only increases overall visitation but pulls in a very targeted and usually lucrative market.
OBJECTIVE
One of the goals of any trail project is to remove the need for a consumer to plan, all while delivering an experience on a common theme within one nice package. When participating, visitors typically will discover the more well-known attractions along with things they might not encounter on their own. Bundled within are tidbits of information that further enrich the activity.
THE WHY
#1 Vineyards and wine-growing have expanded beyond the well-known regions in New York and California. In the Yadkin Valley of North Carolina where offerings are numerous, how does a visitor know which winery to tour? A wine trail or series of trails can make the decision easier.
It can incorporate a vineyard where the grapes are grown, a tour of a winery known for its particular varietals of grapes, a conversation with a wine label artist, a stop at a wine shop known for its local wine inventory and lunch or dinner options at any number of restaurants that showcase cuisine paired with, you guessed it, local wine.
#2 Ferreting out the topics and the components of each take time. However, each trail will further enhance a destination’s things-to-do list.
#3 The target market of each trail will vary depending on the theme. The format by which your visitors can access the trail – a brochure, turn-by-turn tablet or smartphone-ready itinerary or podcast – may also vary by user. Perhaps it’s a combination of all three. A multi-dimensional package should provide guests with a rich, all-encompassing experience.
THE FINAL RESULT
Once the trail package is completed, the work of a nonprofit organization or quasi-government agency is only half-finished. As each trail is unveiled, it provides the excuse for a news release, blog post and ensuing media coverage as well as posts and tweets on social media. A ripple effect also occurs. Trails provide not only the convention and visitors bureau or chamber of commerce or downtown development agency time in the spotlight but also allow each of the featured components the opportunity to shine.
Wouldn’t you love to give visitors another reason to come, explore and more importantly, stay longer, touching parts of your community otherwise unknown?
Let Flying Compass help you chart your destination’s trail of discovery by developing and then marketing themed trails.
Happy trails to you!