Mary Strominger Raum City of Palestine
Dear Ms. Raum:
Please find the following copy of the Palestine Community Tourism Assessment Report conducted by state agency members from the Office of the Governor – Economic Development and Tourism, Texas Historic Commission, the Texas Department of Agriculture, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the Texas Commission on the Arts and the Texas Department of Transportation. We hope this report will be a useful extension to the ideas which were generated throughout the visit and will contribute to the growth of tourism in your area in the future.
Please extend our appreciation to the residents who gave their time, knowledge and resources to host the assessment activities. Palestine has many exciting resources available for further tourism development and has great potential to grow as a travel destination in the future.
Tourism staff will continue to be available for any clarifications you may need. For questions or assistance please contact me at 512/936-1834 or [email protected].
Sincerely,
Cole Hubbard Tourism Research Coordinator Office of the Governor, Economic Development & Tourism
P.O. BOX 12428 | AUSTIN, TX 78711 | 512- 936-0100 | WWW. TRAVELTEXAS . COM PALESTINE, TX
COMMUNITY TOURISM ASSESSMENT MAY 22 - 23, 2018 Importance of Tourism
• Estimated direct travel spending in Texas totaled more than $74.7 billion in 2017, which directly supported 677,600 jobs and generated $7 billion in state and local taxes.
• Travel supports jobs across many industry sectors:
Leisure and hospitality Transportation Retail trade Services Finance Real estate Construction Insurance Government and others Importance of Tourism in Palestine
• In 2017, it was estimated there was more than $38 million in total direct visitor spending within Palestine. As a result of this visitor spending, an estimated 499 jobs were supported within the city. • Additionally, tourism generated an estimated $1 million in local taxes and $2 million in state taxes in Palestine in 2017.
• For more information, please visit https://travel.texas.gov/travel-research/. This economic data is updated annually each summer. Background
A Community Tourism Assessment:
Organizes local attractions into an easily referenced report.
Provides recommendations for improving community resources based on observations from tourism staff conducting the assessment.
Uncovers untapped or underutilized attractions in a community.
Encourages regional collaboration and the creation of tourism partnerships.
Educates communities on how to develop and promote local tourism attractions.
Establishes a foundation for future tourism planning or development efforts. Background
Representatives from the Office of the Governor, Economic Development & Tourism division (EDT), Texas Historical Commission (THC), the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA), the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), and the Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) visited Palestine, TX over May 22- 23 and completed an itinerary featuring local tourism attractions and meetings with involved community members.
This report includes many of the ideas generated throughout the assessment and is primarily meant to be an inventory of attractions experienced during the assessment and other aspects of the travel product. Please note that the assessment report may not include all attractions or potential attractions in the region. Strategic Planning
Before conducting the assessment, members of the assessment team reviewed the tourism promotional materials for Palestine, TX.
The findings in this Community Tourism Assessment address many of the strengths and opportunities for continued growth in the Palestine tourism program. Strategic planning reports are best used as a “living document” designed to be continually revisited and revised based on evolving opportunities rather than a checklist that must be followed. Report Format
The format of this report will provide an attractions, events and accommodations inventory based upon the assessment itinerary, in addition to an analysis of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT), while discussing other associated elements of the tourism system:
Culinary/Dining Experiences Nature Tourism Historical and Heritage Tourism Lodging Assessment Shopping Opportunities Report Format
The inventory of Attractions, Events and Accommodations is the primary deliverable of this Community Tourism Assessment.
Unless noted, images used were taken in Palestine, TX. Index
• SWOT Analysis – Culinary/Dining Experience – Nature Tourism – Historic and Cultural Tourism – Lodging – Shopping • Texas Historical Commission (Teresa Caldwell) Notes • Texas Department of Transportation (Lois Rodriguez) Notes • Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (Shelly Plante) Notes • Texas Commission on the Arts (Anina Moore) Notes • Texas Department of Agriculture (Manuel Martinez) Notes SWOT ANALYSIS
M L LEDDY’S HANDMADE BOOTS, FORT WORTH PALESTINE TOURISM MATERIALS
It is clear from the materials which were sent prior to the assessment dates that Palestine has an active tourism program. There were several brochures and pamphlets which detailed the various attractions and events around town and were nicely designed and implemented. The creation of visitor guides and attraction catalogues is quite advanced for the usual applicant to the Tourism Assessment Program. You can interpret that to mean that Palestine is doing several things right, putting yourself ahead of the competition. The website is attractive and pretty easy to navigate. The images selected are on brand and invite visitors to explore beyond the homepage. One thing to note – when searching for “Visit Palestine”, the first result is the visitor’s page for the country, not the city. This can be mitigated by rebranding to something more specific, such as incorporating “TX” more into the branding to differentiate. One note on the Events portion of the website is a bit odd. It appears to be a list of five events without any description of why they were selected and when they occur. The Calendar feature is more informative, but visitors might be deterred by this first page, thinking these five events are the only events happening within Palestine. PALESTINE VISITOR CENTER
Strengths: Appealing aesthetic on the exterior Opportunities: There is an opportunity for with ample parking available to travelers. The additional wayfinding signage which would set-up inside provides a nice, open layout with a guide visitors to the Palestine Visitor Center. large number of brochures, pamphlets, and While some signage exists currently, there is an other tourism-related information. The staff opportunity to increase the Visitor Center’s members are knowledgeable about Palestine visibility throughout the community. On this amenities and attractions, while also delivering note, there is also an opportunity to foster a high level of customer service to visitors. deeper cross-promotion of attractions. Should a There is also an opportunity to buy Palestine- visitor stop at one of the many attractions related merchandise, all of which appears to be within Palestine, it is ideal that all attraction of high quality. Overall, the design and staff members be well-versed on what is execution of the visitor center is well done. represented in the Visitor Center in order to educate visitors of other attractions in the area. Additionally, these staff should be able to provide concise directions to any attraction’s Weaknesses: A glaring weakness for the location. This is achieved through ensuring Palestine Visitor Center is not apparent. proper training of hospitality personnel.
Threats: Lack of visitation due to low signage. NASA COLUMBIA SCIENTIFIC BALLOON FACILITY
Strengths: Quite an interesting and unique Opportunities: There is an opportunity to attraction for Palestine. An obvious strength is update written materials detailing the there is nothing like this throughout the area. experiences available through the NASA Facility. The visitor center’s introduction video is The local visitor’s guide does describe the informative and thorough, allowing tourists to facility; however, there are brochures which understand the features which make this facility appear to need some updating. There is an unique. The workers at this site are very friendly additional opportunity to utilize the balloon and willing to speak with visitors at length launches to more effectively market the events about he facility operations and ongoing and attractions within Palestine. For example, projects. While our assessment team did not during balloon launches, there is an opportunity experience a balloon launch, the experience for NASA to partner with local vendors to come sounds like it draws a wide variety of visitors to out and sell their goods. Another option would the Palestine area. be for Visitor Center staff to come out with informational materials to hand out to those Weaknesses: While the facility is an attractive visiting for the balloon launch. This could amenity to Palestine, it is unclear how tourists encourage a longer stay within the region with would know this exists or how they would more economic significance for local vendors. understand what exactly why this facility merits their visitation. Threats: Tourists’ lack of understanding of the facility’s purpose. CULINARY/DINING EXPERIENCE
SMITTY’S MARKET, LOCKHART EILENBERGER BAKERY
Strengths: This historic bakery serves to add Opportunities: There are a number of strategies both a culinary and historic draw to the area. outlined within the Texas Historical With its delicious offerings of baked goods, Commission’s portion of this report which fudge, and sandwiches, Eilenberger Bakery identify historic and heritage tourism marketing proved to be a strong amenity to the Palestine strategies. Additionally, there is an opportunity tourism attraction mix. The food, which was to partner more closely with the Texas prepared for our assessment team, was fresh Department of Agriculture’s Go Texan program and quite delicious. The two ladies who (outlined more thoroughly in their subsequent provided the story of Eilenberger’s inception portion of the report). Eilenberger Bakery were entertaining and engaging. The staff appears to have a consistent base of customers members at this location were also courteous. coming in for their seasonal offerings (e.g. Thanksgiving and Christmas delicacies). The Weaknesses: While this location is opportunity now lies ahead to expand into the understandably marketed primarily via its “down season” by drawing tourists into the delicious culinary offerings, there is an shop outside of these peak times. There is also opportunity to market it more strategically an opportunity for an increased online through a historic lens given its 120 legacy presence. within the Palestine area. Threats: Increased competition from those engaging in online marketing strategies. SPARQ BAR & RED FIRE GRILLE (WITHIN REDLAND’S HOTEL)
Strengths: It is apparent the staff in both Sparq Opportunities: There’s an opportunity to Bar and Red Fire Grille are aware of the power partner more closely with the Redland’s Hotel in of excellent customer service. Both staffs were the form of co-operative promotions for guests. accommodating and quick to fulfill any requests This would add an added value to the Redlands, that our large party required. Additionally, the while also encouraging tourists to experience presentation of each food item throughout the cuisine within both Sparq Bar and Red Fire dinner was wonderfully done. This could be a Grille. Another opportunity available is gaining draw for younger travelers who place inherent accolades independently as this will serve to value upon culinary presentation to share on put this restaurant in the public eye, especially social media. The quality of the food was also for culinary travelers. excellent. There was ample seating within the restaurant, which demonstrates the possibility Threats: Too slow of business to support the of hosting several parties at once. establishment. This would ultimately be a threat to Sparq Bar, Red Fire Grille, and, indirectly, the Weaknesses: While the restaurant area was Redlands Hotel. quite large, it remained overall empty throughout the duration of our meal. It raises the question of longer-term business sustainability. OLD TOWN PALESTINE THE HOLLOW
Strengths: This area of Palestine is of Opportunities: Throughout our time within particular strength due to the wide variety of this area, we heard from several individuals dining, shopping, bars, and art. It is easy to about the history of this neighborhood and imagine how a visitor could spend several the flood which it survived. However, there is hours within this area of town. During our a lack of signage which tells this story and assessment, we visited and experienced how it has affected the area. several of these establishments, including Commemorating this story through some Pint & Barrel Drafthouse, Oxbow Bakery, Old form of interpretation will ensure that it can Town Vintage, and Cream & Coffee. We had be experienced by those who are visiting the an excellent experience within each, even if area. There is also an opportunity to it was just to take a peek inside. This area incorporate more of the Dogwood branding provides tourists a look into what they might within this area to tie back to the Visitor’s imagine the Palestine of old looked like. It is Center. a very picture-worthy area and appears to be properly promoted within the proper Threats: This location appears to have several marketing materials. strengths together as a unit, so an apparent threat is not identified at this point in time. Weaknesses: None. NATURE TOURISM
GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK DAVEY DOGWOOD PARK
Strengths: There is a robust events calendar for Opportunities: There are some excellent the park, most of which have the proper suggestions for additional opportunities for publicity and marketing. Within this park, there growth and expansion within the Texas Park and are a number of activities available, including Wildlife Department’s section of the report. In hiking, picnics, running, cycling, wildlife addition to these notes, there is an opportunity photography, and several others. The ability to to more fully integrate the dogwood identity utilize the park’s dogwood blooms is certainly a into the Palestine tourism product. The strength as well. It provides validity and existence of the festival is an excellent start and uniqueness to the branding of Palestine and should be built upon, perhaps in the form of appears to have quite the draw on tourists to extended merchandising, branding around the region. town, etc.
Weaknesses: The lack of signage is certainly a Threats: Loss of additional visitation due to lack big limitation to the park. Interpretive signage of infrastructure (i.e. bathrooms, camping allows visitors to know the full range of grounds, etc.). activities available to them throughout the park and encourages the full utilization of the area. The lack of bathrooms is also limiting. UPPER LAKE AND CITY LAKE - PALESTINE COMMUNITY FOREST
Strengths: There are several recreational Opportunities: Better signage throughout the opportunities afforded through these park is critical. Wayfinding and informational locations, including fishing, signage help inform tourists what activities hiking/walking/running on the trails, boating, are afforded within the park, while wildlife viewing, and kayaking. There appears interpretive signage provides some to be an area for parking, a plus for family educational and learning opportunities for travelers who drive to the area. The park tourists. These lakes also have the areas are also quite peaceful and quiet, opportunity to become registered as official allowing for more meditative-type Texas Paddling Trails. For more information, recreational opportunities. please reference the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department portion of this report. Weaknesses: Similar to the Dogwood Park, a glaring weakness is the lack of infrastructure. Threats: Without proper amenities, these There are no bathrooms provided for visitors park locations could serve to give tourists a at the park, discouraging any type of negative impression of Palestine and, thus, significant visit to the park. Additionally, encourage them to not explore the area there is a lack of interpretive signage further. throughout the park area. HISTORIC AND CULTURAL TOURISM
MISSION SAN JOSE, SAN ANTONIO TEXAS STATE RAILROAD
Strengths: It appears the authenticity of the Opportunities: Please reference the Texas Texas State Railroad has been preserved Historical Commission portion of the report for effectively. The allowance of visitors to actually an extensive list of suggested improvements to ride on the train for over 50 miles round-trip is the Texas State Railroad. In addition to these truly a impactful draw in regards to tourism suggestions, there is an opportunity for amenities. There is also some excellent increased cross-promotion with other interpretive materials throughout the location attractions existing within Palestine. Even on the site’s historic significance to Palestine though the railroad appears to be well- and the surrounding counties. Specifically, the promoted by the attractions within Palestine, information provided at the visitor kiosk is a there is room for further onsite promotion of strength given that visitors may visit outside of Palestine’s other various amenities. This could the depot’s operating hours. Generally take the form of additional tourism speaking, the website and promotional informational materials within both the depot materials are also attractive. The gift shop is and the gift shop. Additionally, some exit also a strong asset of this location. signage directing visitors to the Palestine city center could also prove beneficial in guiding Weaknesses: Signage to the railroad is lacking. tourists to the city center. Additionally, there is a misconception that the railroad is closed to the public. Threats: Funding concerns. MUSEUM OF EAST TEXAS CULTURE
Strengths: Gorgeous exterior with some Opportunities: There is a need for more excellent landscaping. The exterior is very interpretation throughout the museum to tell attractive and inviting to those visiting property. the story of the exhibits when a staff member There is an extensive collection of artifacts might not be available to provide the story within the museum which could serve as a themselves. This interpretation could take the prominent interest to historic and heritage form of signs next to exhibits or sound clips tourists. Hours are posted and seem fairly providing a vocal narrative. There is also an reasonable for those visiting the area. The staff opportunity to help preserve many of the was friendly and quite knowledgeable about the artifacts and exhibits which are just open to the various exhibits throughout the museum. The public. Placing these items behind barriers or ability for tourists to take a guided tour is also a glass helps preserve them for future use and plus. enjoyment.
Weaknesses: The lack of air conditioning is Threats: Building and artifact deterioration due particularly concerning during the summer to lack of proper maintenance and preventative months when the temperatures climb into triple measures. digits. There is a lack of interpretation throughout the property. CIVIC CENTER
Strengths: This location is quite expansive, being Opportunities: For an excellent list of able to seat up to 1,300 people at once. The opportunities for the Civic Center, please center is already being used for cultural events, reference the section of the report written by such as dance recitals and community-wide the Texas Commission on the Arts. Namely, celebrations. The Civic Center’s location next to there is an opportunity to better market the a prominent road through town is also a events which occur at the Civic Center. This strength as it allows visitors the ease of could be through the rebranding of the building stopping by. The side room is also a notable as a performance arts building as opposed to a strength as it provides the opportunity to host a civic center, which might carry a different wider variety of events within the space. connotation than what the building is intended for. Weaknesses: The surrounding fence is unappealing and gives the impression that the Threats: Competition from surrounding Civic Center is private property that is not open performing arts facilities. to the public. The walkway within the auditorium is also extremely steep without a handrail. The auditorium is not ADA accessible besides the seats in the very back of the auditorium. LODGING
NYLO HOTEL, DALLAS REDLAND’S HOTEL
Strengths: Beautiful property located right in Opportunities: There is an opportunity to the center of several attractions within maintain a consistent brand through the Palestine. The rooms are spacious and selection of one prominent hotel name. There is beautifully decorated. The upper level courtyard also an opportunity to expand the hotel’s online is a unique feature that adds a lovely presence, namely within social media channels. component to the Redlands experience. Similar The goal of these social channels should be to other attractions, the Redland’s has a historic increased brand awareness. For more significance to the Palestine area and should information on how to utilize social media, serve as a draw for heritage tourists. There are please reference the social media section of the several elements throughout the hotel which report by TxDOT. The development of more bed highlight this history within the community, and breakfast type offerings could also draw in which adds a depth of character to the a larger range of heritage tourists to the property. property.
Weaknesses: It is apparent the hotel is under Threats: Tourists continuing to be unaware of construction in a few spots. While renovations the property and opting for other lodging are a natural part of hotel maintenance, this options within the area. could be viewed negatively by visitors. Additionally, there is some confusion over naming inconsistencies within promotional materials. SHOPPING OPPORTUNITIES
STASH, HOUSTON BRALY’S BUILDERS SUPPLY
Strengths: This property is quite interesting and Opportunities: When I have visited places that a distinct draw for some tourists. It is certainly a have been on television, there is often strength that this location appeared on something more prominent that showcases this television as that will continue to draw visitors fact. For example, there could be a television to this location. The history of the school is that constantly plays the episode which excellently preserved throughout the building, showcases Braly’s. As far as marketing to from the décor to the photographs hanging on tourists, the inclusion of Braly’s within the walls. The staff is also approachable and marketing materials is a first step towards helpful with the inquiries received during our increasing visitation to this site. An additional visit. The owner’s commitment to reinvest and opportunity is to sell more branded support the Palestine community is also an merchandise, whether that be of Braly’s or the obvious strength to this attraction. branded materials sold within the Visitor’s Center. Weaknesses: This is not listed as a point of interest on various tourism materials, which Threats: Larger scale chain stores. might just be an oversight. It is not the typical tourist attraction; however, it is quite unique and provides some historical context for Palestine. CLOSING THOUGHTS
Palestine has some strong tourist attractions and has made tangible steps in the correct direction of developing a successful tourism program. One thing is abundantly clear – Palestine is ahead of the game when compared to similarly sized communities throughout Texas and has several engaged citizens who are dedicated to seeing its tourism program’s success. Some strategic steps which can be taken now are the creation of a social campaign to address younger travelers as well as partnering with Travel Texas on a strategic co-operative advertising effort (see next slide for additional resources). Furthermore, it is advised to utilize strategic and targeted marketing efforts towards Palestine’s “drive markets” (e.g. Dallas- Fort Worth and Austin) as these will contribute to the large portion of visitation to the area. There are several well-developed pieces to the tourism program so far. The key now is to join these together underneath a common vision for tourism to the area and to inform tourists of the tourism product through effective marketing tactics.
COLORADO BEND STATE PARK ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Additional places to start exploring available resources are the state agencies which conduct tourism development and/or marketing programs. Links to agency websites with the latest information are provided on the following slides.
COLORADO BEND STATE PARK ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Office of the Governor, Economic Development & Tourism - http://gov.texas.gov/ecodev/
– Texas Film Commission – http://gov.texas.gov/film – Texas Music Office – http://gov.texas.gov/music/ – Texas Economic Development – https://texaswideopenforbusiness.com/
Travel Texas, located within the Office of the Governor, Economic Development & Tourism - http://www.travel.texas.gov
– Texas tourism resources including advertising, marketing and research activities can be found on the industry site listed above.
– For full co-operative opportunities available through Travel Texas, please visit https://travel.texas.gov/advertising-marketing/
COLORADO BEND STATE PARK ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Texas Commission on the Arts - http://www.arts.texas.gov/
– Overviews of TCA grants and other resources can be found in the banner menu of their homepage.
Texas Parks and Wildlife - http://tpwd.texas.gov/
– Available TPWD grants and assistance for communities can be found online at http://tpwd.texas.gov/business/grants/
Texas Historical Commission - http://www.thc.texas.gov/
– Information on THC community development programs can be found at http://www.thc.texas.gov/preserve/community-development
COLORADO BEND STATE PARK ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Texas Department of Transportation - http://www.txdot.gov/
– The following link directs to the Travel Division and current information on their programs: http://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/division/travel.html
Texas Department of Agriculture - http://www.texasagriculture.gov/
– Community assistance programs offered by TDA, including Go Texas, can be found at: http://www.texasagriculture.gov/GrantsServices/IAmACityCountyCommunity.aspx
COLORADO BEND STATE PARK Page 1 of 13
Section 2 – Texas Historical Commission Notes
By Teresa Caldwell
7.9.18 Page 2 of 13
PALESTINE HERITAGE TOURISM ASSESSMENT Teresa Caldwell - Texas Historical Commission
What is Heritage Tourism? Cultural heritage tourism as defined by the National Trust for Historic Preservation is “traveling to experience the places and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past and present. It includes historic, cultural and natural resources."
Understanding America’s heritage and exploring distinct communities continues to grow in importance in attracting the traveler. More people are seeking travel experiences that connect them to local culture and unique stories. This is good news for Palestine. Travelers want to visit places that showcase their past and dynamically weave their traditions and historic built and environmental fabric into contemporary life. Places that value preservation as a core community development tool often become ideal destinations for travelers seeking heritage tourism experiences.
What Benefits Does Heritage Tourism Offer? Studies on the characteristics of heritage tourists reveal them to be an attractive audience. These high value visitors spend more on accommodations, shopping, entertainment and dining than any other type of tourist. If this group has a quality experience, they tend to come back more often than other tourist segments and tell their friends about the place.
How Does Heritage Tourism Fit with Current Community Planning Activities? By working in communities across the country, the National Trust has developed five guiding principles to create a sustainable heritage tourism program: 1. preservation and protection of resources 2. focus on quality and authenticity of place 3. collaboration 4. balancing the needs of residents with those of visitors 5. investing in your stories and finding creative ways to interpret them
Think of heritage tourism as an opportunity to show off all the things that make Palestine special through its great historic places, stories, traditions and people. These qualities contribute to a community’s “sense of place.” Defining sense of place is challenging because it is not attributable to one thing. It is the charm, authenticity and evolving cultural activities, it is the well cared for historic downtown or neighborhood, it is the parts of the community you can see, touch and use, but it is more than the built and natural environment. It is the heritage of the people(s) who settled an area combined with contemporary community life. It is what makes Palestine a great place to live, work and visit.
Issues related to parking, walkability, wayfinding signage, streetscapes, greenspaces, the night skies, hike and bike trails, walking paths, and paddling trails allow avenues for providing broader interpretation of the city’s historic and contemporary stories. Community histories are not static, and modern activities related to community development, cultural traditions, arts and entertainment, and outdoor recreation are part of a continuum that contributes to the continued vitality and growth of the city that is attractive to residents and visitors alike.
There are many opportunities to weave the stories of Palestine into the daily lives of residents and visitors, extending the reach of your museums, and giving people new ways to connect with the built
7.9.18 Page 3 of 13
environment. Some of those recommendations are included below, but instead of undertaking interpretive endeavors on a case-by-case basis, it would be useful to develop a master interpretive plan that works in partnership with other planning schemes including Palestine 2040: Honoring the Past – Shaping the Future prepared by the Institute of Urban Studies, and allows for consideration of interpretive strategies in the early stages of new development.
If stories are your product, an interpretive plan serves as a roadmap for telling them in a meaningful way. If done correctly, interpretive planning does the following: . defines themes and stories of community for visitors and residents, . facilitates the utilization of natural, physical, historical and cultural resources and stories which might otherwise be ignored or overlooked, . coordinates the interpretive development efforts of stakeholders eliminating duplication, and . enhances optimal use of available physical and financial resources within an area or region.
Thoughtful interpretive planning efforts can have an important impact on larger community goals of maintaining the historic downtown as the heart of Palestine, attracting new residents to your community and county, developing new visitor audiences, and engaging them as investors in the stewardship of your city and county.
Capitalize on your heritage tourism assets For a community of its size, Palestine is lucky to have a considerable number of heritage tourism assets, as well as natural resources. An assessment of those resources follows:
1. Downtown Palestine Area, including Historic Main Street and Old Town area STRENGTHS: *Encompassing 44 blocks, Palestine Main Street is a nationally recognized program of the City of Palestine and the Texas Historical Commission that works to make Palestine’s downtown a vibrant and prosperous center of the community by utilizing historic buildings and structures for living, shopping, dining and entertaining Palestine’s residents and visitors. *The downtown area contains an attractive collection of historically significant buildings, the majority of which are still being used in some capacity including the Texas Theatre, and is comprised of a good retail mix of businesses for visitors and residents. *There are many special events throughout the year that take place downtown. *The downtown area is well-maintained and attractive. *The downtown area is fairly walkable, although adding some additional pedestrian crosswalks might make visitors feel more comfortable crossing the road (and it would be safer!), and be beneficial to all parties-visitors, the County, and the businesses! (SEE CONCERNS and OPPORTUNITIES)
CONCERNS: *Continue to ensure that the historic integrity of the downtown area is at the forefront of any downtown revitalization efforts by preserving and/or restoring historical structures and improving exterior facades when necessary to help define and maintain an authentic sense of place for visitors, as well as residents. *Lack of entertainment options downtown. (SEE OPPORTUNITIES) *Lack of wayfinding signage guiding potential visitors to heritage sites. (SEE OPPORTUNITIES) *Lack of sufficient pedestrian crosswalks downtown. (SEE OPPORTUNITIES) *Visitor confusion over the difference between “downtown” Palestine and the “Old Town” area. (SEE OPPORTUNITIES)
OPPORTUNITIES: *Continue to ensure that a vibrant mix of retail, restaurant, residential, and professional services occupy historically significant structures to draw residents and visitors downtown by recruiting different business types to downtown. *Develop varied downtown promotions to add an extra incentive for visitors to stop downtown and shop in Palestine and the greater Palestine area.
7.9.18 Page 4 of 13
*Develop cooperative print ads for downtown merchants to advertise the entire downtown area (and beyond) to visitors. As a participant in the Texas Historical Commission’s Texas Main Street Program (TMSP) (http://www.thc.state.tx.us/preserve/projects-and-programs/texas-main-street), a downtown revitalization program, you help ensure that the downtown area flourishes. As a designated Main Street, Palestine is eligible for a number of services, including site visits, technical advice, and design assistance. Ensure that your Main Street manager is taking advantage of these services! Many Main Streets that are part of the TMSP have become destinations themselves because visitors flock to communities that value their historic downtowns and are willing to invest in them. *Ensure that a distinction is made between downtown and Old Town in all marketing materials so visitors are aware that they are two distinct areas and don’t miss a chance to explore them both! *Interpretive signage in Old Town relaying the history of the area and how it came to be would be helpful to educate visitors about its importance, as well as give them an additional reason to go to Old Town and perhaps stay a little longer.
*All tourists love to eat and drink, especially the heritage tourist. Family-owned, local ethnic restaurants, coffee shops and tea rooms are especially popular with heritage tourists and are preferable to chain restaurants. This makes sense since heritage tourists want to experience the “local flavor” of your community. Palestine has an excellent selection of locally owned restaurants for a community of its size, including the renowned Eilenberger’s Bakery (first opened in 1898!), Pint & Barrel Drafthouse, Cream & Coffee, Lattes and Lace, Old Magnolia Sandwich and Coffee Shop, 4J’s Family Restaurant, Taqueria San Luis, La Chaparra Taqueria, fine dining at Red Fire Grille, and the ever popular Oxbow Bakery. And luckily many are located downtown or in the Old Town area. Although understandable that Oxbow Bakery is only open Thursday – Saturday since it is a true mom and son run establishment, the limited days of operation can still be disappointing for visitors (and residents alike)! There isn’t much lacking as far as variety goes, but the addition of a tea room could further entice heritage travelers to stop or stay longer in downtown Palestine.
*No one likes to shop more than the heritage tourist, especially in specialty and antique stores and shops featuring local crafts. In addition to Oxbow Bakery & Antiques, Palestine has at least three other antique stores, as well as a good variety of Texas boutiques, and several more shopping opportunities, including the very unique Braly’s Builders Supply Co. where visitors love to spend their money, and many of these shopping opportunities are located downtown and in the Old Town area. *Recruit additional boutique, antique and/or specialty stores to downtown Palestine to keep heritage tourists in town even longer. *Develop varied downtown promotions to add an extra incentive for visitors to stop downtown and shop. This is something that can be done through your Main Street manager.
*What are the entertainment options in your downtown district and elsewhere? With the exception of the Pint & Barrel Drafthouse, Shelton Hall, the Texas Theatre, and Sparq Bar in the Redlands Building, there are currently few entertainment activities or other forms of amusement that visitors can take advantage of downtown or in Old Town Palestine, excluding special events. My understanding is that Sparq Bar in the Redlands Building will soon be opening more days and earlier, which is fantastic news for visitors, as well as residents! Additional entertainment options would be optimal.
*Are the shops in Palestine open regular hours? Nothing is more frustrating to a heritage tourist than to travel to a site or store during regular business hours and find out that it is not open. Establishing and then following posted hours of operation is essential for maintaining visitor satisfaction. *And there should be shopping, eating and entertainment establishments open after 5 pm each day to keep tourists from leaving your community at night. If downtown Palestine rolls up its streets in the evening, then
7.9.18 Page 5 of 13
neither your visitors nor residents will have no choice but go elsewhere for goods, food and amusement!
*Businesses in Palestine that meet the criteria should consider applying for a Texas Treasure Business award, a THC program which recognizes Texas businesses that have been in operation 50+ years. For additional information and the application, go here: http://www.thc.state.tx.us/preserve/projects-and- programs/texas-treasure-business-award . Some businesses in Palestine have already taken advantage of this program and can leverage the award in promotions and other ways.
*Develop additional self- guided walking and driving tours to include information about community, county and statewide history and the architectural styles of significant buildings and cultural assets, including, but not limited to historic homes, historic churches and murals. There are currently brochures/guides available for a Downtown Walking Tour, Historical Driving Tour, and Sculpture Tour. Although it is a good start, the Historical Driving Tour is bulky and desperately needs an accompanying map. The format of the Sculpture Tour 2018 brochure is the most user friendly of the three. Alpine has developed an historic walking & windshield tour that can be used as a model and information about their tour can be found here: http://www.historicalpine.org/historic_walking_tour.htm.
*Cemetery tours (both led by guides dressed in period attire and self-guided) are becoming increasingly popular and are an excellent way to learn about the community’s history, as well as architectural styles of its headstones. New Braunfels is one community that offers cemetery tours. For information about their tours, see http://spasswalkingtours.com/historic-cemetery-tour/.
*Embrace new technology when developing walking and driving tours. Printed materials will always be needed by some visitors so their availability should not be eliminated, but options should also be developed further down the road to serve those who use smart technologies regularly, especially younger travelers. Smart phone applications provide opportunities to enhance these stories through the use of photographs and voice narration, including historic neighborhoods and significant architecture, and also give broader access to cemeteries for users.
*Enhance access to city and county stories by developing QR Walking Tours in Palestine. QR (Quick Response) codes are bar codes that allow you to link to events, text and website URLs. QR codes are fast becoming more common and can be used as a (free) storytelling mechanism to engage tourism audiences. Bibisi (http://www.bibisicorp.com/ ) has created heritage tourism based QR tours in Texas. San Antonio has a QR Historical Landmarks Tour consisting of 12 landmarks, and New Braunfels also has a QR History Tour including their cemetery. Using historic photos and a compelling storyline, include a QR tag that connects through a mobile device to the rest of the story, plus a link to the modern use website of the building or event. BeQRious.com is one site that generates QR codes and provides tracking analytics. Learn about this new way of exploring our world at http://www.beqrious.com/.
*Add a guided ghost tour to keep visitors downtown at night in Palestine and/or other places in Palestine. It does not have to be entirely historically accurate as long as that is stated up-front. It is a ghost tour after all! Granbury does a nice job with its Granbury Ghosts and Legends tour that features a walking tour of Granbury’s historic downtown square led by a guide dressed in Civil War attire. Additional information is also available on their audio tour. Visit http://www.granburytours.com/Pages/default.aspx to learn more.
7.9.18 Page 6 of 13
*Offer hospitality training that includes a heritage education component. Hospitality training is often used to prepare front line employees to successfully interact with the public. Expand the traditional thinking about hospitality training as Palestine develops tourism products and invite a wide range of citizens to learn about those experiences first hand. Work with VisitPalestine, Palestine Main Street, City, Chamber, Anderson County Historical Commission, and other partners to host opportunities for everyone from front line employees, business owners, museum staff and volunteers and city and county employees to participate in mini-familiarization (FAM) tours to learn about existing and new heritage tourism places and activities. The city of Beaumont’s Destination Training is designed to educate and inspire a renewed sense of pride in that community. Learn more about this award-winning program at http://www.beaumontcvb.com/about-beaumont/about-the-cvb/hospitality-training/. And Marty Prince, executive director of the Texas Forest Trail Region, is a hospitality certified instructor. (SEE Regional and Statewide Heritage Tourism Resources at the end of the report.)
*Signage! Signs direct visitors to your community and the sites within it, and they advertise it to others. Therefore, both directional and on-site signage are crucial for ensuring good visitor experiences. Palestine could benefit from a wayfinding system to help guide visitors guide from attraction to attraction. This signage will decrease trip stress for your visitors because they will be able to find your sites more easily, and it will also increase the amount of time that many visitors spend in Palestine because the signage will lead them to sites and attractions they did not previously know about. (Figure 1) It may also help residents find your community’s attractions! Since Palestine is part of the Main Street Program, your manager can get wayfinding recommendations from other Main Street managers for companies that would fit your needs in providing this type of service at a reasonable price., as well as ways to work with TxDOT! The TMSP office can provide information on this topic as well. Visitors also make impressions (both good and bad!) about you based on the attractiveness of your entrance signage since it is the first thing that Figure 1. Wayfinding signage in they see upon entering your community. downtown Atlanta, GA
2. The Museum for East Texas Culture STRENGTHS: *Housed in a former high school, this elaborate Tudor-Gothic style building was constructed in 1915 – 1916 and served as the home for Palestine students until 1976. Saved from demolition, it became the Museum for East Texas Culture in 1982. *The building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, and is extremely important in the history of the Palestine community. *The museum houses a large collection of pioneer artifacts and memorabilia in hallway exhibit cases. Former classrooms have themes that include architecture, the railroad, local fire department, Black history, Palestine police, and education. *The Reagan Campbell Room commemorates two historical figures: John H Reagan, best known as the Postmaster General for the Confederacy, and Governor Thomas Campbell. *One of the museum’s main attractions is the 1857 Ingram Hudson Log Cabin, which can now be seen in the former gym at the museum. *The auditorium is available to rent for weddings, parties, reunions, dances, corporate dinners and other special events. *Adequate size for population served. *Decent operational hours; Wednesday through Saturday, 10am – 5pm except in the summer months when it is open 8am – 2pm. (SEE OPPORTUNITIES) *Interesting and extensive collection of artifacts and displays. (SEE OPPORTUNITIES) *The museum houses much of the community’s archives and history. *Friendly, knowledgeable staff. *Staff offers guided tours. *Group tours are available by appointment. *A few “gift shop” items that relate to the museum’s mission and
7.9.18 Page 7 of 13
enables visitors to contribute financially to the museum are available. (SEE OPPORTUNITIES) *The museum recently received a Texas Preservation Trust Fund grant to repair the roof. (SEE OPPORTUNITIES)
CONCERNS: *Most of the museum is unairconditioned which is bad for the museum’s collections and visitors alike! *Although the roof has recently been repaired, there are a number of other building issues that need to be addressed sooner rather than later for the health and well-being of the building, as well as the collections and archives. (SEE OPPORTUNITIES) Building is not accessible to people with disabilities. (SEE OPPORTUNITIES) *More interpretation is needed of the exhibits, artifacts and memorabilia for those who don’t want a guided tour. (See OPPORTUNITIES) *Although the museum is large, the exhibits are static so there is no incentive for repeat visitation. (See OPPORTUNITIES) *Ensure that the displays carry out the mission of the museum. *Lighting is inadequate in many areas and some displays are uninviting. *Original paper items, photographs and textiles are not properly displayed, which leads to accelerated artifact deterioration. (See OPPORTUNITIES).
OPPORTUNITIES: *Add additional interpretation of the exhibits, artifacts and memorabilia for those who don’t want a guided tour. *Update the brochure to include additional information on the exhibits for visitors who prefer a self-guided tour. *Inclusion of a rotating exhibit would give visitors and locals who have been to the museum a reason to come back several times a year. *To encourage residents to visit the museum, create an event to draw local visitors. *Archive original paper items and photographs; display only copies and properly display textiles. For more information on collections care and exhibit development, go to the THC’s Museum Services at http://www.thc.state.tx.us/preserve/projects-and- programs/museum-services. *Expand the selection of gift items for purchase to include additional keepsakes for adults and items for children. *Continue offering appropriate on and off-site educational opportunities to audiences of all ages. *Continue to prominently display visitor information for other Palestine and regional attractions at the entrance of the museum. *Consider expanding hours of operation to include Sunday, especially in the summer and during Spring Break. *Continue seeking grant opportunities to undertake additional repairs to the building, make it handicap accessible, and for proper care of the collections.
3. Texas State Railroad STRENGTHS: *On the Texas State Railroad, visitors can experience rail travel as it was in the early 1900s. The railroad features antique steam engines, diesel locomotives, and historic depots at both the Palestine and Rusk ends of the 25-mile track. The trains take passengers on a 50-mile roundtrip adventure across 24 bridges through the piney woods and hardwood creek bottoms. *Built in 1893 by the Texas State Prison System to haul iron ore and wood to iron smelting furnaces at the East Texas State Penitentiary in Rusk, the railroad now delights visitors with spring, summer and fall weekend trips, late November and December Polar Express trips, and periodic special events such as the Pumpkin Patch and Easter Egg Hunt train rides. (SEE OPPORTUNITIES) *The attraction is unique in the region, recreating historic rail travel and providing a glimpse of the early railroad industry. *Nicely done educational railroad related exhibits inside the train depot. *Good visitor kiosk with map and information on area attractions that can be accessed even when the trains are not running and/or the depot is closed. *The site is under relatively new management dedicated to improving the site and visitor experience recently investing $50,000 in the depot and cars. *Attractive website and promotional materials. *Reasonable rates. *Excellent gift shop with items for all ages relating to the site’s mission.
CONCERNS: *Visitors currently do not have a good reason to come to the site if they aren’t going to ride the train. (SEE OPPORTUNITIES) *There is still a misconception by some that the Texas State Railroad has
7.9.18 Page 8 of 13
ceased operations since Texas Parks & Wildlife transferred management of the site to American Heritage Railways on September 1, 2007! *Maintenance on railroad cars is time consuming and expensive. *Even though there is some directional signage to the railroad, more is needed. (SEE OPPORTUNITIES)
OPPORTUNITIES: *Convert the storage building into a Railroad Heritage Center or build a new facility on the grounds to house a museum to give railroad buffs and others a reason to visit the site even if they aren’t riding the train or give those that are riding a reason to stay longer at the site. This is the perfect place for a museum to tell the story of the railroad, particularly in the Palestine and Rusk areas, and visitors will also be thrilled to be able to watch staff work on the railroad engines! Ensure there are exhibits/displays for children, and interactive activities for adults as well. A spot for model trains would also be good. *The addition of a walking path around the grounds of the site with interpretive signage on the history of the railroad and the communities that it serves would be a welcome addition and give visitors another reason to come to the site even if they aren’t riding the train. *Continue utilizing the railroad and grounds for special events and tours (for a fee!), when it makes sense to do so. *Continue expanding special events on the train as staff and demand allow. *Increase packaging of “things to do” for visitors once they reach their destinations of Rusk and Palestine, and during the one hour layover at these stops. *Railroading fans and history buffs of all ages have one more reason to visit Texas State Railroad now that the Texas State Railroad (TSR) placed into service a restored FP9 streamlined passenger unit, number TSR 125. Be sure and capitalize on it! The addition of this classic diesel locomotive to the Railroad’s fleet culminates a five-year effort initiated by the Texas State Rail Authority and completed by The Western Group. Both entities are enthusiastic about finalizing the restoration of this period diesel which complements the Railroad’s notable roster of steam engines. Generate events around trips of the restored TSR 125 for residents and visitors, as well as the media, to capture the enthusiasm created by its addition to the fleet. *Continue partnering with railway associations and groups to help call attention to this unique resource. *Continue efforts to restore the 610 Steam locomotive and the old railway car and ensure on-site interpretation of each is provided once complete. One potential funding source is the Texas Preservation Trust Fund. Information about this THC grant can be found here: http://www.thc.texas.gov/preserve/projects-and-programs/texas-preservation-trust- fund .*Ensure that this historic statewide treasure establishment is featured prominently in all promotional materials, on the website and in advertising campaigns. *Continue to prominently display visitor information for other Palestine and regional attractions in the train station and at the visitor kiosk on the grounds. *Install additional directional signage to the site to ensure visitors are able to find the site easily.
4. The Redlands Historic Inn and other Palestine Area Accommodations STRENGTHS: *There are seemingly sufficient lodging opportunities in Palestine and the surrounding area for the most part, although there are no high end chain hotels and additional lodging could be filled during special events. (SEE OPPORTUNITIES) *Built in 1914 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Historic Redlands Inn is in the restored Redlands Building and offers 20 wonderfully appointed guest rooms, as well as housing the Red Fire Grille, Sparq Bar, retail shops, and more! (SEE CONCERNS & OPPORTUNITIES) The Redlands Historic Inn is a true treasure in downtown Palestine that offers very reasonable room rates, and should be promoted at every opportunity! *Many of the accommodations in and around Palestine, including the Redlands Historic Inn, are especially appealing to heritage tourists who are looking for authentic lodging options of high quality that offer an unforgettable experience. *There are at least six B&Bs, several of them in historic homes, and guest cottages in the Palestine area which will attract “traditional” heritage tourists and others looking for unique lodging experiences. (SEE OPPORTUNITIES)
7.9.18 Page 9 of 13
CONCERNS: *The Redlands Historic Inn (or is it The Redlands Hotel or the Redlands Inn) has an identity crisis as it is called several different names in promotional materials and it does not have its own unique identity on Facebook and other social media channels apart from the Redlands Building, which is confusing and almost certainly affecting the number of room stays. The name should be consistent everywhere and for marketing purposes. (SEE OPPORTUNITIES) *Certain GPS mapping services will send visitors into the Davey Dogwood Forest instead of to the inn, which is even more confusing! If visitors can’t find you (on social media and physically) they are going to be hard pressed to stayed there! (SEE OPPORTUNITIES) *There are quite a few locally owned motels, campgrounds, cabins, campsites and RV parks that provide additional lodging in the Palestine area; however, heritage tourists generally prefer higher quality accommodations. (SEE OPPORTUNITIES)
OPPORTUNITIES: *Although I understand that the entire building used to be a hotel called “The Redlands Hotel” and I assume that is why it is the name on the inn’s website even though the web address is http://www.redlandshistoricinn.com, many visitors will not and it will only serve to confuse them in the end! I would suggest the following names for simplicity: the Redlands Historic Inn in the Redlands Building. *Once a consistent name has been decided on, the Redlands Historic Inn needs to establish its own identity on Facebook and other social media channels, and ensure that visitors are aware that certain GPS mapping services will send them into the Davey Dogwood Forest instead of to the inn! *Additional development of boutique hotel and Bed & Breakfast offerings will encourage more heritage tourists, high value visitors, to spend the night in Palestine as these tourists are looking for unique accommodation experiences. *Recruitment of a high end chain hotel, when possible, will also attract heritage tourists and others looking for a more upscale experience.
5. Davey Dogwood Park, Steven Bennett Park, Reagan Park, Palestine Community Forest and/or other Palestine area parks or undeveloped park areas OPPORTUNITIES: *Consider developing hike and bike trails to serve multiple purposes in Davey Dogwood Park, Steven Bennett Park, Palestine Community Forest and/or other Palestine area parks or undeveloped park areas. Some of these parks may be better suited for this purpose than others. *Utilize low-tech interpretive choices like signage and maps, giving hikers and bikers rest areas that serve as health and history stops. Aransas County is doing this on their hike and bike trail from Rockport to Fulton. (Figure 2) And in Maryland, the Montgomery County Department of Public Works and Transportation has designed its new bikeway using a similar format. You can explore more here: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dot-dte/Resources/Files/2014-06-25-20BTT-20Wayside- 20Boards.pdf . (Figure 3)
7.9.18 Page 10 of 13
Figure 2. Interpretive signage along the Aransas County hike and bike trail from Rockport to Fulton.
Figure 3. The Bethesda Trolley Trail displays interpretive signage at historical stops for hikers and bikers.
6. Palestine Visitor Center, Downtown Palestine including the Texas Theatre, Eilenberger’s, Anderson County Courthouse, Historic Anderson County Jail, Carnegie Library, Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Palestine Main Street Art Tracks, Old Town Area, The Museum for East Texas Culture, NASA Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility, Mount Vernon A.M.E. Church, Howard House Museum, Pilgrim Church, Davey Dogwood Park, and Palestine Community Forest OPPORTUNITIES: *Although most of these historic and cultural assets are not destinations unto themselves, the resources in totality are enticing for a heritage tourist. Expanding the authentic and unique heritage offerings at each of these sites and then packaging them together could equal an experience that visitors would thoroughly enjoy! *To attract additional heritage tourists, consider ways of interpreting the natural heritage and history, such as through the use of interpretive panels and rack cards, as time and resources permit. *Ensure that the sites are featured prominently in all promotional materials, on the website and in advertising campaigns. *Cross promote the heritage aspect of these experiences with the natural heritage and the variety of activities each of them offers to present a more complete picture of what is available to visitors. *Strategically placed interpretive panels provide another opportunity to convey the stories of places where history occurred, but no physical evidence
7.9.18 Page 11 of 13
remains. *Consider packaging some or all of these experiences for visitors as half day, day long, or two day experiences through the American Bus Association (http://www.buses.org/ ). The motor coach, travel and tour industry creates jobs, provides access for rural communities, and contributes to environmental sustainability. Provide step-on guides to tell the historic significance and other stories of these resources.
*Develop dynamic programming for children at The Museum for East Texas Culture and the Carnegie Library. You have built-in audiences of children and their parents and the opportunity to start building the next generation of preservationists who understand and value their community. Take advantage of it by providing age appropriate events and activities downtown! *Ensure that whatever products are developed from these various experiences are featured prominently in all promotional materials, on the website and in advertising campaigns.
*VisitPalestine’s website (https://www.visitpalestine.com/default.aspx) is graphically pleasing with lots of photos, easy to navigate, up-to-date, and comprehensive without being too overwhelming. This is important because potential visitors could get frustrated if the information that they seek isn’t right at their fingertips and might simply move on to another destination! *The Visitor Guide, map and other marketing materials produced by VisitPalestine are also relevant with graphically pleasing designs. *VisitPalestine’s office location in the restored train depot is a good one. The prime location also serves to bring attention and recognition to this important historic asset.
*Additional signage is needed throughout Palestine and on-site to inform travelers of the existence of these assets. *Although visitor information is displayed prominently at VisitPalestine and several other locations, displaying local brochures of the sites, restaurants and shops to potential visitors at other sites where visitors stop, including your antique stores and specialty shops throughout the community is also important. Palestine is missing a huge opportunity if it doesn’t provide tourism information at these venues.
*Develop a regional heritage tourism itinerary with other Anderson County communities that are within an hour or so drive to Palestine that have some heritage and cultural assets, but no or little lodging. This regional approach could be a win-win for all communities involved by enticing tourists to visit every community in the itinerary (some which travelers might not visit otherwise), spend money, and return to Palestine to spend the night. This regional approach is actually the basis of the Texas Heritage Trails Program (THTP). A good example of a regional heritage tourism itinerary was a Partnership Grant that the THTP funded in 2002. (Unfortunately, due to a greatly reduced agency budget, these grants are no longer offered.) The project was titled “A Trail of Three Cities” Heritage Driving Tour and was a tri-city heritage tourism brochure for the Main Street Communities of Mount Vernon, Mount Pleasant and Pittsburg in East Texas. The mission of the project was to target the heritage tourist, foster cooperation between the three cities, and retain the tourist in the region for a longer period of time, thereby increasing tourism traffic and revenue. At the time of submission, only one of these communities had lodging - Pittsburg. The brochure featured points of interest in and between the three cities and provided a mapped driving tour designating historic sites along the “trail” between the three cities. When completed, it was a 9” x 3” full color, glossy tri-fold publication. The brochure was very
7.9.18 Page 12 of 13
popular and has been updated and reprinted through the years although it is currently not available. The THC does have a single copy of the brochure should you be interested in seeing it, and/or using it as a model for a Palestine County regional heritage tourism itinerary.
*Empower VisitPalestine, Palestine Main and others involved in tourism to be ambassadors for Palestine through mini FAM tours of area attractions and hospitality training. (SEE Downtown Palestine Area).
Regional and Statewide Heritage Tourism Resources The Texas Historical Commission (THC) plans and implements heritage tourism activities across the state through the Texas Heritage Trails Program (THTP). This initiative fosters preservation and economic development by encouraging communities, especially rural ones, to work together to promote Texas’ historic and cultural resources. (Figure 4)
The THTP facilitates local assistance and promotion through 10 heritage regions that stretch across the state. Regional organizations partner with the THC to facilitate individual site development and involvement of regional communities as well as promotion of the entire region as a heritage tourism destination. Figure 4. Map of Texas Heritage Trails Regions. Palestine is part of the Texas Forest Trail Region. Board meetings for the Forest Trail Region organization are paired with opportunities to learn about topics related to heritage tourism development through workshops and educational seminars, as well as visiting other towns in the region. Palestine has been a good partner for a majority of the time since the region’s inception, and in 2018 VisitPalestine’s Tourism Marketing Manager, Mary Raum, has applied to be on the Forest Trail Region board of directors. This will allow the community to become more involved by attending board meetings and other events arranged by the region and working on specific Forest Trail Region projects that may be of particular interest to the city and county.
Palestine should continue to ensure that heritage and cultural events are listed on the Texas Forest Trail Region website calendar of events which can be accessed at http://texasforesttrail.com/events for additional exposure to potential visitors. This is a free service and Palestine is doing an excellent job posting events on the statewide calendar.
Contact Marty Prince to learn more about the current initiatives of the Texas Forest Trail Region, to collaborate on additional ways Palestine can participate, and determine how the Forest Trail Region can serve and promote your visitor programs.
Texas Forest Trail Region Marty Prince, Executive Director 202 East Pilar Street, Room 126, Nacogdoches, TX 75961 Office: 936.560.3699 Cell: 936.553.2498 [email protected] www.texasforesttrail.com
7.9.18 Page 13 of 13
THC heritage tourism staff is available to answer questions regarding the Texas Heritage Trails Program or to consult about heritage tourism. Tourism and marketing specialists can assist communities and sites with heritage tourism needs.
Texas Heritage Trails Program Community Heritage Development Division Texas Historical Commission P.O. Box 12276, Austin, TX 78711-2276 Phone: 512.463.6092; Fax: 512.463.5862 Email: [email protected] Web site: www.thc.texas.gov
The Heritage Tourism Guidebook Learn more about the benefits of partnerships and heritage tourism for the community by reading and distributing a resource offered by the Texas Historical Commission (THC), the Heritage Tourism Guidebook. This guide will walk the reader through the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s four-steps of tourism development:
1. Assess the potential 2. Plan and organize 3. Prepare, protect and manage 4. Market for success
Following each of these steps will ensure careful planning based on community needs. The Guidebook is available as a PDF download from the THC web site at http://www.thc.texas.gov or hard copies can be ordered free of charge.
7.9.18
Section 3 – Texas Department of Transportation Notes
By Lois Rodriguez Thank you for letting us experience Palestine with you. You heard it many times during our visit, but the leadership at Visit Palestine is doing great work. The amount of work, programs and collaborations implemented with such a small staff is to be commended. There are many recommendations that we share with others that you have already tackled. I can only imagine what can be accomplished with all your ideas if there were more hands on deck.
In terms of strengths, you have many! Be proud.
But with that, I share a few items that I hope will be helpful. If you have specific questions about things not addressed, I’m glad to answer.
Website It’s a great website. Here are some suggestions that might help show variations of how Palestine can be experienced.
Include About Palestine on Website homepage. This is your chance to give readers a quick and enticing look at the essence of the community. Right now, they have to peruse the site to get that, and online users aren’t much into detective work, but they know they can go to About Me and find out if they want to dig deeper.
CALENDAR Fill out the calendar with events, not destinations. If either of those locations are having an event that day, list the event. Otherwise, I won’t expect it to be a useful calendar. Put a call out to the community to share information about events open to the public. Let them know the more full the calendar is, the more diverse and interesting Palestine becomes.
ITINERARY PLANNER I see it’s a work in progress, but I’d suggest Itinerary Planner have a more prominent placement, too. It’s OK in that dropdown menu, but it can also live in your homepage slideshow. That prominent spot should include more content that is a call to action. Pre-set itineraries, such as Family Friendly, Pet Friendly, Nature Lovers, Romance, Foodies, etc. that takes the guessing away and creates a bit of a catered check list will help make Palestine easier to navigate.
These itineraries can incorporate the top spots, or it could be a project for guest bloggers to create their specific itineraries. Get a family oriented person to do a family itinerary, an artistic person to do an art/architectural tour, etc. It’s OK to suggest they include some places. But if they write it, it takes the pressure off of you when businesses want to be included, but aren’t. They can’t all be, and if they are, a visitor will notice and the list becomes useless.
Or poll readers and share the results in blog form. That becomes content and something that visitors can use to make decisions
Other potential topics to feature: Palestine on a Budget, 48 Hours in Palestine, Experience Palestine Like a Local
Get Help I know your staff is small, but you are so very smart about all that you do. The only thing missing is more hands to help you carry out your ideas. Or to free you up to carry out those ideas.
Make a connection with the leadership at University of Texas Tyler at Palestine and the Trinity Community College to develop a program that strengthens both the community and the student’s education.
UT-Tyler Palestine has a Mass Communications program. The students could be used as local bloggers, photographers, social media postings, etc.
Use students to supply Palestine-related photos for your social.
Additional web and social media suggestions attached.
FREE TRAVEL PUBLICATIONS TxDOT Travel Division’s offers free Texas travel publications including the Texas State Travel Guide, official Travel Map of Texas, and Texas Highways Events Calendar. These help travelers determine where to go during their time off.
“These free publications are some of the best tools travelers have available for exploring the state,” said Joan Henderson, Travel Information Division Director for the Texas Department of Transportation. “If you’re looking for something to do, our publications will inspire you. If you already have a destination in mind, they help maximize your experience by showing you what else there is to do along the way.” The 264-page Travel Guide offers travel features on history, arts and culture, music, food, shopping, sports, family activities and the outdoors, plus information on more than 450 cities and 3,000 attractions. Because the state is so large, the city and attraction listings are separated into regions with an introduction highlighting some of the must-see places. The Events Calendar features hundreds of events occurring across the state each quarter: Summer (June-August), Fall (September-November), Winter (December-February) and Spring (March-May). It includes everything from festivals and fairs to rodeos, food events, music, art and museum exhibits, performances and market days.
YOUR TASK These are free and effective traveler tools. Make sure your listing is complete. Texas State Travel Guide: Make sure to look at your listings in the Texas State Travel Guide. Is it up to date? Is it missing a key attraction that is open to the public with regular hours? Editors have final say, but refresh the content if you think it needs updating or a little extra “life.” Feel free to reach out for guidance if needed.
Texas Highways Events Calendar: Continue to use this resource. It’s a popular publication that many use to decide where they are going. So many travelers are now using an event as a catalyst for travel. Make sure your events are listed.
Also, photos are ALWAYS useful and welcome. Editors may not always be able to use them, but if they have them, it certainly increases your odds of added exposure exponentially Vendors also clamor for their latest copy because they plan their selling days based on this. It could mean a more robust vendor pool for Palestine events.
Send your questions about the Texas State Travel Guide to [email protected]. If you haven’t received login information for Lightspoke tool to make suggested changes to your listing, you can request that through the above email. Submit changes through http://webhost.lightspoke.com/txdottstg/txdot_login.py
Stock up on Literature Keep your visitor center stocked with free travel publications for your guests
Limitations in numbers are not as strict. Ask for what you need and they will work to get that to you. Order Texas State Travel Guides, Maps, Texas Highways Events Calendars and other travel publications through Texas Travel Leads at [email protected] https://texastravelleads.com/ttl_login
Building Palestine’s Social Media Family and Maximizing Your Social Media Reach
BACKGROUND
In Paint Rock, Texas, cliff walls are adorned by complex pictographs – messages shared by Native Americans as art, stories and documentation of their surroundings. The messages were, no doubt, powerful, useful and a strong contributor to the culture of the day. It’s likely that some wall sections had more clout than others. It’s human nature to want to share stories just as it is human nature to gravitate to the better ones. Today, we have more advanced tools for writing on our “walls”, but we are still competing to tell the better story. Only now, we’re doing it on a global scale. So, what stories are you telling? And is your audience listening?
PROBLEM
Businesses have gotten on the social media bandwagon, but too many are just along for the ride, or they’re chasing their tails trying to master each new social networking service that comes along. The strategies presented here aim to help put you in the driver’s seat and steer the results in your direction, even as the road ahead curves, dips, rises and presents a few obstacles.
SOLUTION
1. Social Media Strategy
First, establish a social media strategy. I believe you said that you work on one, to some degree, but it’s crucial to have a well-thought out strategy that ties into your objectives and target markets.
Like charting a course for a destination, you need a roadmap and the tools to get you there. You need a strategy to guide you and help you know when you’re headed in the right direction.
To develop the strategy, you must ask/answer a few questions.
What is your objective? What do you want to achieve through social media? How can you do that in the most efficient and inexpensive way? Who are you trying to reach?
Presumably, your objective is to build an online community that you can connect with and reach out to on a regular basis through social media to increase your database, promote your community, build your brand, share a promotion and, on occasion, make a sales pitch.
Being clear of your message/focus will help you stay on point and relevant. Your postings should reflect that message. People will come to have expectations, and you’ll lose them if those expectations are not met. Stay on target and you become the experts that they go to for all things Palestine. Be the expert and go-to resource for Palestine. Own it!
2. Brand Messaging
Branding is not what you want it to be; it is what people perceive it to be.
Figure out how you want to be perceived and then post, respond and share accordingly.
Depending on resources, there may be one or many people posting on your organization’s behalf. That social media staff is on the front lines of branding. Establish a tone that is reflective of your business. All postings should be in one, unified voice that embodies that brand. No one should see “the man behind the curtain,” nor do you don’t want your organization to sound schizophrenic. 3. Social Media Calendar
A great time-management tool to implement is a social media calendar. Planned postings ensure consistent coverage, give you the opportunity to look at your postings more thoughtfully and strategically, and give you an overall picture to ensure you’re staying on point with your objective.
Other posting possibilities will arise, and there is always room for those last-minute postings that come with being as timely and relevant as often as possible, but a base calendar is the foundation.
A social media calendar allows you to sit down for an hour or so and schedule a month’s worth of postings.
Which Platforms?
Don’t try to be on all social media platforms. Go with those you can manage. With a small staff (1 maybe 2 doing it), that’s not a lot. I recommend sticking primarily with Facebook and Instagram – and use the video options! Use YouTube and Twitter, and more as you can.
You can schedule directly through Facebook. And you can use tools such as Hootsuite to schedule all your social media postings. For Instagram, you can create multiple postings and save them in draft form. Then set yourself a schedule to go in and simply publish them one at a time.
3. Monitor and Tweak
Every post and action should be evaluated on its own merits. Take note of whether a posting or website content is receiving great or little response. Analyze, tweak and/or eliminate the failures. Reproduce the formulas that are successful. Those patterns speak for the audience, and you have to listen to what the audience wants.
Always write in a way that connects with YOUR audience. When your audience can begin to count on you to give them what they want, and feel like you are truly addressing them and not just sending automated jargon, they will keep coming back. In turn, you win their loyalty.
Don’t be afraid to experiment. It’s one posting. But stay in touch with what works.
Example:
An old Texas Highways kolache story received thousands of hits because an influential reader revisited it and posted it on their social media site. This was discovered when reviewing Google analytics. It only made sense to tap into that interest and promote the story, ourselves, on our social media sites.
The results of an old story, just cleaned up slightly, were wonderful. There was little effort, and much payback.
Likewise, if you find you are successful on some social media networking services and not others, don’t lose sight of your successes. Don’t disrupt the flow. Re-evaluate the unsuccessful efforts and decide whether it’s a fixable issue, a matter of catering to that platform or whether it’s worth your time investment.
As you analyze your own numbers, also look to see who the top influencers are in your subject and tap that resource. See what they are doing right and, without losing sight of your own objectives and voice, test out their successes with your audience.
*Invite those influencers write a guest blog on your site. An influencer either has a high number of followers or serves as an expert in something local that tourists can experience. Or maybe they are just an Palestine enthusiast. Create a spot for guest blogs on your tourism website or use the Experience Palestine tab to give guest influencers a steady, easily findable place for tourists to read more about ways to experience Palestine. Hopefully, you’ll have enough to keep building new content on your site (content you can always re-promote via social media or anywhere on the site). Done well, those influencers will be striving to impress you for continued exposure for themselves. It’s a win-win-win for you, the influencer and the Palestine’s tourists.
Example: http://rocksinmysandals.blogspot.com/2013/03/palestine-texas.html
Even if it’s a useful old blog post, ask their permission to add it to your site.
4. On Target
Invest in target advertising offered in social networking services like Facebook and Twitter. It targets the audience you want to reach and can be successful at putting your brand in front of many new faces. Be strategic about what you promote, such as bigger picture items with greater appeal. Also, pay attention to audience response. If a posting proves particularly popular with your followers, it could have the power to draw in a new batch of loyal followers. Take the readers’ cue and boost it. Who is out there to attract to your website and social media pages? WeAreSocial.net gives us a peak:
5. Be genuine. Be Social.
Don’t just DO social. Be social. Take the time to build relationships with your followers. Be friendly, accessible, informative, impactful, focused and responsive. When someone shares a thoughtful comment, return the favor. People like feeling like they have been heard.
These are conversations that must be nurtured before you’ll see results. Just being online is not enough. That expectation for you to be online is already there. You have to go beyond.
Roger Brooks shared Cone Research results, which showed: 93 percent of Americans believe a company should have a social media presence. Do you? 85 percent believe a company should be active with its customers in social media. Are you? 56 percent feel a stronger connection with the companies they interact with on social media. What are you waiting for?
It’s not difficult to make simple, friendly talk. Here is a simple question to engage the readers and some small feedback to show we are engaged in a two-way conversation. . So those are the basics. Now, how do you decide which platforms you’ll use, which tone is best, how often you should post and more?
TIPS AND TRICKS
Where shall I go?
It’s daunting when you consider all the possible social media networking services. There’s so much! But don’t allow yourself to be overwhelmed. With your social media strategy in place, this will be easy to answer.
Based on the objective you’ve established, which social media networking service aligns best with your social media strategy and target audiences? What are the top platforms that are best suited for your message?
There’s Facebook, for sheer numbers, is worth time and effort. In the current climate, Facebook is still a must.
Instagram is the second most popular social media site at the moment. With capabilities to tell stories, share videos and engage in the kind of quick audience grab, Instagram lets the shorter-attention-span audience use the same amount of post viewing time to scan several of your stories and photos. They are also kind to reward the good stuff with shares.
But numbers aren’t the only factors.
Because consumers have an insatiable appetite for video, YouTube is as much a given as Facebook. If you are able, maximize use of YouTube. It is the second largest search engine. Create a video channel if you don’t have one and maximize your use of it. Post videos to your Facebook and other social media sites, too.
To maximize time investment, additional platforms should be considered carefully. Stick with Facebook, Instagram, then YouTube as first choices. Focus on providing quality, not quantity, with regard to content.
Texas Highways magazine studied the analytics for other sites beyond the platforms being used. Upon making demographic comparisons, Pinterest also was added. The dynamics were very similar. However, we have since slowed down on Pinterest – again, because we paid attention to what was/wasn’t working best for us. You are never locked in.
Later, as Instagram started to surpass Twitter in the number of users, it was adopted, as well. This is a platform that allows the magazine to reach out to a broader demographic and help draw in younger followers. The addition of a younger following is vital to the health of the product, which in the end for destinations, it means solidifying its consumer base.
Also, with Instagram, you can tell a big story about Palestine through photos. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words, and this is a great place to get that going. You’ll love the response.
Whatever you choose, ask yourself, what works best for your mission?
What shall I do?
Build strong brand identity by connecting with consumers and drawing traffic to your community website via informative and engaging content. What you share must be interesting, relevant, shareable and, above all, useful.
Communicate in a friendly, conversational tone.
Treat each posting as a potential show stopper. Whatever parameters you have for any given platform – 140 character tweet to a blog – make it pop. Make it interesting enough to make readers want to take action. Important: Although you have more characters for Facebook, know that you’ll probably lose attention of readers if you can’t say it in 25 words or so. Keep it as brief as possible! That makes it more challenging, but that’s where scheduling posts a month out or so will help you in the long run.
Make sure the content is relevant to your area of expertise. You’ve pulled together an audience and they’re tuning in. Will they get what they came to find?
Once your postings are relevant, interesting and fun, they also become shareable. Think about each posts odds of being shared.
Get Visual
Include a visual element with every posting. The more compelling, the better. As the saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” That’s certainly more than the 140 character limit of Twitter. Consider its shareability factor. You want readers to like a posting, but you want them to share it, too. That gets your brand out there. Each share multiplies your reach exponentially.
That could also mean taking a beautiful image from Palestine and sharing a profoundly positive thought that others will want to share. Or use a local photo to promote a key day/event, such as time change heads up, First Day of Summer, etc. Again, quick, bright items that others will share.
Make sure that your branding is included in the image (a Visit Palestine logo on one corner of the photo works). That way, when it’s shared, your branding is carried along with it.
Examples: First did not include a TH logo because we were promoting a reader’s photo for the photo’s sake.
This photo posting is an example of how that works on many levels. It is a reader- submitted photo. This was an unsolicited submission made possible because the relationship between the magazine and photo hobbyists has already been established. This also speaks to interactivity, it’s of a popular subject (wildflowers), it’s relevant (Texas), and it’s compelling enough that others want to share the image with others. Be sure your brand/name is clear so those receiving the shares know it has come from you.
With nearly 11,000 likes and 2,900 shares, this simple posting netted a reach of 357,376 people. That’s a success. And its shelf life is at least a weeklong or more as the shares continue to trickle. How much would that reach have set you back on your marketing budget? Wouldn’t residents and visitors to your community also like to share some of their fun photos from your area? Photo enthusiasts are everywhere. And plenty of amateurs catch some great shots. Just be selective, in general. Set a high standard, and that’s what you’ll get when you invite readers to share. People communicate in three ways – visual, vocal/tone and verbal/actual words. Visual makes up 55% of that, so the visual element is precious! The tone (38%) and then the words (just 7 %) follow in passing on a message.
Even so, there are many visuals for users to weed through online. There’s more chatter than ever on the social media airwaves, and it’s truly challenging to have your voice heard.
Make the Connection
Drawing an audience is one challenge. Keeping them will hinge on your ability to hold a conversation.
By nature of the beast, a business’ social media goal includes some monetary pay off, whether you’re selling a destination, a hotel night or a product. In order to do that affectively, you will need to understand that a key part of social media is about being social.
Genuine engagement with your social media following helps build trust, respect and loyalty. Your audience and fellow influencers then feel confident and compelled to help spread your message through shares, retweets, repins, likes and more. In essence they become ambassadors for your brand. But don’t assume that, because they have already chosen to follow you, that they’re loyal.
It takes time and commitment to follow and participate in the conversations on your social media pages, but it’s as important as the messages you post. A true conversation is a two-way street. Invite readers’ opinions and respond in kind. Acknowledge thoughtful comments.
Show appreciation and stroke the audience’s ego.
First example may apply to only a few, but the thanks goes a long way to reach those who hadn’t been sharing … til now.
Have fun with them:
Example: It’s kind of silly, and you don’t need to do a silly photoshop job, but laugh at yourself or simply be light. Don’t always sound serious or that you’re just promoting the city. Show personality so that readers can connect or relate.
Ask their opinions.
Respond and participate in the conversation.
View the exchange as customer service and give followers the best customer service experience possible. Those positive experiences translate into compelling word-of- mouth. Again, that's more ambassadors for your brand.
And while it’s hard to do with few on task, the quicker the response, the better. Keep your social media sites up and check sporadically throughout the day.
Performance management consultant T. Scott Gross says this kind of customer service is the “most fun you can have and still do serious business.” As your following grows, you’ll find your audience becomes a community where they start sharing with each other. This best-case scenario is your goal, and it makes your job easier.
Handle Negatives in a Positive Manner
Of course, this also entails dealing with more negative comments. Like any group of people, there will be those who are unhappy or combative about almost anything. It becomes your task to keep the conversation focused and free of drama. A skilled communicator can turn the situation around in a respectful way that does not instigate more negativity. The lesson learned early in life is crucial here: “If you can’t say anything nice …” One mishandled social media response has the power to dismantle all the good work you’ve done in one viral chain of postings.
If you’ve developed a solid community, you’ll find other followers are good at self- policing the site, which leaves you off the hook. Someone else will say what you’re thinking.
Some may have valid complaints. Always be prepared to address those complaints. Don’t ignore or delete valid complains. That smacks of censorship and creates distrust from readers.
Fran Stephenson, an expert in crisis communication and communications, warns “bad news travels at the speed of a tweet, so smart organizations need to prepare before their next crisis.”
That means, being ready to address issues immediately in an open and honest way. Whether clarifying a situation or acknowledging error, doing so promptly puts the subject to bed sooner. Left alone for a long period could allow the situation to fester and grow into a bigger issue to tackle.
Monitoring conversations online helps give you the heads up to immediately address and minimize the impact of any negative publicity. The way it is handled/addressed goes a long way in instilling trust and respect. Be 100 percent professional. You are speaking as the business.
The Words You Use in Marketing
Most marketing efforts – brochures, websites and even social media – are ineffective.
With thousands upon thousands of messages we receive every day, how do you make yours stick, so that it’s absorbed by the consumer? “
One solution to standing out above others is to stop marketing destinations and start selling experiences. When people do an online keyword search, they search, first, for an experience such as kayaking, hiking, diving or dining. The destination is secondary, at best.
There also are words that most are using that, if you want to stand out, you should stop using - words and phrases such as “explore,” “unique,” “fun for the whole family,” “Best kept secret” and “Something for everyone.” How enticed are you by those? Thought so.
It’s not that you’re doing anything wrong, but you’re doing what everyone else is doing.
HOW WILL YOU KNOW YOU’RE A SUCCESS?
Look to social media networking services you are using to get analytics of your postings. Check them regularly, if not daily.
Social media management dashboard sites, such as Hootsuite, are not only great for post management and scheduling, but they can also track click throughs on URLs in postings. A great dashboard will connect to Google Analytics to also help monitor traffic on your website. After all, social media should be driving traffic to your community’s website (so make sure that site is efficient for the user).
Track the number of shares and comments, too.
Along with Hootsuite and Google Analytics, other notable, free social media monitoring sites include Sprout, Klout, TweetReach, TweetDeck, Social Mention, Twazzup, Addictomatic, HowSociable, IceRocket, and Reachli.
Use all your tools to grow your social media presence.
WHO WILL DO IT?
Establish social media practices and policies as part of your social media strategy. Select staff with appropriate customer service and social skills to do the best job possible.
In-house or Outsource? No one can have as much a vested interest or passion in your community than you. If at all possible, keep the social media tasks in house. Outsourced influencers still work for you, but are identified as guests, so they do not overtake your branding, This is, of course, just the overview. The details of social marketing look more like this … but all in good time.
POSTING IDEAS
Polls or questions: What’s your favorite thing to do in -----?
Post a branded image. Create a shareable graphic that includes your branding. Works great for holidays, but can be used for any shareable quote (still related, in some way, to your objective).
A simple “Good morning!” or “Thank you.” It’s a chance to bond with readers, build on that love of Texas and help pull us all together by asking them to share what their part of Texas (the world) looks like.
Quotes: Inspiring or funny quotes that are relevant to your topic of expertise
Spotlight destination hotspots. Sell it with compelling pictures.
Share old photos from your archives (Throwback Thursday) or “This Day In History” type of posts.
Give new life to old information, such as promoting itinerary suggestions. And updating and repurposing them as you see fit. Perhaps a local college has someone who might volunteer/intern to help pull these packages together.
Collection of stories about haunted places and towns.
See what’s trending on Twitter and participate in any conversation that’s you can tie to your community. You can be fun/creative about it, too. Example, if it’s National Train Day and one of the top hashtags may be #TrainDay, use the opportunity to create a posting that reminds people about the Texas State Railroad. You can even have fun and go out on a limb and make a stretch, for example, if a top trending hashtag is #transportation. “We know a good form of #transportation – Texas State Railroad….” Then, your posting will show up for anyone in the world searching under the #trainday or #transportation hashtag, which you already know is getting great traffic. Or maybe the popular hashtag that day is simply #takemeaway. You could do a post about something in Palestine that might fit in that mode – to the lake? Then include the trending hashtag. Again, people searching the top hashtag will be directed to your posting. That means more eyes from unexpected places. Re-share one of your popular blog postings, itineraries, or any popular content you have. Blogs are pretty essential content, though. Find a schedule that can be managed and have a blog posting about something that makes the community special. Not a local newsletter, but something that both locals and visitors can appreciate about what makes your community special. Fun facts, little known secrets, history of … etc. all make fascinating content. And don’t forget guest bloggers. Build up useful content that will help visitors understand the charm of Palestine. Link to your blogs that further establish your organization as an expert source. If anyone is going to be an expert about your community, that’s you. After asking a question in a posting, write a blog post and promote the collective results/answers. “Our readers say ---- is the best place to get barbecue in …” and give those that are new to the topic a chance to chime in by asking, again, “Do you agree with the results?” Share statistics or graphics and information that further establish your organization as a solid resource.
DESTINATION MARKETING WORDS AND PHRASES TO AVOID When creating marketing pieces for Palestine, it’s important to appeal to the intended readers’ quest for experiences, not places. Most won’t be drawn in by the fact that the ad is from Palestine, but they will be drawn in by the promise of a train or nature adventure, for example.
“When it comes to community-related marketing efforts, a full ninety-seven percent of all destination marketing and advertising is ineffective,” says destination marketing expert Roger Brooks. “Think city, county, state, province, region, or even a country. Billions are spent every year trying to attract new residents, business investment, economic development and tourism. And billions are wasted every year because the message is mundane, overused, and just like everyone else.
The following are words and phrases to avoid when creating marketing messages. These are words that could apply to any place anywhere. Find what makes Palestine special and shed some light on it.
Explore Gateway (a gateway is Discover something you pass through to Unique (so overused it’s come to go somewhere else) mean “just like everyone else”) Close to it all Four season destination Right around the corner Fun for the whole family Your playground Naturally fun (anything with the So much history word “natural” in it) So much to offer Something for everyone (have The place for all ages you ever gone anywhere … and so much more because they had something for Home away from home everyone?) A slice of heaven Outdoor recreation (name a place It’s all right here that doesn’t have this) Recreation unlimited Unlike anywhere else The perfect getaway (or place) So much to see and do The place for families Where the seasons come to life Start your vacation here Historic downtown Recreational paradise Center of it all (have you ever Take a look! gone anywhere because it was A great place to live, work and the center of anything?) play (the most overused slogan) Best kept secret Location, location, location We have it all Open for business Experience… Your adventure place (anything Visit (name of destination) with the word adventure in it) Beauty and heritage Unique shops & restaurant
Section 4 – Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Notes
By Shelly Plante Palestine – SWOT Assessment
Davey Dogwood Park Strengths: Events offered that already have good word-of-mouth and publicity: Dogwood Trails Celebration, El Camino 205 - cycling challenge For the 80th Annual Dogwood Trails Celebration they were able to extend to three themed weekends next year – takes advantage of popularity of this festival and gives more people an opportunity to visit the city and forest without overly taxing the town’s infrastructure. Variety of activities available: wildlife viewing/photography, birding, hiking, scenic drives, picnics, running, cycling, drones, kites Rentable pavilion Used a lot by the locals so has local support
Weaknesses: No interpretive signage yet – there is one kiosk posted at a parking area but there is no educational info on kiosk, just map of town and points of interest in town. There is no info on dogwoods, the trails, wildlife, or other details about the park itself. Dawn-dusk park – prevents camping access since day-use only. No bathrooms on-site – they spend $1000 for three weeks to bring in porta- potties for Dogwood Festival
Opportunities: Rebranding Dogwood Festival and revitalizing town pride in dogwoods as part of town heritage Could be an opportunity to appeal to another user group if interested in offering overnight camping on a limited basis Would need to look into “iron ranger” on-site or online site reservation and pay system possibly if unable to have a person on staff to collect funds, once bathrooms have been built/installed) Community mentioned that they would like to move into educational tourism – opportunity to work with Master Naturalists or other local experts on development of interpretive signage at the parking areas, trail heads, etc. There are opportunities to educate visitors about the wildlife, plants, trails, and unique qualities of the lovely local dogwood forest.
Upper Lake and City Lake (Palestine Community Forest) Strengths: Upper Lake and City Lake is within Palestine Community Forest (managed by parks and rec/community services) Great place for a paddling by trail or two Hosted family fishing day for past two years to clean up and highlight the lakes in area Amenities: covered picnic tables, grill, and fishing pier Activities: fishing, boating, canoeing/kayaking, birding, wildlife viewing/photography Ample areas to park Scenic drive between the lakes within the forest
Weaknesses: No bathrooms Swimming not allowed No interpretive signage Parks and lakes are listed on the city’s page under parks and recreation but their only listing in “The Great Outdoors” section of the Visit Palestine site doesn’t have directions, links, or maps so difficult for visitors to know where to go from web listing on the page aimed at them. Wolf Creek Lake - hiking but no trail maps, topographical maps available if visitors know where to ask for them.
Opportunities: Better trail maps and signage at the visitor center, at the lakes, and online would be great! Update the visitor website to include a few more details on how to get to the various lakes and what you can do there. It’s great to keep the website clean and simple, but some details are needed for people visiting and unfamiliar with the area. The lakes we visited all appear to have the requirements to create an official Texas Paddling Trail (TPT). This would be an excellent opportunity, since there are currently no other Paddling Trails in Palestine. Requirements for establishing a TPT include water with existing access points as well as a community partner, both of which are met by your lakes. The 4-12 mile length parameter does not apply since this is a loop trail on a lake (or lakes) and people can stay on the water for as long or short a time as they wish. Requirements and the application process can be found online at https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/boat/paddlingtrails/future/. There is a long lead time in getting trails established due to the number of current applications the team is working on, but it would be worth applying if there is community interest. 6am-9pm park hours means that, much like Davey Dogwood Park, there is the possibility to open for camping if a mechanism could be found that works for the park (see above).
State Railroad All park property along railroad – a very long linear park! Park puts on Polar Express set at turnaround point. Texas State Railroad Commission owns the land and The Western Group runs the railroad programs. 1/2 year runs out of Palestine and 1/2 year it runs out of Rusk.
Strengths: Rusk and Palestine work together to support the Railroad 80,000 visitors per year come through depot generating tourism dollars (25,000 people March-Oct; 55,000 Nov-Dec) Great gift shop and grounds. Themed ride that is well known outside of Palestine and very successful for tourism.
Weaknesses: Lack of promotion for train by communities other than Rusk and Palestine even though it is a great regional attraction. Lack of licensing for other train-themed films to have movie-themed events on the actual train with events around that keeps their focus on the Polar Express event. Working through 40yrs of infrastructure issues right now since place was built 40yrs ago by TPWD. Listing this in weaknesses as it diverts funds to these projects currently, but I do see this as a huge benefit and opportunity once the projects are complete. We could already see great updates to the site during our visit!
Opportunities: Re-did the woodwork, painted everything and re-roofing the depot buildings this past year are examples of infrastructure upgrades that give opportunities for better tourist experiences, improved word of mouth promotion, Corporate parties and festivals or events around train themes. I can visualize Harry Potter festival type events with the large inflatable movie screen and simply purchase viewing licensing to host the event (Murder on the Orient Express, Harry Potter, and others through licensing with Swank: https://www.swank.com/k- 12-streaming/bucket/8498-literature) The 610 was used to run The Freedom Train in 1976 (Like Liberty Bell, copy of the Constitution, etc toured the whole country during this ride) for the ride through Texas; this is the only one of its kind left. This is highly promotable to train and history buffs. Renovating the passenger train in storage to be used for events either in situ or as a running train.
Threats: Can’t link directly to downtown Palestine – Union Pacific would need to allow use on about 5miles of rail for a railroad to go into downtown.
Additional Opportunities and Other Attractions, Considerations, and Resources Steven Bennett Park - wetlands area, Birding opportunities. This Place Matters campaign in May. The loop has circumvented downtown so need way to bring folks downtown. Museum of East Texas Culture - cohesive interpretive signage, rotating exhibits, archive articles and take the stories to bring to life. Tyler Master Naturalists working with Main Street to work on bat abatement program in downtown. Reagan Park has bathrooms.
The city should be sure to consider TPWD grants as a method to grow or enhance their nature tourism product. There are a variety of grants offered by TPWD including:
Website: Nice clean layout and great imagery. Easy to navigate. Simple easy-to-read text. Website OPPORTUNITIES: o A little more in the way of contact or directional information for some of the sites would be helpful. o Having time of year listed for local events that visitors might not be familiar with would be helpful (blueberry season, dogwood season, etc.). o Plan a Trip maps could include the hiking and biking maps, dogwood driving map (and time of year), map of downtown, and other maps you have in paper form at the visitor center to help visitors have access on their phones or from home before they visit. o Itineraries . Love that you have an itinerary interactive capability coming to your website! . As you have time, you could add to this and have itineraries for different niche areas: food, history, nature, shopping, family getaway, couples overnight/weekend, that sort of thing. Brochures o You have a great community brochure with all events, activities, attractions, and addresses. Love this.
Take advantage of marketing platforms and grant opportunities that are already available (if already using then promote those things, see if new sites can be added): o Texas Parks and Wildlife Grants: . Local Park Grants: https://tpwd.texas.gov/business/grants/recreation-grants/about- local-parks-grants . Community Outdoor Outreach Program Grants (focused on connecting underserved communities with the outdoors): https://tpwd.texas.gov/business/grants/recreation- grants/community-outdoor-outreach-program-co-op-grants . Recreational Trail Grants: https://tpwd.texas.gov/business/grants/recreation- grants/community-outdoor-outreach-program-co-op-grants
o Great Texas Wildlife Trails, Prairies and Pineywoods East: Texas State Railroad Loop - https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wildlife/wildlife- trails/ppwe/texas-state-railroad-loop . Several local sites are listed on the trail already. You could promote this trail in your Visitor Center (we have free rack cards for the trails that can be obtained by calling 512-389-8697. o Texas Paddling Trails: www.tpwd.texas.gov/paddlingtrails . Submit a trail application for lake trails if interested in this program. At the CVB, start collecting email and zip codes from all visitors to develop an email list for email marketing if you aren’t already. You can send out information to visitors about upcoming festivals, events, attractions based on time of year/seasons, etc. on a regular basis (quarterly? Seasonally? After you determine your annual activities you can better create an email calendar that makes sense for you). o Love that you have email sign-up already on your Visit Palestine website!! o Make contact with groups who represent niche markets you can serve: university astronomy groups to tour the NASA facilities, Master Naturalists to help with interpretive signs or possibly leading bird walks or hikes in your forests, bird clubs to visit your local birding sites (see Wildlife Trail sites above), etc. Create an internal event calendar to better see what the community has going on with bigger events/happenings throughout the year. This will help guide regular communication to your visitors via the email list suggested above. Retaining existing visitors is much easier than growing new visitors and a calendar will help you make the case that folks should come back throughout the year to see what Paslestine has to offer. Example event simple event calendar:
Section 5 – Texas Commission on the Arts Notes
By Anina Moore
PALESTINE: TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS ASSESSMENT
In general, from the arts perspective: The community has many assets, including knowledgeable, motivated representatives and citizens and appealing, well-designed, well-considered marketing materials. Palestine has an established, consistent, and authentic social media presence. A majority of community members all seemed to be on the same page about tourism in Palestine, and appeared to be working together well. The tourism marketing manager has good experience and is investing further in her tourism knowledge by attending the Texas Travel Industry Association’s travel & tourism college. The community has several unusual tourism draws already developed that make Palestine a unique destination: the NASA Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility, the Texas State Railroad (including the Polar Express events), and the Dogwood Festival. Palestine was recognized as one of the Texas Top 40 travel destinations by Texas Highways. Arts assets include: Palestine Community Theatre (housed in the Texas Theatre, a historic building), Palestine Art Tracks sculpture trail (most sculpture is for sale, nice brochure shows where the pieces are), Palestine High School auditorium, Palestine Civic Center, small outdoor performance stages at Texas State Railroad, Gallery at Redlands, Old Town Vintage & More (local artists’ work for sale), three commercial live music performance venues listed in Visit Palestine brochure, and a small sculpture park.
For-profit assets include affordable lodging including bed and breakfasts, a historic hotel, and chain hotels as well as several bars, restaurants, and boutiques. Palestine is large enough to have unique homegrown businesses as well as some familiar national chains.
Resources for Palestine available from the Texas Commission on the Arts include: Grants for nonprofits and governmental entities, particularly the Arts Respond Performance Support program: https://www2.arts.state.tx.us/tcagrant/TXArtsPlan/CC6.htm Texas Touring Roster artists roster: http://www.arts.texas.gov/artroster/roster/ Consultations with Texas Commission on the Arts staff members on specific topics
ASSESSMENT NOTES:
Redlands Hotel Strengths: Conveniently located in downtown Palestine. Owners are longtime residents and highly supportive of wise redevelopment/preservation projects for hotel and downtown area (hosting the “Imagine the Possibilities” real estate tour event, for example). Hotel offers several accommodation options (including long term rentals, suites, apartments, etc.). Rooms were clean and charming. Hotel includes an art gallery (featuring area artists’ work for sale),
boutique, bar, and fine dining restaurant on the first floor. A salon is in a space in the basement. These businesses add to the visitation of the hotel. Appealing, historic hotel lobby includes brochures on what to do in the area. Lovely rooftop courtyard. Building itself ties to Palestine’s railroad history. Website lists businesses in hotel as well as other things to do in the area. Weaknesses: Lobby currently not air-conditioned, although owners are working on this. It’s not possible to book a room online; customers need to email or call. Art gallery does not always have someone staffing it, but contact information of gallery owner and artists is available. Not clear how a sale would be handled at times when gallery is not staffed. It is also appears that the hotel is not fully ADA compliant. Opportunities: Owners currently reside in the top floor of the hotel, which is uniquely decorated and designed. Owners are considering renovating this space and/or opening it for rental use. This may be an opportunity for the hotel to host meetings and events, or to rent the penthouse out as a very special accommodation, depending on the structural and historic elements that need to be preserved. Current décor shows the charm and character of the owners. Another part of the top floor needs to be renovated; perhaps that can be made into a more flexible event space and the penthouse apartment can be maintained mostly as-is for its unique elements. Threats: None anticipated.
Eilenberger’s Bakery Strengths: Long history in Palestine. Sells a variety of desserts and other specialty foods in- house as well as by catalog. Serves lunch (tasty sandwiches, etc.). Staff is warm, friendly, and funny. Already part of the Go Texan program. Bakery items were very affordable. Weaknesses: I wasn’t personally aware of the Eilenberger’s brand before our visit, so I’m not sure how aware tourists will be of it (It is listed in the Visit Palestine brochure under “local flavors.”). It wasn’t clear from our visit whether all catalog products were available at the bakery. Opportunities: If this is not being done already, consider carrying catalog products at the storefront for a full-service experience. Threats: None anticipated.
NASA Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility Strengths: A truly unusual experience to offer a tourist, especially one interested in science or space. When scientists are in residence, visitors can talk to them about their projects/experiments, and see the “payloads” that will go up with the balloon. The level of access was very engaging and felt like a rare type of experience. Visitors’ center is open regular hours and tours are free (preferably pre-arranged). Able to provide tours for up to 200 school children. If timed correctly, visitors are allowed to observe balloon launches. Weaknesses: While tours could be conducted year-round, the season for balloon launches is limited; this also limits the presence of some of the scientists. Opportunities: This is a rare thing for tourists to get to experience and it’s not clear how well the tour is marketed—there may be ways to work with Johnson Space Center, etc. to get out the word about this more. A partnership with the Curious Museum might also add to young visitors’ hands-on experiences.
Threats: Possible decrease/loss of federal funding for NASA/the facility.
Braly Builders Supply Strengths: Interesting example of reuse of a historic community building. Bright, airy, and well- organized, staffed by friendly people. Named “Coolest Hardware Store on the Planet.” Owner grew up in Palestine and is clearly motivated to invest in the community. Weaknesses: Not listed as a point of interest on the map provided by the visitors’ center, although it is listed in the multi-page brochure. The store’s main concern is with being a hardware store rather than a tourist attraction, which is realistic but probably limits the tourism appeal of some parts of the store, such as the paint area. Opportunities: If the store wants to attract tourists and boost its appeal to visitors, perhaps adding a component that encourages selfies would maintain its prime identity as the Coolest Hardware Store on the Planet while encouraging visitation. Threats: Likely the usual threats to a locally owned store: national chain stores.
Sparq Bar Strengths: Fun drinks (including thematic specials for the royal wedding), good atmosphere, clearly a nice gathering place at the hotel. Stained glass décor referred to Palestine’s heritage. The bar is a nice amenity connecting the Red Fire Grille and the hotel. The bar is well aligned with the upscale-but-comfortable feels of both the hotel and restaurant. Weaknesses: Craft drinks take a while to make when there’s one bartender on duty. Opportunities: This is a nice place for tourists to mingle with locals. Threats: None anticipated.
Red Fire Grille Strengths: Good food and service, appealing décor. Staff accommodated our large group well. Recently started serving lunch, which will help them expand their market. Weaknesses: it was a Tuesday night, but the restaurant was not very full aside from our group. Hopefully they have enough businesses on peak days to afford slow Tuesday nights. Opportunities: Consider packages with the hotel or other tourist draws, seek independent recognitions for the restaurant to help expand its reputation outside the local area. Threats: Not enough business to sustain current quality.
Outdoor assets: Davey Dogwood Park; Palestine Community Forest; Upper, Lower, & Wolf Creek Lakes Strengths: Dogwood season is well-marketed with events going on for three weeks. These events include an art/music-lovers’ weekend and dulcimer music festival with interactive art displays and pop-up galleries. This is a nice way to attract visitors and offer them many options. These events have been ongoing for several years, which has allowed the festival to grow its reputation, and tourists to have a reason to return regularly. One park hosts the El Camino 205 cycling challenge. Lake-based parks are pretty and quiet and allow tent camping and non- motorized boats. Wolf Creek Lake features a waterfall and small swimming hole. Weaknesses: When dogwoods are not in bloom, visitors may not be able to identify which trees are dogwoods, and may have fewer reasons to visit the park. Parks do not have restrooms for
visitors (just portable toilets), which may deter some visitors, especially would-be campers at lake-based parks. No swimming in lakes because of alligators. Opportunities: Consider providing interpretive signage at Davey Dogwood Park that helps visitors identify and learn about trees and other plants, possibly geological information about the area as well—this can help extend visitation opportunities outside of dogwood festival season. Consider building small, sustainable permanent restroom facilities in Davey Dogwood Park and adding a kayak rental option at a lake park. Threats: Outdoor festivals are dependent on good weather, but the longevity of the dogwood festival implies that most logistical challenges have been worked out/foreseen.
Texas State Railroad Strengths: Texas State Railroad has a new operator in place and they are investing in the facilities/infrastructure of the railroad. Staff is enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Polar Express events are a significant holiday tourism draw. Offers a range of ticket prices and amenities. On- site Cajun restaurant hosts live music on weekends. Nice gift shop and depot. Attracts 80,000 visitors per year. 60,000 of visitors are Polar Express riders during its six-week season. Makes use of prison trustee system for some manual labor, which keeps costs lower. Weaknesses: Railroad is open seasonally, which could limit visitation. Opportunities: Park is accessible outside the season and could be used for gatherings and events to expand use and visitation. Park includes a few small railroad-inspired stages that might be able to host acoustic performances. Another assessment team member suggested screening movies that have a train tie-in, which seems like a great idea. General manager hopes to make a train museum area that would allow visitors to see train engineers work on a steam engine. A partnership with the Curious Museum might also add to young visitors’ hands-on experiences. Threats: Former railroad operator has some outstanding debts, which may mean lingering negative feelings/PR about the railroad.
Civic Center Strengths: Auditorium seats 1300 people, proscenium stage, dressing rooms, grand piano. Already hosts dance events. Hope to rebrand civic center as a performing arts center. Infrastructure in place for security, catering, etc. Facility includes multipurpose room with commercial kitchen, which accommodates 300 people max. Weaknesses: Not ADA compliant, seems underused, current fence makes it look closed/unwelcoming, unclear how events are marketed outside area. Opportunities: Use a bright marquee sign close to the road to advertise upcoming events & promote ticket sales. Work with VSA Texas (http://www.vsatx.org/) to find resources on addressing steep grade of house, adding spaces for audience members who use wheelchairs, addressing ease of access from house to accessible restrooms. Use the Texas Touring Roster to select affordable Texas artists who can perform in the civic center. Southwest Performing Arts Presenters (http://www.swpap.org/) is a good resource for peer support and networking— suggest starting by contacting area peers like Cynthia Hellen at LeTourneau University’s Belcher Center.
Threats: Palestine High School has a state-of-the-art auditorium that seats 700 and is already used for community performances. Representatives of both venues will need to work together to schedule performances/bookings/marketing so that they don’t split their audience potentials. A best practice would be to identify what each venue is best for (based on size, price, technical assets, etc.) together. Floor tiles are glued with asbestos, so cosmetic redo could be hazardous and costly.
Museum for East Texas History Strengths: Located in a lovely historic school building, which is a great building reuse and site for a history museum. Includes a charming performance venue that is used for old time music festival in spring. Weaknesses: Building does not have air conditioning, which presents severe risks to collection materials. Collections are not organized well or consistently—different groups take responsibility for different interest areas, which means a lot of variety in how collections are presented, explained for the visitor, how easy it is to view collections, selection of items to be displayed, and quality of collections. Some displays use materials (such as plastic bags) which are not to museum standards for helping to preserve collection items (particularly when there is limited climate control). Other displays, such as quilts, are hung too high for the visitor to view them, and in places where sunlight can fade/damage the collection materials. The size of the collections makes it difficult to determine what items might be the most likely to draw tourists. Some collection items given prominence belonged to members of the Confederacy, and the display of these items requires sensitivity. Opportunities: Develop a plan for a cohesive visitor experience (explanatory signage, organization and preservation of collection materials) and work with each collection’s sponsors to carry this out. Add an air conditioning/climate control system to the building or limit collections displayed in school building to items that are not at risk for damage from lack of climate control (consider asking a building with climate control and a link to Palestine’s history to display key delicate items of the collection for visitors—this would help protect the items and promote the museum at the same time). Threats: Permanent damage to collection materials.
Old Town Palestine – The Hollow: Pint & Barrel Drafthouse, Oxbow Bakery, Old Town Vintage, Cream & Coffee, Wells Creek Crossing, Anderson County Courthouse Strengths: Walkable area with dining, drinking, dessert, and shopping opportunities. Stores include some original arts and crafts from local artists for sale. Sculpture tour includes this area. Weaknesses: Parts of this area have been flooded before, which puts some businesses at risk. Oxbow Bakery is open on limited days, which does not always align with peak tourism days. Opportunities: Take advantage of peak visitation days for more business. Threats: None identified.
Discussion of historic preservation efforts and Main Street overview with representatives. Covered efforts to convert unused downtown buildings to active use, and to preserve their historic look and structure. Includes Imagine the Possibilities real estate tour (good results last year), working with fire marshal to discourage building owners/tenants from storing things in
historic buildings. Renewed economic development focus includes approximately $210,000 in grant funding to distribute. Overall, a good set of approaches which keep Palestine’s unique history in mind while working to improve its livability and its appeal to tourists.
Palestine Visitor Information Center Strengths: Well- located, appealing building that refers to Palestine’s railroad history. The center is staffed by knowledgeable, friendly people and includes good resources for the visitor. Brochures are available outside the building for tourists who visit when it is closed, hours of operation are clearly posted. Good use of technology for the “Plan Your Visit” area of the website. Great marketing materials and visitor information materials. Weaknesses: The Visit Palestine map (on paper) included a number of items that may not be actual points of interest for a tourist, such as the Palestine City Hall/Police Station and Trinity Valley Community College. It is good that the map is general in its treatment of commerce areas (For example, Downtown/Old Town does not list individual stores, which can move or close, making the map less useful or even obsolete), but winnowing down the points of interest to those aligned with tourism may help the visitor use the map and choose what to visit more efficiently. The tourism marketing manager was concerned about negative online confusion between the city and the country, and also how to let visitors know there is a difference in pronunciation. Opportunities: Consider a funny “Palestine—rhymes with [magazine, tangerine, (train) engine steam, etc.]” social media campaign. It appears this center is taking good advantage of many opportunities already. Threats: Adjacent sculpture garden shows the first, second, and third place sculptures from the prior year’s trail. Because works are still owned by artists, works can be sold out of the garden, which could leave it empty or with substituted works of lower quality/appeal.
IN SUMMARY Palestine’s tourism efforts are professional, well-organized, and well-supported by the community. Assets are established and unique. Festivals and events are established and happen successfully at different points over the year, which helps the visitor plan a timely, eventful trip—perhaps even more than once.
Section 6 – Texas Department of Agriculture Notes
By Manuel Martinez Palestine Tourism Assessment Texas Department of Agriculture Manuel S. Martinez
Resources available from the Texas Department of Agriculture include: Downtown Revitalization and Main Street Fund award matching grants to expand or enhance public infrastructure in historic main street areas. The grants range from $50,000 to $250,000 and aid in eliminating handicap barriers and deteriorated conditions in the downtown area. http://www.texasagriculture.gov/GrantsServices/RuralEconomicDevelopment/TexasCap italFund/MainStreetImprovementProgram.aspx
Community Development Block Grants(CDBG) for governmental entities, established to help communities by providing decent housing and suitable living environments, and expanding economic opportunities principally for persons of low-to moderate-income: https://texasagriculture.gov/GrantsServices/RuralEconomicDevelopment/RuralCommun ityDevelopmentBlockGrant(CDBG).aspx
Certified Farmers Market, a certification and promotion program that provides a variety of benefits for Texas producers and consumers. Benefits for Consumers Farmers markets give consumers access to locally grown, farm-fresh produce and other goods, as well as the opportunity to interact with the people who grow their food. Community Farmers markets offer many communities a unique way to access food, while also having a positive impact on the local economy: http://www.gotexan.org/LocateGOTEXAN/CertifiedFarmersMarkets.aspx
Farmer and ranchers in the area could apply for funding through the Texas Agricultural Finance Authority (TAFA) to help with creation or expansion of a farm operation. Any producers between the ages of 18 and 46 are eligible to apply for the YOUNG Farmer Grant Program. The purpose of YFG program is to provide financial assistance in the form of dollar-for-dollar matching grant funds to young agricultural producers that are engaged or will be engaged in creating or expanding an agricultural business in Texas. The grant is available in the fall and spring. http://www.texasagriculture.gov/GrantsServices/RuralEconomicDevelopment/TexasAgr iculturalFinanceAuthority/YoungFarmerGrant.aspx
The GO TEXAN Program, is a marketing initiative created by the Texas Department of Agriculture to help promote everything Texas- products, culture, and communities. It represents a diverse collective of goods from soap to spices, food to beverages, farmers and ranchers, and the unique communities of Texas. http://gotexan.org/
Certified Retirement Community Program, a certification and promotion program that ensures each certified community can meet the living, employment/volunteer, health, entertainment, education and safety needs of its citizens and visitors - all the things that make Texas a great place to retire: http://www.retireintexas.org/ Palestine Tourism Assessment Texas Department of Agriculture Manuel S. Martinez
Texas Capital Fund, helps support rural business development, retention and expansion by providing funds for public infrastructure, real estate development, or the elimination of deteriorated conditions: https://texasagriculture.gov/GrantsServices/RuralEconomicDevelopment/TexasCapitalF und.aspx
State Office of Rural Health, serves the health needs of rural Texas, by working closely with local health care providers, county leaders and state partners to support access to quality health care for rural Texans: https://texasagriculture.gov/GrantsServices/RuralEconomicDevelopment/StateOfficeof RuralHealth.aspx
Grants, various funding opportunities are available to farmers/ranchers, universities and schools, non-profits and private entities in in the county: https://texasagriculture.gov/GrantsServices/GrantsandServices.aspx
Summary of TDA recommendations to assist Palestine tourism: The City should continue to apply for available CDBG Funds to help with community infrastructure improvements. This will ensure that the proper infrastructure is in place for future economic development and tourism. The City of Palestine should apply for Main Street and Downtown Revitalization Funds available through TDA to help offset some of the costs of the downtown revitalization. The Farmers Market should consider joining the GO TEXAN Certified Farmers Market Program to help with marketing and promotion of the market. It will list the Farmers Market on TDA’s website and provide an asset to help promote tourism in Palestine. Local producers in the area are encouraged to apply for funding through the Texas Agricultural Finance Authority (TAFA) for financial assistance to help with creating or expansion of an agricultural business. Any local businesses that produce a product and is looking for an opportunity to market or promote their product should consider joining the GO TEXAN program. Eilenberger’s Bakery is a GO TEXAN Member. Since Palestine is an attractive area for retirees to visit and live, the City could benefit by participating in the Certified Retirement Community Program. This would help to promote the area as a retirement destination and provide tourism and economic opportunities. Texas Capital Funds are available for projects in the City that support rural business development and real estate development. Partner with the State Office of Rural Health to support access to quality health care in Anderson County.
Palestine Tourism Assessment Texas Department of Agriculture Manuel S. Martinez
Analysis, from an Agricultural perspective: Palestine, TX is a thriving agricultural community. There is quite a variety of production agriculture in the surrounding Palestine area. Most of the land is used for pastureland for livestock and small scale fruit and vegetable production. There is an active farmers market located near downtown and is operational daily, Monday - Saturday. The farmers market provides an opportunity for the local producers to sell their products and is utilized to help promote agriculture within the county. The location of the Farmers Market near downtown is an asset for tourism in the community. It provides visitors and tourists the opportunity to taste the local flavors grown in the Palestine area.
ASSESSMENT NOTES:
Tuesday May 22, 2018 Redlands Hotel Strengths: A wonderful boutique hotel located in downtown Palestine. The location of the hotel is key for revitalization of downtown and should be considered an anchor business in the area. The bar and restaurant located within the hotel were top notch offering a selection of drinks and a four star meal. The quaint rooms, historical significance, and excellent customer service at this hotel make the stay in Palestine enjoyable and provide a unique tourist experience. Opportunities: The Redlands Hotel should be a key part of any promotion of Palestine and/or specifically the downtown area. Promoting the hotel through a variety of social media outlets will also help promote tourism for the City of Palestine.
Eilenberger Bakery Strengths: Excellent business to have in the City of Palestine and downtown area. The business sells and ships baked goods worldwide and should be seen as avenue to help promote tourism. The bakery is part of the GO TEXAN program offered through the Texas Department of Agriculture to help promote Texas made products. By being a part of the GO TEXAN program, the bakery is being marketed and promoted to various national and global outlets as a Texas product which also helps to promote the City of Palestine. Opportunities: Partner with the bakery to help promote tourism in the area.
NASA Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility Strengths: The Balloon Facility is a one of kind scientific tourism attraction for the City of Palestine. Because of the facility, it brings scientist from around the world to the community providing a small economic boost. Opportunities: Continue working with the Balloon Facility to promote tourism in the area. Work with the scientist visiting the facility to offer them special visitor’s packets to various restaurants and shopping destinations in the area. Offer special vacation packages to the families of scientist who would like to come to Palestine for a short visit.
Palestine Tourism Assessment Texas Department of Agriculture Manuel S. Martinez
Braly’s Builders Supply Strengths: Unique hardware store that offers a glimpse of old and new Palestine. The store is a wonderful example of restoring the older buildings in the City with new businesses. Opportunities: Due to its affiliation with Ace Hardware and being recognized as a “Cool Hardware Store”, there are opportunities to help promote the store and the City of Palestine. Send out press releases to various home and garden media outlets promoting the store while also promoting the charm of Palestine.
Wednesday, May 23, 2018 Davey Dogwood Park Strengths: Beautiful Arbor Park unique to the Palestine area. The park is an asset to the community and provides tourism opportunities for nature enthusiasts. Weaknesses: Not enough educational material describing the Dogwood Tree. Opportunities: Work with the Texas Forestry Service and the US Forest Service to help promote the park as a tourist destination for nature enthusiasts.
Community Forest, Lower Lake, Wolf Creek Lake Strengths: Scenic and quiet recreational areas with accessible fishing. Opportunities: Partner with Texas Parks and Wildlife, Texas Highways, or any organization that promotes fishing or nature tourism in the area. Create nature trails in the area for hiking or mountain biking enthusiasts.
Texas State Railroad Strengths: An amazing tourist destination for families and train enthusiasts of all ages. The park is a crown jewel for the area when it comes to tourism due to its uniqueness and designation as the Texas State Railroad. Opportunities: Continue to partner with the Texas State Railroad to promote and market tourism in the area. Continue to research the cost and viability of purchasing the railroad spur that goes to downtown Palestine. Relocating the depot to downtown will create a huge economic boost to the area.
Civic Center Strengths: Large accessible performance space that provides the City with the ability of hosting a variety of musical and performance artists. Opportunities: Changing the exterior of the facility with up to date outdoor landscaping and art sculptures will enhance the facility. The updates will brighten the exterior and provide opportunities for the space to be utilized more.
Museum of East Texas Culture Strengths: The Museum provides a wonderful showcase of educational and visual exhibits. The exhibits are unique and offer a glimpse into the life of an East Texan. The museum is another Palestine Tourism Assessment Texas Department of Agriculture Manuel S. Martinez great example of the City’s mission to save its historical buildings and reutilizing it as a purposeful space. Opportunities: Due to the amount of exhibits that offer historical significance, there is an opportunity to partner with other museums and lend exhibits or artifacts which in return will help promote the Museum of East Texas Culture and the community.
Old Town Palestine Strengths: Wonderful tourist destination of shops and restaurants. The variety of businesses located in Old Town Palestine, provide a shopping and dining destination for all ages. The buildings and historical area have a Texas rustic charm that tourists seek when visiting rural Texas. Opportunities: Old Town Palestine has the potential to be a major tourist destination for the community and should be an integral part of promoting the uniqueness of Downtown Palestine. The area should host events and festivals that highlight its historical buildings and greenspace but does not overwhelm its rustic charm.