Rural Tourism Handbook : Selected Case Studies
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'• \=J> : 12 r andbook Selected Case Studies and Development Guide U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE / United States Travel and Tourism Administration Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from LYRASIS Members and Sloan Foundation http://archive.org/details/ruraltourismhandOOunit ^f^ral/ourismj^fandbook Selected Case Studies and Development Guide PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY FEB 03 1935 DOCUMENTS COLLECTION U.S Depository Copy Compiled by: United States Travel and Tourism Administration U.S. Department of Commerce Washington, DC US ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The United States Travel and Tourism Administration gratefully recognizes the following individuals and organizations for their assistance in the development of this publication. Without their support, the Rural Tourism Handbook would not have been possible. Writers and Editors: Sharon Calcote Louisiana Office of Tourism Baton Rouge, Louisiana Larry Friedman Nevada Commission on Tourism Carson City, Nevada Sharon Gaiptman Alaska Division of Tourism Juneau, Alaska Robin Roberts Oregon Economic Development Department Division of Tourism Salem, Oregon Providers of Rural Tourism Handbook Material and Information: Minnesota Extension Service South Carolina Department of Parks, University of Minnesota Recreation and Tourism St. Paul, Minnesota Columbia, South Carolina Pennsylvania Bureau of Travel South Dakota Department of Tourism Development Pierre, South Dakota Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Texas Tourist Development Agency Oregon Division of Tourism Austin, Texas Salem, Oregon Wisconsin Division of Tourism Madison, Wisconsin Case Study Authors: Sharon Calcote Robin Roberts Louisiana Office of Tourism Oregon Economic Development Baton Rouge, Louisiana Department - Division of Tourism Salem, Oregon Julie Calzone Calzone and Associates Mandy Cole Schmidt Lafayette, Louisiana U.S. Forest Service U.S. Department of Agriculture Rochelle Michaud Dugas Sweet Home, Oregon Vermillion Parish Tourist Commission Abbeville, Louisiana Robert Singletary Coeur d'Alene Convention & Visitors Susan Edwards Bureau South Dakota Department of Tourism Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Pierre, South Dakota Congressman Ted Strickland Larry Friedman 6th Congressional District, Ohio Nevada Commission on Tourism Lucasville, Ohio Carson City, Nevada Tandy Young Peter Herschend Native American Tourism Center Silver Dollar City, Inc. Branson, Missouri John D. Watt Virginia Division of Tourism Woody Peek Richmond, Virginia Opryland, USA Nashville, Tennessee Kari Westlund Juneau Convention & Visitors Bureau Caletha Powell Juneau, Alaska Greater New Orleans Black Tourism Network New Orleans, Louisiana This handbook is designed to: Help localities decide whether or not to pursue visitors and their dollars, and, if that decision is positive: To help communities become aware of both potential benefits, challenges and costs of tourism development to the community To provide the basic framework for doing so To assist communities in the development of a marketing and promotion program by providing the basic information necessary to accomplish this The material included within these pages is primarily directed toward small towns and rural areas. However, it can also provide useful information to representatives of larger cities. It is meant to be used as an introductory planning guide or "tourism primer." TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION I THE PROMISE OF TOURISM 1 Chapter 1 The Mouse That Roars: Appraising Tourism Potential 2 Case Study: Coeur d'Alene, Idaho 6 Chapter 2 Benefits and Challenges of Tourism 7 Case Study: Branson, Missouri 9 Chapter 3 Leadership 11 Case Study: 6th Congressional District, Ohio 18 SECTION II GETTING ORGANIZED 20 Chapter 4 Conducting A Tourism Inventory 21 Case Study: Oyate Trail, South Dakota 28 Chapter 5 Assessing Your Product and Market 30 Case Study: Ely, Nevada 48 SECTION III PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER 50 Chapter 6 Public Participation and Buy-In .' 54 Case Study: Vermilion Parish, Louisiana 57 Chapter 7 Setting Goals 63 Case Study: Elko, Nevada 70 Chapter 8 Developing a Marketing Plan and Selling Your Destination .... 73 Case Study: Oregon Trail 84 Chapter 9 Customer Service and Hospitality Training 86 Case Study: Native American Tourism Center, Scottsdale, Arizona 89 Case Study: Opryland USA, Nashville, Tennessee 91 JGKDHI SECTION IV MAKING IT WORK 93 Chapter 10 Joint Partnerships 95 Case Study: Kotzebue, Alaska 98 Chapter 11 Developing Funding Sources . 100 Case Study: Sweet Home, Oregon 109 Chapter 12 Festivals and Events as Tourism Development Tools 111 Case Study: Opelousas, Louisiana 119 Chapter 13 Product Development 121 Case Studies 1 32 SECTION V IF WE BUILD IT, WILL THEY COME? 135 Chapter 14 Fallacies and Half Truths 136 Case Study: Nelson County, Virginia 139 Chapter 15 Conclusion 143 SECTION VI APPENDICES 144 VI.A Federal Assistance Programs . 145 VLB United States Travel and Tourism Administration 148 VI.C State Contacts for Federal Agencies 150 VI. State Agencies Responsible for Tourism Development 154 VI. E Examples of National Organizations and Sources of Assistance 159 VI.F Examples of International Organizations and Sources of Assistance 168 VI. Forming a Tourist Commission 172 VI. Sample Articles of Incorporation 176 VI. Practical Tips for Opening a Bed & Breakfast 178 VI. Practical Tips for Opening a Museum 183 VI. Selected Reading List 186 SECTION I: THE PROMISE OF TOURISM Travel is big business in the USA and communities of the benefits to be around the world. In the United States derived from developing tourism as part alone, business travelers and tourists of their economies. Often this spend more than $341 .5 billion dollars awareness comes on the heels of annually, and sustain more than 5.85 declining traditional industry, usually million jobs. It has been projected that natural resource or manufacturing travel will be the world's number one based, such as textiles, farming or industry by the year 2000. timber. The tourism industry is composed of To be a truly successful part of a many different industries, often grouped community's economy, tourism must be into categories of transportation, sustainable, even if only on a seasonal lodging, food service, attractions, and basis. To be sustainable, it must be information. While this industry properly planned and managed, to appears to be dominated by familiar ensure a continuing high quality giants, in reality there are hundreds of experience for the visitor. "mom and pop" operations for every major corporation. According to the US Census of Business, 98 percent of travel and tourism related operations are classified as "small business". The tourism meccas that draw the largest crowds are still the big cities, beach and mountain resorts, theme parks, and national parks, but there is a growing recognition of the role played by small towns in the big picture of tourism. In addition, a growing awareness exists within these CHAPTER 1 THE MOUSE THAT ROARS: APPRAISING TOURISM POTENTIAL Every community is affected by tourism. location and does not plan to stay Some communities have developed an permanently. Tourists may be: economy around the activities and needs of the traveling public. They sell On vacation gasoline, food, lodging, recreation, On business trips souvenirs, experiences and many other Visiting friends or relatives things. Others may have the potential Attending special event s of developing a tourism industry. Participating in recreational Whether or not the community should activities seek to increase existing profits or try to Passing through en route to develop tourism as an industry depends another location on numerous factors. To make this decision, the community must evaluate: Regardless of their reasons for traveling, visitors spend money - lots of Community interest; money, which could help the economy The needs of the community that of a community. tourism could meet; The relationship of the benefits of In 1993, $74.4 billion dollars was tourism to the costs of a tourism generated by international visitors program; and traveling within the United States. The Whether there is a viable tourism tourism industry, which has rapidly product already in place, or one expanded during the past decade, that is developable. contributes enormously to the United States economy. In 1993, the United A tourist is not defined the same by States Travel Data Center calculated everyone. Some say a tourist is anyone that U.S. travelers spent $322.5 billion who has traveled at least 100 miles from within the United States on trips home. Others restrict "tourist" to a involving an overnight stay away from visitor from another state. Regardless home and day trips to locations of 100 of the definition used, several miles or more. This activity in turn characteristics are common in each generated $90.1 billion dollars in wage definition. and salary income and an additional $44.5 billion dollars in federal, state, A tourist is someone who has traveled and local tax revenue. Each dollar to your community from some other tourists spend is like a pebble thrown in a pond -- it creates ripples that reach Of particular interest to communities, every part of the community, and every both large and small, is the fact that dollar they spend is re-spent several small businesses dominate the times. tourist/travel industry. Of the 1.4 million travel-related business firms, 89% of Jobs and Tourism them are classified as small businesses. Although the economic benefit is often Many areas face a growing problem of the factor motivating most communities