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Entries Tagged as 'Destination Marketing'

The Adirondack Crescent

June 1st, 2009 · 4 Comments · Destination Marketing

The Adirondack Crescent

Destination branding can be a fun and exciting exercise. Really.

I don’t want to bore you with a bunch of marketing jargon, but a little setup might be fun:

Who is promoting “the Adirondacks”? Just off the top of my head:

  • I LOVE NY
  • Regional DMO – Visit Adirondacks
  • County Tourism Offices – (7, plus the Town of Webb/Old Forge)
  • Sub-county Regions – Essex County has 4 sub-regions
  • Various Local Towns and Villages
  • Various Non-governmental Organizations i.e. ANCA, ADK Club
  • Various Business Associations i.e. Chambers of Commerce
  • Various Private Individuals/Businesses i.e. adirondacks.com, adirondack.net

Have you heard about the Central Adirondack Trail Marketing and Branding Project?  It seems they have come up with a Final Theme Statement for the Central Adirondack Scenic Byway, now known as The Waterways Crescent Connection:

The Waterways Crescent Connection – integrates the unique intrinsic scenic and natural, recreational, and historic and cultural experiences of the Central Adirondack Trail.

All of these special qualities are dominated by the enormous variety of water resources in and along the waterways–natural and man-made, in wilderness as well as in urban settings—that exist along the entire Scenic Byway.

The term crescent evokes the visual image of the very distinctive shape of the Scenic Byway.

Connection highlights the overriding geographic aspects of the route – connections to and between the diverse waterways that parallel, and or, intercept the route, and the diverse transportation and four-season recreational opportunities they provide. Connection sets the stage for the history of how those who have lived along the byway route and waterways have used the lakes, rivers, ponds, streams, and canals for military, transportation, and recreational purposes, and for their livelihoods. It also conveys the cultural and community relationships that exist and are nurtured today by those waterways.

A quick search reveals that the term, “Waterways Crescent” is wide-open for marketing purposes.  In fact, the domain “waterwayscrescent.com” is still available. Who will be the proud owner?

More fascinating for me is the former Crescent bicycle brand from Sweden. (via Bikelog) You gotta love the Swedes. Well, that was totally off-topic.

It’s been fun writing about the Central Adirondack Trail.

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Doing the 46, During the 46-46-46

April 22nd, 2009 · 3 Comments · Destination Marketing

So I get this Tweet today:

Elevate Your Rate w/the 46 Adirondacks High Peaks: Starting 2day we’ will match R rates 2 the elevations for 46 Days http://yttwt.com/32wqq

I’m thinking that someone could theoretically climb the 46 relevant daily peaks during this special. Not only that, you could easily also add 46 Pints and 46 Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.

So really, it should be “Doing the 46-46-46, During the 46-46-46.

The 46er Peak List

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Economic Impact of Tourism – Adirondacks 2008

April 6th, 2009 · 4 Comments · Destination Marketing

New York DollarsNot a whole lot has changed since last year’s report.  Scratch that, almost everything is different, just the tourism marketing remains the same.  It’s cool to be able to buy your own ROI study.  (Did you know that penning nice ROI studies can get you contracts and advisory roles?)  Here are the New York State and Adirondack highlights as I see them:

  • NYS Tourism Growth Slows – 2008 Spending only grew by 4%, compared to 10% the previous year.
  • $53 Billion in NYS Tourism Spending in 2008
  • Tourism Contributed 4.1% of NYS GDP for 2008, 6.2% of all jobs
  • Tourism Generated $14.3 Billion in Tax Revenue ($7 Billion NYS and Local)
  • NYC, Long Island, Hudson Valley comprise 79% of Total Spend – Adirondacks only 2%
  • Tourism Generates 17% of the Adirondack Region’s Employment
  • Visitors Spent $1.2 Billion and Supported over 20,000 jobs in the Adirondacks
  • Warren County represents 45% of the Region’s Tourism Spend
  • Visitors Spending Growth  – Clinton 10%, Essex 8.9%, Franklin 6%, Hamilton 2.2%, Lewis 0%, Warren 3.9%
  • 51.9% of Total Labor Income in Hamilton County is from Tourism
  • 40% of Jobs in Hamilton County are Tourism Related, 35% in Essex County
  • Tourism in the Adirondacks generated $152 Million in State and Local Tax Revenue
  • Travelers Paid $78 Million in Occupancy Tariffs

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Biking for a Good Cause

March 27th, 2009 · No Comments · Destination Marketing

Have you met Nathan Winters?  Well I happened to run across him ….on Twitter. Kind of an interesting marketing case study.  You see, I followed VermontTourism cuz they are across The Lake and we are Brothers-in-Arms.

This is my response to his biking route query:

“@tourpro Here is my basic route. If you can help that would be AWESOME! http://tinyurl.com/c75mzq“

First, you have to cross Lake Champlain.


View Larger Map

Then, you have to Head West.


View Larger Map

If you Cross Lake Champlain South of Burlington.
Essex NY to Lake Placid NY
Crown Point Bridge to Forestport NY

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Adirondacks is all a’Twitter

March 16th, 2009 · 3 Comments · Destination Marketing

tourpro on twitter

I’m going to blast through this post because it’s hard to think through something that is changing as I write.

A week ago I started Twittering.  A fun learn.  Check out this meta-search: tourpro – Google

tourpro-google search

Hey, a free #2 and #3 isn’t bad, unless you are “TourPro loading”.  Some people would actually pay someone to achieve this result  Sure, it’s just the Freshbot.  But still.  One week and look at the rankings for my handle.  What is this thing?  What can we do with it?  How can we not ruin it?

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Tourism – The Only Shovel-Ready Stimulus

March 9th, 2009 · No Comments · Destination Marketing

GOVERNOR PATERSON ANNOUNCES 4 PERCENT INCREASE IN DIRECT TOURISM SPENDING FOR NEW YORK STATE IN 2008

Interesting headline.  It almost got me excited until I saw the year.  Anyway, the whole press release is after the jump.  One thing I have to say, saavy marketers might appreciate the timing of this.  Possibly the critical budget negotiations happening and stuff might be related.  Maybe.

According to Governor Paterson’s introductory note in the I Love NY 2008-9 Year in Review,

The results of this year in review prove that the course we have charted is a correct one. Despite tourism retrenching in every region of the country, New York’s tourism industry has held steady — no doubt partly due to the revitalized I LOVE NEW YORK campaign and the strategic decisions based around it.

The most recent economic impact data, not surprisingly, shows growth in tourism spending for 2008.

  • $53 Billion in Activity
  • $7 Billion in State and Local Taxes
  • 6.1% of NYS Employment

NYS Tourism Impact

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I Have a Dream

February 27th, 2009 · No Comments · Destination Marketing

Social Media MarketingCould it really be true that only a year has passed?  It seems like it was all a dream.  Let me tell you about it.

I once dreamed that I’d be harnessing the web for Business Intelligence and Brand Marketing.  You see, in this fantasy, I was building a Mythological Brand.  Much like a Priest, my Mission-in-Life would be to Spread the Word about The Brand.  Mobilizing my Army of Disciples, we would march forth with Our Message.  Because We Believe that it is only through Our Brand, that Self-Actualization can be achieved.

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