“A good traveler is one who does not know where he is going to, and a perfect traveler does not know where he came from.”
Lin Yu Tang
Entries Tagged as 'tourism'
Let’s Go on a Trip
January 8th, 2010 · 1 Comment · Miscellania
Tags: advertising·tourism·travel
Travel SEO, Website Features, and Promotion
August 25th, 2009 · 2 Comments · Destination Marketing
I put together the following outline which would be my considered “bare minimum” for a comprehensive destination-marketing online program. While this may apply to a theoretical “Adirondack” program, it can easily be adjusted to work for any destination or brand. Obviously, each item is worthy of long discussion and debate. Would love to hear your opinion, and any items which I may have omitted.
Sigüenza Tourism Office
July 8th, 2009 · No Comments · Destination Marketing
The Sigüenza Tourism folks open up the annex location during the summer at El Humilladero. Really great Tapas at the Bar Alameda across the street.
Economic Impact of Tourism – Adirondacks 2008
April 6th, 2009 · 4 Comments · Destination Marketing
Not 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
8 Free Essex County Walking Tours
March 23rd, 2009 · 2 Comments · News
Architecture of the Champlain Valley
Walking tours
As part of the Lake Champlain Quadricentennial celebration, Adirondack Architectural Heritage is presenting a new tour series, Architecture of the Champlain Valley. The series features half-day walking tours of eight towns along the lake, led by experienced and professional guides. If you are interested in exploring the architecture, community development and rich cultural heritage of your community and the region as a whole, please join us.
Tours will be at 9:30 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays in May and June unless otherwise noted.
May 2- Willsboro: One of the oldest settlements in Essex County, Willsboro has a rich history connected to agriculture, paper industry, stone quarrying, shipbuilding, and tourism.
May 9- Keeseville: Keeseville is a town with a long history as an industrial community that manufactured products from wood and iron ore using the power of the Ausable River.
May 16- Essex: Essex prospered during much of the 19th century as a shipping and ship building port, and today, as a National Historic Register District, contains many wonderful examples of various styles of architecture.
May 23- Elizabethtown: As the county seat, Elizabethtown boasts a large historic government complex, and a number of buildings that reflect the town’s social, political and economic importance.
May 30- Port Henry: Port Henry and the surrounding town of Moriah have the longest industrial history of any community in the Champlain Valley, beginning with iron mining and manufacturing in the late 1700s.
June 6- Ticonderoga: Historically associated with military events, Ticonderoga developed as an industrial town connected to paper manufacturing, and today offers more than three dozen buildings listed on the National Register.
June 20- Wadhams (10:00)/Westport (1:00): The hamlet of Wadhams lies just north of Westport on the Boquet River, and was once known for its industrial pursuits which supported the outlying farms. Though industry and agriculture played a role in the development of Westport, it has gained most of its identity as a summer resort town.
June 27- Ironville: In the town of Crown Point, the settlement of Ironville is the site of the Penfield Homestead Museum and was once the center of a thriving iron industry.
Attendance is free of charge, but advance registration is required. Reservations may be made by calling AARCH at 834-9328.
Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH) is the private, non-profit, historic preservation organization for the Adirondack Park region. This is one of over fifty events in our annual series highlighting the region’s vast architectural legacy. For more information on membership and our complete program schedule contact AARCH at (518) 834-9328 or visit our website at www.aarch.org.
Tags: essex county·events·heritage·tourism
I Have a Dream
February 27th, 2009 · No Comments · Destination Marketing
Could 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.
Dear Everybody
January 30th, 2009 · No Comments · Destination Marketing
I got this suggested letter today which is being pushed as the “unified” New York State tourism message. We already know this is not the best way to fund things; it’s not even a lot of money. I’m not even defending how these dollars are actually being spent, but it’s the only mechanism we have. Decisions do actually have to be made, and time is running out.
Dear (*See Below):
I am writing on behalf of ANY COUNTY NEW YORK Tourism, the official tourism promotion agency for ANY COUNTY NEW YORK, just one of the statewide network of tourism promotion agencies designated to promote the New York State vacation product.
Our marketing efforts rely heavily upon the funding obtained through the legislatively created Tourism Matching Funds program. And, while the legislature appropriated the funds in the 2008-09 State budget, the county tourism agencies have not been notified of their matching funds awards. The time is now for making commitments for prime spring/summer marketing efforts and each agency cannot move forward until these funds are released from the budget office.
Advertising plans are being canceled in fear that the money will not be released. Contracts with local printers for travel guides are being held for the same reason. Website development and improvements are being delayed, or canceled outright.
I am asking your assistance in requesting those monies be released quickly so the counties can voucher the state for them and proceed with their 2009 travel marketing efforts. Please understand, for each dollar in Matching Funds, the average county spends an additional two local dollars. Thus, the $4.1 million in Matching Funds is a $12.3 million marketing effort.
Now is not the time to slow, or halt, tourism marketing efforts. In calendar 2007, the last year for which data is available, tourism generated more than $51 billion in visitor spending and roughly $8 billion in state and local taxes – tax revenue that went into health care, schools, roads and law enforcement efforts. In addition, many of those marketing dollars were invested in the local economy – with printers and commercial artists, with stationers and communication companies, and with website developers.
Final decisions about marketing plans need to be made now. With each passing day deadlines are not met. Opportunities are lost. Neighboring states are enticing travelers to visit areas other than New York. We encourage the NYS Budget office to release funds so we can best allocate our remaining resources to salvage our local tourism economies. I have enclosed some examples of our marketing efforts. We are proud of them and hope we can continue to spread the message about what a great place this is to visit and live. Thank you for your time and assistance. If you would like to discuss this further, I can be reached at Contact Me,
Sincerely,
TourPro Read the rest of this entry »
