Reno. Not Vegas

Every year, on the second full weekend of September, I take a road trip to Reno with a group of guys for the sole purpose of watching football games and everything that goes along with it. This includes, but is not limited to, eating, drinking and gambling. It’s a “guy’s trip” and we don’t try to make it anything else.

We’ve all seen movies like The Hangover and Very Bad Things, where a group of guys go to Vegas and behave very poorly and get in a lot of trouble. This trip is not quite that bad. We’ve never killed a hooker, kidnapped a high-roller, or stolen a tiger. And, so far, we’ve never lost one of our buddies. But these trips are unlike any trips we take with our wives. We can eat as many buffet meals that we want, we don’t have to go see Cher or some Cirque show, and we can stay at the blackjack table as late as we want. We smoke, we drink, we cuss. Who’s gonna complain?

It’s Reno, not Vegas. Big difference.

Las Vegas is, for the most part, glitzy and somewhat glamorous - especially on the strip. There are a few things that can make the average person a little giddy in Las Vegas: either flying or driving at night, when you first see the lights upon entering the area; driving down the strip for the very first time; walking by high-roller area in a casino and seeing the men and women act and dress just as you’ve seen in movies and on TV; the fountains at the Bellagio; and the feeling of being able to walk outside with a cocktail still in hand. It is truly unique. It’s a one-of-a-kind feeling. Even if it’s not your thing, it should be experienced at least once in your lifetime.

Reno is much smaller and, well, filthy. There are very few tall buildings and what is glamorous or glitzy in Reno is considered run-down and out-dated by Las Vegas standards. Poor Reno, the place would be so different if not for its prettier and smarter big sister Vegas.

Walking from Casino to Casino in Las Vegas always feels moderately safe. It’s well lit and there are plenty of security personnel and cops around.

Reno is poorly lit and police presence is not felt on a constant basis.

So why do we go back year after year? Because we love it. It is what it is. We’re not looking for the Las Vegas experience. We’re looking for the Reno experience. It’s totally different.

Just because both places have casinos and hotels doesn’t mean they should compare to one another. It would be like comparing Maui with Vale, Colorado. Both places have hotels and spas, both have access to outdoor activities, and both have good restaurants. But they are not the same and no one expects them to be the same.

The Reno experience is alive and well every time we visit one of our favorite casinos. We expect a certain thing and are never disappointed:

When you walk into Club Cal Neva, you get the feeling that everything is either broken, or needs a good cleaning. But, the staff is pretty friendly and there are quirky things that make the place endearing. For example, their Sports Book is considered one of the best in the entire State of Nevada but there are no electronic reader boards showing you the scores. They actually have a guy up on a catwalk changing the scores by hand. It reminds me of something you would see in a movie about a 1930’s minor league baseball game with a kid up on a platform changing the numbers on the scoreboard as the game progresses. The difference is the guy at Cal Neva looks to be about 80-years-old. The Club opened on April 2, 1962 and I’m pretty sure nothing has been changed, cleaned or upgraded since then - including the guy in charge of the Sports Book scoreboard.

Another one of those quirky/endearing features is the snack bar located at the Sports Book. The food is perfect for a day of watching sports with your friends. While we were there, they were running a special which included a beer and a turkey drumstick for $5. Bargain!

Like I said, it is what it is.

Unfortunately, Reno seems to be trying to be something they’re not. And something they’ll never be.

Remember back in the early 1990’s when Las Vegas tried to market itself as a family friendly destination? Didn’t work. What did work was when they came to grips with the fact that they were an adult playground and should embrace it. “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” Perfect.

Reno needs to decide what it is and do it right. And embrace it. And brag about it. And never look back.

The Tourism Infrastructure: Restaurants and Bars

From an Economic Developer’s point of view, Restaurants and bars are, without a doubt, the single most important attraction for tourism. Some may argue that hotels are more important, but I disagree. I mean, I agree that they’re important, but not as an attraction. Lodging is an amenity, not an attraction.

Let’s face it, if people are going to travel somewhere, they will eventually need to eat. So, a good variety of establishments is the cornerstone of any tourism program. It serves both as a necessity for nourishment and as a shining example of cultural identity and sense of place.

The pursuit of food by humans includes such a huge variety of physical, mental, emotional, social, historic, economic, cultural, and even spiritual aspects that there is no way to list them all. There are tourists who are interested in all aspects of the food itself, including locating and purchasing ingredients, preparation, preservation, presentation, consumption and clean-up.

Food serves as an attraction, setting, and centerpiece for tourists. Think about regional food and how it becomes associated – and, in many cases, synonymous – with the area where it is popular. When you hear about Cajun shrimp, gumbo and jambalaya, chances are great that you automatically think about Louisiana. When you hear about Fajitas and salsa, you probably picture the southwest. When someone mentions grits, you think about the south. Lobster Rolls? Maine. When people travel, they want the whole experience of the visited culture. The sights, the sounds and the tastes.

The preparation, consumption, and even the viewing of a foreign dish can provide a sense of place for the tourist. Food has the ability of telling the story of people and region, including history, religion, artistic traditions, customs and socio-economic conditions. It serves as a vehicle in which the visitor can experience and understand another culture on a very personal level.

If consuming food is a way for many people to experience the local culture, then consuming a beer or a cocktail with the local people is another.

Local bars and pubs provide great insight into the living culture in the area. Normally, when visiting another place, the tourism isn’t afforded the opportunity to hang out with the local doctors, lawyers, plumbers, auto mechanics, lumberjacks, fishermen, or other citizens during their day at work. Likewise, the tourist isn’t normally invited to the homes of these local citizens either. But, a local bar or tavern serves as the great equalizer. Locals and tourists are generally welcome to come in, hang out, throw darts, shoot pool, watch a game on TV and unwind.

Do not underestimate this power. Business and leisure travelers seek this experience out. It is important.

Our Continued Journey into the Heart of California’s Central Coast

Pismo Beach, Classic California

From Paso Robles, we headed south, passing towns with names like Templeton, Atascadero, Santa Margarita, and San Luis Obispo. Three o’clock in the afternoon and we finally got our first view of the Pacific Ocean with traffic was backed up for about a mile as we tried to exit highway 101 into Pismo Beach. It was Friday and the weekend tourists were already swarming into the area for a long weekend. License plate frames with dealership names like Nissan of Clovis, Fresno Chrysler Jeep, Selma Auto Mall, Bakersfield Auto Plaza, and Madera Ford made it pretty clear that the citizens of the San Joaquin Valley were escaping the 107 degree heat for the cool coastal breeze of the central coast.

When land-locked Americans imagine a beach city, this is what they think of. Pismo Beach. The name just sound cool. So Pacific Coast. So California. It’s the kind of place where you can always spot a couple of guys walking down the street with surfboards, pretty girls in bikinis, and people of all ages cruising around in convertibles and on bikes.

The City of Pismo Beach has been around since 1891 but was not incorporated until 1946. It’s located mid-way between Los Angeles and San Francisco and has a population of less than 10,000 people. It’s a recreation and tourism-oriented town with restaurants, hotels and motels on every corner.

It’s kind of nice when you have businesses that depend on your business. They tend to appreciate you and treat you really good. They understand the value of you, as a customer.

There is plenty to do in Pismo so visitors don’t have to look far to find an activity that suits them. Besides relaxing on the beach and playing in the ocean, there’s golfing, bicycling, a Monarch Butterfly Grove to explore, tennis, horseback riding, scuba diving, bowling, hiking, miles and miles of miles of rugged dunes that are perfect for four-wheeling or ATV riding, horseback riding, surfing, body boarding, exploring tide pools, coves, and caves. First timers to the area must check out the 1200-foot Pismo Pier for sightseeing, fishing or just taking a stroll and watching the sunset as it was meant to be seen.

Pismo Beach also hosts a variety of special events throughout the year including a 4th of July Fireworks Show, Car Show, the Jubilee-by-the-Sea Dixieland Jazz Festival, and the Pismo Beach Clam Festival…Yep, I said “clam.” Pismo is the "Clam Capital" of California and they hold a "Clam Festival" every October, complete with clam chowder competitions and a clam-themed parade. At the southern end of Price Street upon first entering Pismo Beach, a gigantic concrete clam statue greets visitors. Ironically, however, clamming is restricted, due to over-harvesting by people and sea otters.

On Friday evening, we ate at Zorro's Cafe & Cantina, a great little Mexican restaurant in Shell Beach. The place is fantastic. Jaci and I both had Shrimp and Crab Enchiladas served with their special white cream sauce. Delicious! But, I can’t praise the place based only on the food. The “sense of place” associated with Zorro’s is strong. First, the restaurant has two choices for seating. Inside, or on the patio. We chose the patio. It’s situated right next to the sidewalk on Shell Beach Drive, the main street that runs through the community. It’s attractive to people driving by and fun for the diners. The restaurant owners have a cool little gimmick: as the sun starts going down, and the temperature starts to drop, they offer Mexican blankets to their guests. Neat touch.

On Saturday, we had lunch at Steamers. Always good. We both had Clam Chowder and split a Crab Melt sandwich. I am not kidding when I say it was one of the best sandwiches I’ve had in my life!

Here’s the deal with Steamers. Overall, it’s a good restaurant with a good staff, good service, good bar, good menu selections, good prices and a great view. It sits atop of a cliff and overlooks the beach and ocean. Other than that, there’s really nothing special about it. While there are certain restaurants that serve as the catalyst for particular trips, this is not one of them. However, we usually have lunch there if we happen to be in the area for a few days and have nothing else planned. It’s not that there’s anything bad about it, it just doesn’t have anything super special about it either. Maybe it’s the atmosphere. It has all the ambiance of a national parks cafeteria… With all that said, that Crab Melt may drive me back sooner than later!

For dinner that same day, we went to the Cracked Crab. This place is a hole in the wall located in Downtown Pismo, but it’s got HUGE character. Their gimmick is that they serve you shell fish in a bucket and give you a mallet. You dump the fish out on the table (which is protected with clean butcher paper) and use your mallet to crack open your crab. It’s messy, fun and delicious!

After dinner, we strolled around and hit a couple of local bars. The whole town was busy! People everywhere enjoying everything Pismo has to offer. We ran into so many people from the Central Valley that we started wondering if the locals even bothered going out on the weekend.

By Sunday afternoon, it was time to say goodbye to the paradise of the central coast and head home. And, while trip seemed too short, we took some solace in knowing that all of this is less than three hours from our house.

For more information on Pismo Beach, visit: www.classiccalifornia.com/history.htm

A Visitor's Experience on the Central Coast, Part II

Out of the frying pan, into the fire

We left our last Paso Robles winery feeling no pain. A little bit like our bodies were packed in cotton. We desperately needed to find a close place to chill out for a while. We needed some food and to get our heads straight before continuing the 40-mile drive to Pismo.

Almost immediately after entering southbound 101 from Paso Robles, we spotted Firestone Walker Brewing Company’s restaurant and taproom. It was on the east side of the Freeway and was easy to access.

My wife really wanted to stop there. A few years ago, she had been to Firestone Winery’s tasting room in Los Olivos, CA and was excited to report that none other than Andrew Firestone had greeted her. (For those of you who don’t follow reality TV, Andrew Firestone was The Bachelor’s eligible bachelor/star during the third season of the popular program). I think she secretly hoped for the possibility of running into him again. Hey, he’s a handsome and charming guy.

So we walk in to find a pretty ordinary restaurant. Except, just beyond the dining area is the actual brewing facility for their beers. It’s pretty impressive!

Something about the place reminded me of trips I’ve taken to Mexico. I always like to forgo the touristy-type places like Cabo Wabo, Papas and Beer and Senior Frog's. They’re fun but really don’t represent Mexico. I prefer to find the local neighborhood bars. It never fails, whenever I’m in a south-of-the-boarder coastal town, I’ll find a little tavern (usually called something unique, like “Bar”), and I’ll walk in and find interesting people. If it happens to be early in the day, I’m sure to find a handful of out-of-work locals, expatriates, and a few seasoned tourists. Later in the day, I tend to find a handful of blue-collar locals, expatriates and a few drunken tourists. Usually, the people are friendly and the beer is cold and cheep. The decor, the smell and the stories are always the same too. It’s an experience that I never tire of and always enjoy. I like to think of it as cultural tourism at its finest. Living the way the locals live - or at least, drinking the way the locals drink.

For some odd reason, Firestone Walker had this same appeal. Since it was lunchtime on a Friday, there was a mixture of local workers having lunch, out-of-work locals drinking the day away, and a variety of tourists. There was even a group of guys clearly on their way back from a morning of golf at one of the local courses.

Jaci and I found a couple of bar stools and started asking questions about the food and the beer. After settling on a Grilled Mushroom & Goat Cheese pizza from their “Wood Oven Pizzas” menu, the bartender let us sample several beers. We tried Pale 31 (aromatic California pale ale, 4.6% alc.), Double Barrel Ale (barrel fermented British pale ale, 5.0% alc.- also available unfiltered), Union Jack IPA (aggressively hopped India pale ale, 7.5% alc.), Walkers Reserve (darker, chocolate malt porter, 5.9% alc.). A couple of locals were sitting to my right and began to chime in with their suggestions and recommendations. In the end, Jaci chose a pint of Union Jack IPA and I had a pint of Walkers Reserve. We were not disappointed. As a matter of fact, we purchased a growler (half gallon glass jug) of each to take home. The pizza was good too and exactly what we needed before continuing our journey.

Although Firestone Walker Brewing Company, by itself, is not an End Destination tourist attraction; it is definitely part of the recipe of an overall experience that easily fits into that category of tourism.

(next: Our Continued Journey into the Heart of California’s Central Coast)

A Visitor's Experience on the Central Coast, Part I

I know I'm in the middle of my Tourism By Numbers serise, but really want to take a quick break and put the first five parts of the Tourism Infrastructure into context. The next few posts will examine our weekend trip to California's Central Coast.

Fear and Loathing on the Central Coast

We were somewhere near Paso Robles on the edge of San Luis Obispo County when the wine began to take hold. I remember saying something like “I feel a bit lightheaded; maybe you should drive…” And suddenly there was an incredible change in temperature all around us the air became breathable and cooler. It was almost noon and we still had more than 40 miles to go. They would be tough miles. Very soon, I knew, we would both be completely twisted. But there was no going back and no time to rest. We would have to ride it out…

My wife and I had taken off from Clovis at 10:00 AM with the plan of spending the weekend enjoying California’s Central Coast’s cool weather, great food, nice people, and wine. An hour and a half later, we were at Tobin James Cellars.

Tobin James is a favorite wine tasting room for people exploring the Paso Robles wine experience. Its location also helps make it a very popular stop; it happens to be the first real recognizable winery as tourists make their way out of the Central Valley and into Paso. A colorful façade and fun decorations are eye-candy for the Fresno and Bakersfield folks trying to escape the 105-degree heat for a little coastal R&R.

The tasting room is not what you would typically find when searching for wine. You walk out of the sun, into the cool, dark, wood-laced room and stop. Your eyes adjust to the lighting and everything changes. It’s a party. Rock and Roll music, laughter, fun, excitement and, of course, wine. But, even the wine is fun. With names like Fat Boy, Pinot Envy and Cash Flow, even the snobbiest wine snobs have to take notice.

The staff seemed to be enjoying themselves just as much as the guests. They were singing and pouring, joking and answering questions, dancing and ringing up orders. The menu of wines being poured that afternoon summed up the culture of Tobin James. “THE ONLY RULE IN OUR TASTING ROOM IS—HAVE FUN!!” We did.

We left the wine room and headed west on Union Road and stopped at several more tasting rooms. Each was fun in their own way and each one was pouring interesting wine. But one place in particular, Steinbeck Vineyards and Winery stood out for another reason. There was no “party” atmosphere. There was no Rock and Roll, and there was certainly no dancing. But, they had a story.

The tasting room at Steinbeck is stark, bright, and, quite frankly, boring compared to Tobin James and some of the other rooms we visited, but proprietor Cindy Steinbeck Newkirk painted a picture for us that was totally unique and made the stop worth every minute. We learned the history of Paso Robles’ wine industry, how marketing for the region is organized, and a little about her family’s history on the vineyard property. We also learned about the history of a blend that they produce called The Crash. It’s way more than 72% Cabernet Sauvignon / 14% Merlot / 7% Viognier / 5% Petite Sirah / 2% Zinfandel, it’s a wine that commemorates the crash of a B-26 bomber that took place in a field on their property back in 1956.

“On April 11, 1956, my dad was in high school,” Cindy explained, “Major John Fortner, Captain S.W. Wiggley, First Lieutenant Robert Nilsson, Staff Sergeant Fred Kilby and Staff Sergeant O.J. Fazio were on a flight to retire an old B-26 when lightning struck the plane and it went down in our field.. Out of the crew of five, four survived the crash and Lieutenant Nilsson and Sergeant Fazio are both still with us today…”

A scale model of the plane hangs from the ceiling in the tasting room. There are several other items in the room that came to life and Cindy told their stories. There was a family wine press from the 1800s, musical instruments, and a variety of old tools. And, there was the building itself: an old blacksmith shop.

As my wife and I made our purchase – a bottle of The Crash – and made our way down the road, we decided that first impressions are not always accurate. It was a great experience.

So what did Tobin James and Steinbeck have that the other place that we visit didn’t have? It certainly wasn’t wine. Most of the tasting rooms had adequate signage and were fairly easy to find. They were all listed on a wine map and in visitor’s guides. They all had very friendly staff and were clean and had restrooms and were safe. Why were they two places different? Well, it was because they were different. There were two distinct cultures that created a unique “sense of place”.

This is what set them apart and loosened us of a little cash.

(next: Beer and Food on the Central Coast)

The Tourism Infrastructure: Clean Restrooms

“Gotta make a pit stop”
“Gotta see a man about a horse”
“Gotta go….Now!

Fast food franchise operators and gas station owners are smart. They realize that if they provide clean restrooms, a traveler is more likely to stop. While using the facilities and stretching their legs, they are likely to buy something. The traveler figures “hey, I’m here anyway…I’ll go ahead and fill up the tank…why stop again later?” or “while I’m here I’ll get a quick bite to eat”.

Let’s face it. People have to use the restroom. Provide a clean facility, tell visitors that you have a clean facility, and then find something to sell them. How hard can this be?

The Tourism Infrastructure: A Safe Community

The community must do everything in its power to protect the tourist from danger. At all times, the tourist must be safe.

Remembering that safety is a perception and not necessarily a reality, the community must make sure the visitor feels safe at all times.

Unlit and deserted streets, dark alleys, illegal activity and homeless people do not add the feeling of safety.

I’ve worked with several cities that really have the desire to attract visitors to their older, downtown areas. One of the top three reasons that people are not attracted to those areas – especially after the sun goes down – is the perception that the areas are not safe. The local champions for downtown tourism always point out that the lack of safety is only a perception, not a fact. They show crime statistics that prove crime is more prevalent in other, more modern and more popular areas. They’re quick to point out that criminals go where the money is. Well, that makes perfect sense and I do believe it one hundred percent. They even go as far as to really try to educate the rest of the community, telling them over and over again how safe it is and how wrong the perception is. Instead of trying to convince everyone that they’re wrong, why don’t they just change the perception by adding some lighting, eliminating blight and making sure there’s a strong police presence?

So, brighten up the lights, clean up the graffiti, sweep up and…

Perhaps it’s not politically correct to try to come up with a plan to displace homeless people in an attempt to make a place more visitor-friendly, but it is a reality. A community must decide whether it wants its tourist area to be a home for the homeless or a place where tourist want to come and spend time – and money.

(next: Clean Restrooms)

The Tourism Infrastructure: Easy Access

You know, I can think of lots of places that would probably be very popular tourist destinations if only they were easier to access. The top of Mount Everest, Antarctica, or even the moon would all make terrific vacation destinations and would surely attract plenty of visitors. If only it was easy to get there.

If a community wants to be a tourism destination, they’ve got to have fairly easy access. It’s got to be reasonably easy to navigate, and free of perils. In other words, a community that wants to attract tourist dollars must make it easy for the tourists to get there.

Remote destinations will always be popular with the super-adventurous and ultra-rich. There are some people that are willing to pay $200,000 for a spaceship ride or $50,000 to climb Everest. The truth is, however, municipalities are not adventure guides. It is their responsibility to foster a healthy local business community. Therefore, they would rather see a steady stream of visitors spending a reasonable amount of money in a number of local stores than to see a few big spenders give up obscene amounts to one tour operator.

The problem is, some domestic destinations seem as hard to get to as the Sea of Tranquility. It is important to announce to, and educate, and inform ALL potential visitors exactly where the tourist area is located and exactly how to get there. Directions should be made simple and it should NEVER be assumed that visitors have checked Mapquest or a GPS device. If you’re off the beaten path, good signage is super important.

Starting in the late 1930s, with the growing popularity of long-distance automobile travel, entrepreneurs began building restaurants, motels, coffee shops, and more unusual businesses to attract travelers. Soon, there were many similar businesses located close to one another competing for the same customer. So, they started advertising their stores and restaurants by placing signs and billboards on the thoroughfare. Sometimes, these business operators started informing travelers about the benefits of eating their food or buying their wares as far as 150 from the actual establishment. Eventually, some of the buildings were constructed in whimsical shapes and children’s attractions were added. The smart business owners took all of this information and announced it, out on the highway, and invited guests to stop, shop, dine, and stay the night. Who wouldn’t want to eat a bowl of world famous Split Pea Soup, see the World’s deepest well, explore the inside of a giant elephant-shaped building or spend the night in a genuine-looking tee-pee? All of this was done in order to beat the competition in a race to attract customers. With appropriate directional signage, it worked.

It still works today. The moment a visitor leaves the main road and heads toward a community, he should see adequate signage that will show him exactly how and where to find the things he needs. Restaurants, shops, gas, hotels and attractions must be easy to find for those who have never been in town before.

It is also important for signs to add to the Sense of Place recipe. They should be designed in such a way as to add to the overall theme of the community or tourist area.

In Roger Brooks and Maury Forman’s book, The 25 Immutable Rules of Successful Tourism, the authors point out “one of the biggest mistakes that communities make is not telling visitors why they should visit. [Signs] should focus on activities – things to do. After all, people go places to do things….In order to be effective, highway signs must be…eye-catching. There are four four keys to success: Use the right words, make it brief, keep the design simple, and keep the sign well maintained.”

What about the actual road in and out of town? It should be well maintained and attractive. It should be clean and give the potential customer the immediate perception that the community is safe.

(next: A Safe Community)

The Tourism Infrastructure: A Friendly and Inviting Community

The easiest and least expensive thing to do, in order to attract tourists, is for merchants to be friendly and inviting. The merchants must understand that the customer is the most important thing that his or her business possesses. Likewise, the merchant must do everything possible to make his or her store clean and attractive to the potential customer.

Customer service is one of the most important ingredients of the marketing mix for products and services, and, it doesn’t cost anything! Tourists are not only interested in the product they are being offered but all the additional elements of service that make up the whole tourism experience. From the greeting they receive when they enter a retail outlet, to the help they receive when they have a question, to the overall cleanliness and appearance of the store.

By not addressing customer service, the shop owner may as well be saying “This place would run a lot smoother without any customers.” This is so important that no retail operator can afford not do dedicate a huge amount of time and energy into making sure it’s done right.

Typically, those businesses that provide poor customer service are owned or managed by someone who either has no clue as to the extent of damage that this causes or does not care. Either way, this practice is not only detrimental to the individual business, but to the entire tourism program as well. Poor customer service is like a cancer. It will grow and spread if not corrected at an early stage.

If a restauranteur had an employee who consistently took fully prepared meals and threw them in the trash, for no apparent reason, that employee would surely be fired. Employees who do not provide good customer service are throwing away an opportunity to build a customer base. And, the customer is the most important thing that a business has. Supplies can be ordered and purchased. A customer base must be nurtured and grown. Why drive them away?

Front line workers, doormen, cab drivers, front counter people, clerks, bartenders, waiters, gas station operators, etc should all be ambassadors for the community. They should be able to tell visitors about cool things to do and see in the area.

“It’s not part of my job,” the clerk may say. It should become part of the job. There is absolutely no excuse to miss this opportunity.

(next: Easy Access)

The Tourism Infrastructure: An Attractive/Appealing Community, continued

The thing that really makes a community appealing is a strong “sense of place”. Communities express the choices made by their citizens. Types of housing, transportation, industry and shopping options as well as how to fit in with the natural environment all make up the “personality of the community”. It all reflects the collective values of the city’s residents. Cultural geographers, anthropologists, sociologists and urban planners study why certain places hold special meaning to particular people or peoples. Places said to have a strong "sense of place" have a strong identity and character that is deeply felt by local inhabitants and by visitors.

Seriously?

I just copied that last paragraph from Wikipedia. Why make it so difficult?

Think of how you feel when you are in Las Vegas. Most people get a rush. It’s exciting. There are lights and sounds and people and crazy hotels. It makes you feel a certain way.

Think of how you feel when you are in Carmel, CA. It’s a quaint coastal town with beautiful archetechture and cool little shops and cool restaurants. The Pacific Ocean is right there, so you get to enjoy a great cool sea breeze with that cool salty sea smell. There’s the world-famous golf courses and a ton of very rich people. It makes you feel a certain way when you’re there too. (When my wife and I visit Carmel, we drive around and look for “Open House” signs. We love to go in and check out the homes. I highly recommend this.)

How about Disneyland? Chances are, you get a giddy feeling the minute you walk through the main gates. Doesn’t matter how old you are. You always get this feeling.

These places all make you feel a certain way. It’s the strong sense of place.

Of course, there are places that aren’t so good feeling too. I’ve visited a lot of places where I didn’t feel safe. There have been a few places where I flat out did not want to leave my hotel room. Bad sense of place.

So, for a community to build a successful tourism program, it needs to be attractive and appealing. This can be subjective but there needs to be a strong sence of place that will make people feel something when they visit. Make sure it’s a good feeling.

(Next: Friendly and Inviting Community)

The Tourism Infrastructure: An Attractive / Appealing Community

For the following several conversations, let's assume one of two things. Either we're talking about a community that has never considered the notion of creating a tourism program, or we are talking about a community that has one, but would like to do it better - and be really successful.

The whole community must realize the importance of the tourist. They must all get on board with the idea of developing the community as a tourist attraction and must work together to make the community attractive and appealing.

Typically, an attractive and appealing community is recognized as such by possessing the following characteristics:

§ Clean
§ Well-maintained buildings
§ Well-maintained public places, such as sidewalks, streets and landscaping
§ Distinctive
§ Quality Architecture and Design
§ Strong sense of place

All of these things can be subjective. But, so are lots of other things. That’s what makes life interesting. Ask ten different people what their favorite movie is and you will likely get ten different answers. Some people are attracted to doll shows and craft fairs. Others are attracted to car shows, renaissance fairs, and/or fishing derbies. It’s pretty tough to be everything to everyone. As a matter of fact, the last time I was visiting the “happiest place on earth,” a guy on the hotel floor, above mine, jumped out the window and took a 14-floor swan dive. The guy was clearly unhappy. True story.

I can go on and on about how to figure out what you want to be, but that will have to wait. Right now I’m only addressing the basic need for attractiveness.

For a community to have a successful tourism program, it doesn’t need to transform the entire city. A single tourism area, or district, should be designated. We all know the easiest way to capture tourist spending is to get them out of their cars and onto their feet. So, this district should be pedestrian oriented, or what I like to call a “walk-around area”. It will allow travelers to stop and linger. Providing an infrastructure, which allows for good circulation is a good start. Walking areas, easily navigable streets and convenient parking are effective ways to convert visitors to customers.

(next: An Attractive/Appealing Community, continued)

Tourism By Numbers Part III: The Tourism Infrastructure

Tourism Infrastructure is made up of places and things that are the components of accommodation. It may be something that the visitor does not notice or see, unless it is missing --the same things that attract industrial prospects, such as adequate utilities or good roads. Infrastructure is what visitors sense as they make the decision to stay or go. Or ever return. Security and hospitality are two critical infrastructure components that someone passing through a community must sense before he will consider conversion to tourist.

This infrastructure, just like any other infrastructure, is built from the bottom up. The more components that are in place, the more tourism it can support. In the following post, I'll attempt to explain the First of 15 Key Elements of a strong and successful tourism infrastructure.

Tourism By Numbers Part II: The Four Categories of Tourism

OK, I highly encourage you to read this carefully. This might be the most important chunk of information for any economic developer with the charge of developing a tourism strategy as part of their economic development plan.

Tourism dollars are long thought to roll into a community via people visiting the community from somewhere else. As I pointed out in my former post "Committing an Act of Tourism", people don't necessarily have to visit your community from hundreds of miles away to be considered tourists. They can travel a few miles into your town to enjoy a bluegrass concert or even see a movie. They're still dropping their money off and eventually leaving to go home. Right?

Well, what about the folks that live in your community? They take their cash and spend it in other communities too. That's a bleeding wound that certainly needs some attention.

Tourism can be broken down into four distinct categories, each one delivering a different level of tourism activity and economic impact. They are:

1. End Destination describes an event, community or attraction to which tourists travel, specifically, to experience and enjoy.

2. Intermediate Destination provides opportunities for the community to serve as an intermediate tourist destination.

Many people travel to various destinations and must travel through or near the community. By providing opportunities for them to spend disposable money in the community, the community becomes an intermediate tourist destination.

3. Immediate Destination tourism provides opportunities for neighboring residents (people who live within 50 miles outside of the community) to spend disposable money in the community.

4. Tourism Retention provides opportunities for local residents to spend disposable money in their own community.

When describing actual tourism destinations, it is important to realize that any one community or attraction can serve as all four categories. Take Las Vegas, for example. For many vacationers, Sin City is their End Destination. For others, it serves as an Intermediate Destination. It’s a one-night stopover on their way to Disneyland or the Grand Canyon. For others, Vegas is an Immediate Tourism destination. For the people from the nearby city of Henderson, the trip into “the city” can include lots of entertainment but, for them, will not require a hotel room. And finally, residents of Las Vegas are constantly tempted with special events and new attractions that will capture their hard-earned dollars. This is a trick performed by City of Las Vegas, and County of Clark, that prevents the tourism cash from flowing to other communities.

While you may not have any hotels, you can still capture those tourism dollars by figuring out a way to attract people from the surrounding area for a few hours. And you can certainly retain a few of the dollars from your own citizens itching to spend them out of town. You just need to give them some good options. Doesn't have to be fancy. Just worth staying home and checking it out.

Tourism By Numbers Part I: Three Kinds of Attractions

So, what makes a good attraction? What will visitors want to see?

The ability for an area to serve as a tourism destination is always based on natural, cultural or invented circumstances. In most successful cases, it is based on a combination of two or more of these elements.

Natural attractions exist due to a geographic locale such as the community or area’s proximity to an ocean, lake or scenic mountain. Or, it may be based on a natural phenomenon such as a geyser or a flock of birds that migrate at a certain time every year. Or, it can simply be a wonderful combination of climate, landscape and natural wildlife.

Cultural Tourism can be defined as 'the movement of persons, away from their normal place of residence, with the intention to gather new information and experiences related to another country or region's background, specifically the lifestyle of the people in those geographical areas, the history of the peoples, their food, art, architecture, religion(s), beliefs, traditions, and other elements that helped shape their way of life. In urban areas, Cultural tourists are likely drawn to museums and theatres, while in rural areas tourists are more likely to discover the traditions of indigenous cultural communities (i.e. festivals, rituals), and their values and lifestyle.

Invented attractions are anything that was created by man, usually as a way to make money. Amusement parks, casinos, sports complexes and golf courses are good examples. Although most of these man-made attractions were, by no means, culturally correct at the time they were built, many have become part of the “culture” associated with the area where they are located. Can you imagine Paris without the Eiffel Tower? Chicago without Wrigley Field? Sydney without the Opera House? Over time, each of these attractions have become part of the landscape of their respective communities and, in exchange, the communities are recognized by the iconic image of the attractions.

It's entirely possible that you have a little of all three of these elements. And, I'm certain you have, at the very least, a local flavor that can be considered "culture". Figure out what it is.

If all else fails, invent something.

Tourist, Traveler, Visitor. Who Cares?

It might be important to point out that I commonly use the terms "tourism", "tourist(s)" "traveler(s)", and "visitor(s)" synonymously. From an Economic Developer's point of view, I honestly don't see a difference in value. A business traveler's money holds the same value as a leisure traveler's money. Last I checked, one hundred dollars spends the same no matter who gives it to you.

What's In It For Me?

The advancement of passenger rail travel in the early 1850s ushered in the true beginnings of what is recognized as modern “tourism”. Then with automobiles, in the 1920s, and air travel starting in the 1930's, tourism continued to advance exponentially. Today, worldwide tourism is a $200 billion per year industry! When standard economic multipliers are applied, this number is much higher.

In the United States, the average tourist spends roughly $88 per person, per day during a trip that includes an over night stay. This figure includes every man woman and child and includes every purchase made while traveling.

Increasing tourist expenditures will create an increased number of sales transactions in a given community. Not just the direct spending by the tourists, but the re-spending of those same funds too. Clearly, certain businesses will initially receiving the bulk of the tourist dollar. Hotels, motels, restaurants, retail stores, tourist attractions, gasoline stations and transportation companies are among the businesses where the tourist actually hands the money to the business operator. These transactions introduce “new money” into the community. Then, the money starts circulating and will end up getting spent three more times before it leaves the community.

Every time a customer pays for a meal at a restaurant, the restaurateur divides up the money. Part of it pays for goods needed to make more meals, part of it pays for rent, part of it pays for basic services such as electricity, phone, garbage, sewer and water, part of it pays for professional services such as accountants and insurance, and part of it helps pay the wages for his employees, who turn around and pay for gasoline, rent and groceries. The gas station owner collects money from the restaurant employees and pays wages to his own employees. This goes on and on until the money pays for out-of-town goods or services and leaves the community. It is a very healthy cycle.

The more often the dollar “changes hands” without leaving the community, the more economically beneficial it is to the community. Thus, the more goods and services provided for the traveler, the greater the economic benefit for the community. So, the longer the traveler stays in a community, the greater the impact.

Each round of new expenditure brings resources into use, creating new services and employment.

In addition to the regular sales tax that is generated from tourist spending, local, state and federal government will also benefit from use taxes, gas taxes, tobacco, liquor, and entertainment taxes. As a consumer, the tourist helps pay real estate, business, and income taxes since these are paid by the businesses from the customer-generated revenues.

Committing an Act of Tourism

So, how can you define tourism?

Many people believe that tourism is a service industry that takes care of visitors when they are away from home. Some restrict the definition of tourism by number of miles away from home, overnight stays in paid accommodations, or travel for the purpose of pleasure or leisure. Some people don’t think business travel is a form of tourism. Others think that travel and tourism should not even be referred to as an industry.

Whatever the official definition of tourism may be, from an economic development standpoint, it seems to boil down to one important factor: The ability for a community to capture disposable money from customers who have an option to spend it elsewhere.

So, based on this logic, would it be possible to say that if your favorite restaurant was located in the next town over, each time you went there to dine, you committed an act of tourism?

The answer is “maybe.”

If the trip was made in order to have a “unique experience” then the answer is “probably.”

If the trip was made because there were no dining opportunities in your home town, then the answer is “probably not.”

So, it’s safe to say that the line between tourism and plain old consumer spending is not fine. As a matter of fact, the line is pretty wide, and pretty fuzzy.

But, when tourism is recognized as an “export”, then it becomes a little easier to understand, recognize and accept.

The standard, basic and accepted definition of an export is any good or commodity, transported from one country to another country in a legitimate fashion, typically for use in trade. Export goods or services are provided to foreign consumers by domestic producers. However, it is widely accepted that an “export” can easily describe goods or commodities being traded across state lines or even local municipal lines.

The act of exporting goods and commodities, and the reason for doing it, is to open up the market, or customer base for the items being exported. It’s a way to make more money. Economic developers love exporters. Here are some businesses that create something and then ship it outside the area. The customers don’t even live in the community. Therefore, the local government does not have to worry about taking care of them. These customers don’t need new roads, schools, hospitals or more shopping centers.

So, Tourism should be viewed as an export industry. People travel to a community, make purchases, and leave.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, It’s Tourism for Christ’s Sake!

The Biblical story found in Luke 2 describes that Caesar Augustus had issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. Everyone was required to go to their home town to register and pay a special tax.

“…So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David… He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.”[1]

When they arrived in Bethlehem, they found that because so many people were coming to pay their taxes, there was no room in the inns. At the last one they tried, the innkeeper offered them a stable to sleep in.

We all know this story as that of the birth of Jesus. It’s a sacred story written to inform its readers of the birth of Christ. But, it is also one of the earliest historic records of one of the purest forms of economic development: tourism.

The trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem is between 60 and 80 miles by foot - no easy trip in those days, especially with a very pregnant fiancé as a traveling companion. Clearly, it took the couple several days to complete their journey. Along they way, they undoubtedly spent their hard-earned money at various hotels and eating establishments.

The owners of the inns as well as restaurants and shops were doing a bang-up business. They were probably able to jack up their prices to the maximum amount possible at the time. The whole census thing was a huge deal for the small towns back then (circa 9 months B.C.) It would be the equivalent of a city-wide convention taking place in Las Vegas. And, like the procrastinating convention-goer of today, Joseph and Mary found that there was “no room at the inn.” However, the scripture describes that an enterprising innkeeper offered them the use of his stable. Don’t think for a minute that this was a “no charge” deal. The innkeeper was making money hand-over-fist on that evening. He knew he had a couple “live ones.” Heck, Joseph and Mary and baby Jesus were probably not even the only people staying in the barn. This was a smart innkeeper. He probably had several families staying there. And, he was probably able to sell the barn space above the inn’s regular rack rate.

My guess it that a Transient Occupancy Tax had not yet been thought up. Too bad for the local government. If it had, they would surely be high-fiving one another and planning to hold a census as an annual event.

Funny thing is, the story of the birth of Jesus does not represent the earliest days of tourism. The scripture makes reference to more than one Inn that was full. Bethlehem had enough regular tourism business to support more than one hotel. So, it is clear that this type of activity had been practiced for many years.

Tourism dates back to the earliest of prehistoric times and probably originated out of religious ceremonies and opportunities for central trading, or a combination of both. Regardless, tourism was not something that was invented by one person and passed on to others. Rather, it was an obvious opportunity of which people took advantage.

The basic concept of tourism probably began at the dawn of man. Consider this:

Millions of years ago the first humans left the security of their homes to hunt for food and to gather other goods that would make their existence more comfortable. Over time, these people traveled farther and farther, until finally meeting up with other people. Perhaps these other people hunted and collected different game and goods. The two groups sampled one another’s possessions and decided to make a few trades. They were all pleased and agreed to meet up again at a later date and at a specific location.

After many years passed, and many new relationships were established, word of these regular meetings spread. More and more people traveled to the meeting place, at the specific times, to trade goods.

Eventually, a few smart and enterprising folks decided that business was consistent enough that they could continue peddling their wares throughout the year at this central trading area. They remained at the location and greeted visitors from afar with a variety of goods. They were the first vendors and the area became the market.

In time, some of the vendors built shelters to offer the visitors from afar a place to rest. Others provided freshly cooked meals.

Word continued to spread and the market continued to grow in size and popularity. The area now had a commercial center. Dwellings that offered hospitality became inns and eating-places.

Tourism was born.

The model described has not changed over time. It is a simple model of tourism development. Add the production of the goods that the vendors offer for sale; then create a strategy for community development that includes local manufacturing; and the practice of economic development, as we know it today, becomes definitive.

[1] Luke 2:1-20 (New International Version)