welcome! thanks for joining us! december 3, 2004 – nome tourism workshop

Welcome! Thanks for joining us!

December 3, 2004 – Nome Tourism Workshop

• Introduction & Welcome• Opportunities & Challenges• Success Stories Panel• Case Studies Presentation• LUNCH• Breakout #1- Market

Sectors• Full Group - Priorities• Breakout #2 - Action Plan• Full Group - Strategies for

Success

WORKSHOP STRUCTURE

8:30 – 10:00am

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10:00 – 10:2010:30 – 11:3011:30 – 12:00pm12:00 – 1:001:00 – 2:002:00 – 3:00

4:00 – 4:303:00 – 3:30

Who’s sponsoring this workshop:– State Department of Commerce,

Community and Economic Development– US Economic Development Administration– Local Sponsors, including: Kawerak

Corporation, Chamber of Commerce, – With assistance by

Agnew::Beck Consulting

NOME TOURISM WORKSHOP

What are we here to do?

• Bring together people interested in tourism, to exchange ideas and information

• Review trends, success stories, case studies• Develop a realistic action plan for tourism

development in Nome and the Bering Straits region

• Clarify responsibilities for implementing action plan

• Focus on sectors with recognized potential including: native culture & art (marketing, Inuit co-op), port marketing, ecotourism (birding, wildlife viewing)

NOME TOURISM WORKSHOP

Project Area

The SewardPeninsula & itsCommunities:

• Nome• Teller• Council• White Mountain

• Types of Visitors• Measuring Tourism Benefits• Tourism

Strategies

STARTING POINTS:: resources for communities ::

‘Tourist’ means: Any and all categories of visitors from out of town

• Travel Style – package, independent, combination

• Group Size – large group, small group, individual

• Origin – in region, in-state, out-of-state, international

• Activity – passive, “soft,” wild adventure; view vs. hunt/fish

• Season, Length of Visit

• Trip Purpose – pleasure, business, friends/relatives;

• Access Mode – air, cruise boat

TYPES OF VISITORS

Old School = Count the number of touristsMore Helpful To Assess:

• Spending per visitor• Length of stay - “stickiness”• Who benefits?• Adverse impacts, if any, on

community life, on environment• Volatility - sustainability of benefits

Tourism by itself, is rarely sufficient for community economic health

MEASURING TOURISM BENEFITS

• Attractions & EventsUnique places, culture, food, language, gifts, stories, guides…

• Accommodations

• Access & InfrastructureRoads, sidewalks, port, maintenance..

• MarketingPromotional events, familiarization tours, marketing partnerships…

• PeopleAttitudes; training, technical support

• PartnershipsNPS, travel companies, Native Corporations…

CATAGORIES OF TOURISM STRATEGIES

Aesthetics Matter: what is good for visitors can make your

town more livable

• Challenges to Tourism Growth

• Strengths and Opportunities

OPPORTUNITIES & CHALLENGES

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• Off the main flow of Alaska travel

• Relatively low market profile

• Short summer season

• High cost to visit

• Limited regional marketing program

CHALLENGES

• Gold mining history, cultural traditions

• International name recognition

• Road system; beautiful landscapes

• Good air access

• Birdlife

• Innovative, interesting residents

OPPORTUNITIES

• Texas Bird Trail• Talkeetna Tourism Development• Bristol Bay Branding & Product

Development• Copper River Stories• Prince William Sound Port Marketing

CASE STUDIES:: resources for communities ::

Texas Bird Trail

Project Goal: Create easily-

accessible travel opportunities

through habitat retention, publicity and private-public

partnerships

Texas Bird TrailFormation of five hugely popular self-guided birding

tours along Texas highways – ‘nature tourism

development’Benefits:• Translates dispersed, amorphous

attractions into a story, a path

• Adds value to visitor experience

• Simplifies travel logistics

• Takes advantage of already established infrastructure

• Guides visitors to preferred destinations, spreads benefits

• Outcome – significant increase in number of visitors, visitor spending

Talkeetna Tourism DevelopmentProject Goal:

Protect & Improve what makes

downtown attractive to residents and

visitors

Talkeetna Tourism Development

Talkeetna, like thousands of towns around Alaska and America,

is investing to make the town itself an attraction

Actions to Improve & Retain Special Qualities:

• Improved parking, safety and comfort

• Zoning code – controls on building height, size, setback, location

• Riverfront park – control campingadd restrooms, viewpoints, trails

• Entrepreneurial approach: parking revenues cover management costs

Bristol Bay Branding

Project Goal: Create a clear

market identity for a region; integrate sales of tours, fish,

arts & crafts

Bristol Bay Branding

Bristol Bay has great tourism potential, many fishing and hunting lodges, but locals receive few benefits

from tourism

Project Goals & Outcomes:

• Create a clear “brand” for a region (similar to approach used in Monte Verde Cloud Forest Preserve)

• Emphasize environmental stewardship – river patrol, land trust

• Spread tourism benefits to area villages – Aleknagik, Dillingham, Clarks Point, Ekwok, New Stuyahok, Koliganek

• Support, increase odds of success of individual businesses

Bristol Bay Product DevelopmentProject Goal:

Assess and develop trip itineraries to

encourage visitation to Bristol Bay villages

Bristol Bay Product Development

Bristol Bay Product DevelopmentFamiliarization trip to 3 wilderness areas, 4 villages

and the regional hub of Bristol Bay with experienced Alaska tour guide operators

Trip Purpose:

• Overview of natural and cultural richness of the area

• Establish feasible itinerary, emphasizing ‘eco-tourism’

• Encourage entrepreneurship, prioritize use of local businesses and services

• Compare existing services with probable market demands, defer to local preferences for development

• Establish relationships, partnerships between local operators and those from outside the area

Copper River Stories

Project Goal:highlight history of the

Copper River and the creative resources of

its people

Copper River Stories

A week-long raft trip from Chitna to Cordova, gathering

teacher and student artists and writers from the area

Expedition Along the Copper River Illustrated:

•Skills and assets of local residents

•Area’s heritage and natural character

•Region-wide community-building

•Teaching & learning opportunities

PWS Port MarketingProject Goal:

Increase the frequency, number & length of stay of cruise

ship visits to Nome

PWS Port Marketing

Tourism Report cruise issues: port infrastructure, air access, competition

Lessons from Valdez• Takes patience: talk with cruise lines; build

relationships with companies, with the Northwest Cruise Association

• Good Logistics: easy, predictable, comfortable, on-route

• Visitor Experience: unique attractions, something different (“what is the one shining star?”); welcoming community

• Cruise Line Economic Benefit: 70% of passengers on shore excursions (expect a markup of 30-40%)

• Diverse Offerings: provide a range of activities at different costs; excursion capacities to match volume of passengers

• Marketing: give reasons for visitors to want to go Nome

• Building from Past Work• Structure to Build an Action Plan

– Breakout Session #1: Market Groups– Full Group: Getting Organized for

Action•Reports from Market Groups•Set Priorities/Categories for Action

Groups– Breakout Session #2: Action Groups – Full Group: Action Groups Report

Back– Next Steps: Setting Stage for Success

CREATING AN ACTION PLAN

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Nome Area Tourism Demand, Potential & Infrastructure Study – Oct 03

• Background on market trends, opportunities• Preliminary action plan by market sector

• Small group, independents - ecotourism, cultural tours• Birders• Special Events- Iditarod• Air Package Tours• Hunting-Fishing• Business Travel• Winter Adventure• Expedition Cruise (small boat “adventure” cruise)• Visiting Friends and Relatives

Needs review, refinement, implementation

Building From Past Work

•Set Breakout Group Topics

•List Questions to Answer

MARKET DISCUSSION GROUPS:: resources for communities ::

• Cruise (small boat “adventure” cruise)

• “Ecotourism” – see birds; hike, boat, climb, bike, view wildlife; includes small group tours, independents

• Culture and History • Other – e.g., air package tours,

events?

Breakout Categories: Market Segments

• Market: Who is coming today? How much local benefit?

• Issues & Barriers: What obstacles are preventing growth, limiting local benefits?

• Actions: what actions are most important to increase visitation, to increase local benefits?

Breakout Questions to Answer

•Market groups report to full group

•Full group discussion: priorities for action/topics for working groups

GETTING ORGANIZED FOR ACTION:: resources for communities ::

•What are the highest priorities for action?

•What categories for working groups?•By market type (cruise, air, etc)?•By geographic area (in town, out of town)?•By type of strategy (attractions, access,

marketing, etc.)?

•Membership of working groups?

PRIORITIES/ACTION GROUP TOPICS

•Port, Air Access, Cruise?•In-Town Attractions and Events•Out of Town Attractions, Events (ecotourism, village tours, road)

•Marketing

PRIORITIES/ACTION GROUP TOPICS?

•Create an Action Plan - for each Priority:–Objective–Action Plan details: What, When, Who, How?

•Report Back

ACTION GROUPS DISCUSSION

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Strategies for Success• Realistic Expectations• Near-Term Success• Clear Leadership• Partnership/Support• Monitor and Evaluate Progress

GROUP DISCUSSION

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QUESTIONS? CONCLUSIONS?

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