welcome! thanks for joining us! december 3, 2004 – nome tourism workshop
TRANSCRIPT
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
:: resources for communities ::
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
:: resources for communities ::
• 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
:: resources for communities ::
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
:: resources for communities ::
Strategies for Success• Realistic Expectations• Near-Term Success• Clear Leadership• Partnership/Support• Monitor and Evaluate Progress
GROUP DISCUSSION
:: resources for communities ::
QUESTIONS? CONCLUSIONS?
:: resources for communities ::