Another National Travel & Tourism Week is in the books...a week where we salute and honor the impact that the Visitor Economy (and all those that make it happen) has on our way of life.
Interestingly, last week was also International Economic Development Week. Which got me to thinking. As "Tourism is the First Date for Economic Development," shouldn't International Economic Development Week be this week? Just sayin...
A significant number of DMO pros wrote op-ed pieces for media releases and blogs that ran all last week. All pinpointed why Tourism and Destination Marketing are critical to a thriving community. One of our favorites came from John Groh (Rockford Area IL CVB). In "The Top 5 Reasons Travel Matters to Illinois...and to the Rockford Region," he clicks through many of the same points so many made last week.
What I admire most about John's missive was how he personalized the message beyond the stereotypical numbers we so often use. My two favorite lines: "Locally, more than 3,000 of our neighbors go to work every day at jobs generated by visitor spending."
And then, this: "Travel helps families connect, creating everlasting memories and develops a lifelong bond. When surveyed, most children (61%) say the best way to spend quality time with parents is on vacation. At their core, adults know this: 62 percent of adults say that their earliest, most vivid memories are of family vacations taken between the ages of five and 10."
Drop the mic, my friend. That's how it's done. Touch their emotions...not their logic.
Bang on.
Thanks for sharing. When the budget belt starts tightening, tourism is an easy target. But a government that claims to be "for the people", those last two points really hit home and can maybe save us in the long run.
Posted by: RonNasty64 | May 14, 2019 at 10:09