Attracting visitors is about more than the eye-catching landscapes, historic landmarks, or local culture. It is about creating experiences that are meaningful to travelers. To achieve this, you need the full support and involvement of your community.
Your residents are part of what makes the area unique. They are also your best destination stewards, helping spread the word about why people should visit. And, whether they realize it or not, people who live in a destination have the most to benefit from the visitor economy.
If you want to do more in destination management, effective Advocacy and Community Engagement (ACE) strategies help. Before investing time and resources into growing tourism in your area, think about adding these three approaches to your strategy.
The key to destination management is tapping into what defines your region. When you identify your community’s core values and assets, you can then highlight what differentiates it from other areas. A good place to start is Asset Discovery. By taking inventory of your natural, cultural, and historical resources, you will identify what makes your destination truly special.
At DestinationiQ, our Asset Discovery process always involves local voices. We work with stakeholders to understand everything an area has to offer. Additionally, bringing in an external partner who can look at a destination with fresh eyes is a great way to uncover hidden gems, potential partnerships, and local or regional collaborations.
Other ways to involve residents include sentiment surveys, gathering ideas of what people love about the area, and identifying how visitors benefit the region. These strategies also unearth pain points, which are just as important as knowing what people love. After you learn what concerns the local population about tourism, you can take action to address these issues, manage the narrative, or mitigate overuse.
Visitor activity benefits everyone because it drives economic and job growth. This is why local business and civic leaders are great potential partners. Once you engage them in the planning and decision-making process, it opens up new possibilities.
As you connect with area leaders, highlight the full return on investment of attracting more visitors. Tourism increases tax revenue, brings in external investments, and boosts infrastructure development. When you involve these leaders, you will help them see the full value of tourism, and they will start to develop a sense of ownership and pride in your initiatives.
Effective communication is the cornerstone of local engagement. Keeping residents informed about your tourism plans, including the potential benefits and challenges, fosters trust and reduces uncertainty.
Make sure your communication plan includes multiple ways for people to receive your message. Planned presentations, fact sheets, social media campaigns, and public forums are powerful and effective ways to engage your community. Plus, making it an open dialogue provides valuable insights to help fine-tune your strategies and reduce any negative tourism impacts.
The most powerful ACE plans are ongoing. Do not stop engaging local voices after you launch your tourism initiative—maintain your outreach efforts.
Keep a pulse on how the community feels about the evolving tourism landscape. Periodically survey residents to gauge sentiment and identify concerns. This is a way to adapt your strategies to ensure they remain aligned with your region’s values.
Advocacy and Community Engagement is not just a buzzword in destination management. Involving residents is a fundamental building block for sustainable success. When area voices are actively involved and supportive, your destination becomes more than just a place on the map—it becomes a place in visitors’ hearts.
Partnering with local stakeholders, businesses, and elected officials, DestinationiQ will help you effectively engage members of your community and turn them into advocates.
Contact us today to get started.
