Published On: December 8, 2005
The Strategic Marketing Group is happy to announce three new marketing services to help California tourism destinations develop alternative funding sources and profitable new markets. SMG Business Improvement District (BID) Development Service As more and more destinations continue to see their budgets cut, some leaders have turned to the development of Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) as a means to restore and secure future tourism funding. The SMG BID Development Service is comprehensive and will help take your tourism community from the basic concept of a BID to determining the projected Return on Investment your community might realize from the increased tourism dollars a BID is designed to generate. The extensive BID service includes the following: andbull; Development of a community marketing plan using funding levels the BID is designed to achieve. andbull; Development of a financial model to determine the different potential levels of funding your community might realize. andbull; Identify and quantify potential Return on Investment scenarios. andbull; Final SMG recommendations to help insure success. SMG Cultural Tourism Marketing Plans Today, more and more travelers are celebrating the cultural differences that exist within our country and define our character. As such, there is great opportunity for tourism destinations to increase new and repeat visitations by promoting their distinctive arts and cultural activities and events. Promoting your cultural assets can also help to diversify your portfolio of attractions that can increase visitations during slower seasons. SMG can help you inventory your assets and develop a customized plan and strategy to effectively promote your destinationandrsquo;s cultural diversity and individuality to generate future visits when they are needed most. SMG Agri-Tourism Marketing Plans Along with cultural tourism is the growing interest in discovering the rural way of life while on vacation. Many visitors are seeking out destinations with farm trails that showcase agricultural products and country living that help visitors experience a more intimate side of a specific region. Increasingly, visitors want to sample and partake in the festivities that celebrate a regionandrsquo;s locally grown agricultural products and rural way of life such as harvest festivals, wineries, farmerandrsquo;s markets and even staying on a farm. According to a recent Sacramento Bee article (August 14, 2005), there are over 30 farm trails in California, and in 2003 andldquo;culinary adventureandrdquo; tourism generated $201.9 million in Butte County that supported 3,500 jobs and $3.3 million in local taxes. The Travel Industry Association of America reports that, andldquo;rural sightseeing accounts for 10% of domestic trips and represents the fifth most significant reason for travelingandrdquo;. Let SMG show you how agri-tourism can help you develop new markets and become a sustainable revenue generator for your community.
