Geo-tourism: A different kind of tourism

Many communities don’t think about the kind of tourism experience they want visitors to have. They don’t consider who is coming, why they are coming or what they are interested in doing; they simply think about it as something that just happens. This can result in a visitor experience that is generic, and its impacts on the environment, the culture and residents of the community can be undesirable.

Geo-tourism is tourism that sustains or enhances the geographic character of a place—its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents.  Geo-tourism connects visitors and residents though experiences that benefit both. Geo-tourists often stay longer in a place and take more of an interest in its character. This results in supporting planning that helps protect the character of the place— it’s a very different kind of tourism mentality. 

How can I help you to grow tourism in your community?

Every community is unique and there are many ways to enhance its tourism potential. Here are a few ways my diverse background and experiences can help:

Planning & Marketing

• Identify what's distinctive (out of the ordinary) about your community.
• Develop a marketing/strategic plan for progress and sustainability.
• Help communities understand how to attract visitors without negatively impacting the character of their community.
  

Infrastructure & Finance

• Identify ways to work with your city or county government to develop infrastructure that will support increased tourism.
  
• Identify available resources.
• Review and implement budgets. 

Boards, Committees & Facilitation

• Identify opportunities to collaborate with Convention and Visitor Bureaus .
• Define steps to set up a Tourism Business Improvement District and a board.
• Educate Convention and Visitor Bureaus on rules, regulation and compliance.

Arts & Heritage 

• Suggest ideas and implementation processes to preserve your town's history while supporting its continued growth. 
  
• Identify ways to use arts and culture to enhance your visitors' experience. 
  

Government & Policy

• Review rules and regulations that may be getting in the way of your ability to attract visitors, and what steps could you take to change them.
  
• Assess way-finding and signage.
• Research policies that could help attract new visitors.

The sky's the limit (well, almost!)

And if you don't know what your community needs, we can just start there. Please get in touch!

Contact me