Tribal Tourism for Beginners

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Tribal Tourism for Beginners
by Jana Prewitt
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(No Transcript)
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Key Elements of Tourism Success

• Needs desires of tribe considered and planned
  for
• Good strategic plan
• Full range of traveler servicesexisting or in
  development
• Infrastructure exists or is being developed
• Visitor markets exist to make profit from
  development feasible

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Keys to Great Tourism Planning

• Organizational development
• Get organized, recognized and
• funded
• Community Involvement
• Build interest support among
• members
• Tourism product development
• Assess, create and enhance tribal
• assets, traveler services and infrastructure
• Tourism product marketing
• Market tribal resources to the right people
• in the right places at the right times

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Top Ten Success Factors

• 1) Clear long-term plan and short-term projects
• 2) Link to state-wide national efforts, work
  regionally
• 3) Provide basicsrestrooms, water, food, and
  lodging if possible, erect clear signage
• 4) Work with community to gain alignment and put
  safeguards in place to avoid negative impacts
• 5) Develop on several scalesentrepreneurs,
  small scale businesses, large scale tribal
  projects and link together

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Top Ten Success Factors (cont)

• Research visitor preferencesvisitor surveys,
  comment cards, personal feedbackthen improve
  services
• Develop a brand identify
• Promote tourism and educate visitors
• Protect the environment and cultural privacy
• Manage touristscreate flow, contain them,
  educate and create a mutually satisfying
  experience

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Step 1Build action group

• 5-7 people
• Marketing, public speaking, writing, art and
  graphics, web design, printing, advertising,
  organizing events, grant writing, tourism,
  cultural heritage
• Will, able, respectful of others
• Commitment
• Team player
• Meet own needs/get work done
• Views consistent with balancing community needs
  and tourism development

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Step 2 Do Tribal Assets Inventory

• Compile a list of the tribes natural, cultural,
  historic, recreational and human assets
• Sample tribal visitor asset inventory pg. 17
• Inventory Summary Worksheets, pg. 19
• Get outside and get lots of people involved
• do windshield tours
• Use the list (later) to develop projects
• Improve community quality of life
• Attract and satisfy visitors

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Step 3--Conduct Resident Attitude Survey

• Find out what tribal members really think about
  tourism benefits and costs
• Test the best ideas that come out of the
  community inventory
• Determine what areas are desirable to share or
  too sensitive to share with visitors
• Give the survey to newspapers, radio stations,
  local businesses place in high traffic
  gathering places
• Actively encourage friends, relatives to complete
  the survey

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Step 4a Analyze your current and nearby markets

• Successful marketing analysis will tell you
• Who is already visiting and what they do.
• Kinds of visitors that are likely to visit if
  they are targeted
• Where marketing will do the most good
• What will help maximize visitation without
  further development
• What you already have you need to help protect,
  enhance and promote?

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ResearchI.D. Target Markets

• Conduct visitor surveys at tribal
  attractionscasinos, visitor centers, attractions
  to find out who your customers are today.
• Offer incentive of some kind to fill out and turn
  in while on premises.
• Example of visitor survey in Tribal Tourism
  Toolkit
• Use available research
• State tourism research
• CanadaTravel Activities and Motivation Surveys
  by Lang Research
• National surveys of Canada and U.S. with
  statistics on tribal visitation interest
• U.S. Travel and Tourism Industries

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Step 4bAnalyze your market potential

• Proximity from major population centers
  proximity to interstates, major roads, reasonably
  priced airfare
• Number of people traveling through or near tribal
  land
• Tribal attractions and events
• Hospitality facilities that support those
  attractions and eventsrestaurants, motels,
  campgrounds, marinas, visitor centers
• Promotion strategy used to target market for
  tribal attractions and events
• Visitor cost to travel and stay with or near you
  overnight.
• Competitionwho else is pursuing your target
  markets

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Step 5Analyze Project Impacts

• Look at each project for potential negative
  impacts and ways to mitigate, minimize or
  eliminate them.
• Work with your own natural resources folks
• Sample analysis available from Community Tourism
  Handbook, Western Rural Development Center,
  Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon.
• EPA, USDA Rural Development and National
  Resources Conservation Service can help.

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Mapping Success

• Set goals rank by priority
• Express quantitatively
• Specify target, time lime
• Example Goal Increase overnight stays from
  Minneapolis/St. Paul visitors by 5 over next two
  years.
• Example Goal Increase successful large seven
  day group tours from UK from two to ten over the
  next two years.

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Step 6Sales Test Marketing

• Give presentations to tribal groups followed by
  discussion periods and get informal validation of
  your draft
• (Dont call anything a draft plan until the
  tribal groups have weighed inuse concept
  paper or project ideas, etc. )
• Record attendance and results.
• Share results with the media.

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Step 7Get endorsement

• When the action group determines there is enough
  community support, make presentations to
  individual elected officials and get on the
  agenda for the tribal council or board meeting.
• Seek formal endorsement from the tribal
  government for the tourism plan.
• Keep modifying your plan until it is accepted and
  endorsed.

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Mapping Success

• Plot strategies (mixes) for different market
  segmentshow to reach potential visitors in the
  most cost effective method possible
• Set budget for each
• market segment strategy
• Implement
• Evaluate and correct

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Elements of Tourism Marketing

• Market research
• Package development pricing
• Advertising promotion
• Public relations and media

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Marketing Starts with a Plan

• Set goalswhat you want to accomplish?
• Do internal research--product, business,
• service inventory
• Who is market ready?
• What are they offering?
• Season and hours?
• Can they discount price?
• Do external research
• Identify your potential market targets
• Who is already visiting? Age, income, geographic
  origin? Where do they stay, when, how long, doing
  what while visiting, wanting what else?
• Who is interested in coming? (Use the research of
  otherscountries, states, attractions.

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Mapping out success

• Set goals rank by priority
• Express quantitatively
• Specify target, timelime
• Example Goal Increase overnight stays from
  Minneapolis/St. Paul visitors by 5 over next two
  years.
• Example Goal Increase successful large seven
  day group tours from UK from two to ten over the
  next two years.

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Marketing Plan (cont.)

• Plot strategies (mixes) for different market
  segmentshow to reach potential visitors in the
  most cost effective method possible
• Set budget for each
• market segment strategy
• Implement
• Evaluate and correct

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Marketing Research

• Who is coming to your reservation? Couples,
  families, tour groups, affinity groups?
• Where are they coming from? City, state, zip?
• How are they getting there? Plane? Car? Bus?
• What are they coming to see and do?
• How long are they staying?
• How much money are they spending?
• What would keep them longer or cause them to stay
  longer and/or spend more money?
• What other interests do they have?
• Will they come back? What would entice them
  back?
• Have they/what will they tell their friends and
  family about their trip?

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ResearchFind Target Markets

• Conduct visitor surveys at tribal
  attractionscasinos, visitor centers, fortsto
  find out who your customers are today.
• Offer incentive of some kind to fill out and turn
  in while on premises.
• Example of visitor survey in Tribal Tourism
  Toolkit
• Use available research
• State tourism and regional org tourism research
• CanadaTravel Activities and Motivation Surveys
  by Lang Research
• National surveys of Canada and U.S. with
  statistics on tribal visitation interest
• U.S. inadequate by comparison--needs pressure to
  come up to Canadian standard

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Marketing Visitor EXPERIENCES

• Market each element of the tripenhance quality
  with attention to detail
• Trip Elements and Actions that Create Value

• Experience at siteprovide info on history and
  culture, local attractions, info on lodging, food
• Recollectionprovide info on quality souvenirs,
  art and crafts, mementos, coupon or discount for
  future return trip

Trip planning and anticipationprovide
directions and maps Travel to site areaprovide
time and distance estimates, attractions info en
route
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National researchtribal tourism

• 26.2 of U.S. travel market participated in an
  aboriginal-related tourism activity or exhibited
  an interest in aboriginal tourism attractions
• 26.2 44.8 million
• Compared to 15.3 of the Canadian market

• 15.3 3.0 million
• In U.S. and Canada, the people most likely to be
  interested or participate are mainstream mature
  singles and couples and senior singles with
  higher educations than average.

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Tribal Tourism Research

• Ad promotion materials should emphasize
  natural, cultural and learning-related
  opportunities
• Visitors consult more information sources when
  planning vacations, especially travel articles in
  newspapers and magazines, state travel offices
  and websites, and travel guides
• Print media-paid and earnedis the most efficient
  way to reach your target markets

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U.S Tribal Tourism By Region
Percent population who traveled to Indian country
in the last two years or intends to travel in the
next two
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Regional Interest Participation

• SE CoastFL, GA, NC, SC
• MountainNM, AZ, UT, CO, NV, ID, WY, MT
• ES CentralAL, MS, TN, KY
• WS CentralTX, OK, AR, LA
• Pacific/HawaiiCA, HI, OR, WA, AK
• WN CentralKS, NE, SD, MO, IA, MN
• EN CentralWI, IL, MI, OH and IN
• New EnglandME, CT, MA, RI and VT
• Mid-AtlanticPA, NY, NJ

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Interest by Demographics
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Modes of Transportation

• Touring by personal vehicle39
• Guided tours30
• Cruises30
• Air tours18

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Other Activities and Interests

• Nature sightseeing
• Hiking, canoeing, biking
• Museums, arts, historical sites
• Cultural activities, demnostrations and festivals

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Information Sources Consulted
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Defining Travelers

• Group travelers-typically groups of 20 45
  travelers by motorcoach for significant part of
  trip, with a tour guide and itemized itinerary
• FIT--Fully Independent Travelernon-group
  traveller
• Group ITGroup Independent Travelersmall
  customized groups of less than 15, who may or may
  not stay together for the entire trip.

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TouristsHow to Reach Them

• Fully independent travelers (FITs)
• Direct mail market to those whove been
• Offer discounts for friends and family referrals
• Travel sections and travel magazinesearned media
  and /or print ads
• Inclusion in state fulfillment packages
• Travel agentsmake packages 10 commissionable,
  reached through direct mail brochures, video/DVD,
  put Travel agents welcome in print materials
• Direct response TV

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How to Reach Them

• Small large groups (8 to 48)
• Travel trade marketingdomestic and international
• Tour operatorstrade shows
• Packaged and priced (net/net) itineraries,
  brochures, booth displays, CDs and DVDs
• Travel agentsdirect mail, CDs, commissionable
  rates
• Affinity groups (churches, youth groups)-- direct
  mail, CDs

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Most Effective Media

• Internet
• National Geographic
• Travel Magazines
• Travel sectionsnewspapers
• General interest magazines

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Targeting Travel Readers

• Twice as likely to participate in hands-on
  learning experience
• 80 more likely to experience different cultures
  and ways of life
• 40 more likely to visit historic sites
• 40 more likely to want to see unspoiled nature

• 30 more likely to visit casinos and gamble.
• Travel readers are Travel Innovators
• Not afraid to rough it
• Fine arts and culinary experimentation
• Internet and Earned Media the most cost-effective
  ways to advertise and promote

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Financial Viability Formula
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Packaging Timetable
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THANKS FOR COMING