Community Tourism: Good for Your Business, Your Economy
March 13, 2008 · Print This Article
Welcome back!
So many of us love our communities and want to do what we can to make our homes, lives and businesses thrive IN our communities. One of the concepts that has helped many communities and larger cities thrive is community tourism.
How many times have you visited friends in different cities and had them yawn as you marveled at different local sites that they found boring. There are many things in our own communities that we may find ho hum and others find interesting. Community tourism capitalizes on a community’s strengths and promotes that to visitors and tourists who might like nothing more than to visit a community with those particular attributes.
I grew up near a large metropolis. I have a fascination and affinity for small towns (under 2000 people). My husband and I even lived in a town of under 2,000 people for a few years and we loved it! As a traveler, I have at the top of the list many places that are right here in the U.S. and Canada. There really is so much to discover in our own backyard!
I’ll be sharing some more information about community tourism in upcoming posts because I think many struggling towns and larger cities across the U.S. should be looking to community tourism as a way to jump start the local economy. Who knows…one of those visitors might be the catalyst for a new employer coming to town or a helpful feature in major media outlet that might help attract more visitors and investors to the area.
While I’ll be focusing on American towns and cities, the pictures in this post feature community tourism pictures from Jamaica. I was first introduced to the whole notion of community tourism by an advocate of the concept who is Jamaican entrepreneur, Diana McIntyre-Pike. Thanks for the indulgence – it’s cold here and pictures of Jamaica are just what I need! Click on pictures to enlarge.
Great post again Sharon. I remember the first time I went to Colorado. I had never seen mountains before and the people we stayed with just couldn’t understand why I wouldn’t shut up about how beautiful it was and how great it would be to live in a place like that, etc.
I find a similar response in myself when someone remarks that they’re “so excited to visit Chicago” since I grew up with it in my backyard. But then I realize how little I really know about the city – places we’ve never been, etc. We need a vacation in our backyard!
Thanks so much!
Awesome post Sharon. I went to Hawaii many many years ago and was infatuated with the island and all the things that the ‘regulars’ found mundane and ordinary.
So I suppose I understand, at least a little, now why some people have a need to visit Michigan.
I live in small town Mississippi. Most people come here expecting to still find dirt streets and all the women barefoot and pregnant. It is not the case.
I do live in a very old historic town, though our county is big the town itself, which I don’t really live in but in the county, has a population of about 400. Here are some pictures of our town “square” http://www.civilwaralbum.com/misc/carrollton.htm
Great pictures of your town Alyssa! There’s no doubt a lot history in your community that would appeal to a lot of people–especially tourists! Thanks for sharing!
The uniforms the little school girls wear look exactly like the ones I wore in primary school!
Lynette I could never figure how these children keep their uniforms looking so neat throughout the day. Share your pictures – I bet their cute!