COLUMN: In tourism matters, we must work together or fall apart

In response to the mothballing of Coastal Vision 3000:

It is well known that there is rivalry among the counties, cities, TDCs, chambers, developers and others. A certain amount is expected, but not to an unhealthy level.

Another tourist area that has 10 to 12 million visitors annually was experiencing unhealthy rivalry. They hired a tourism expert, Roger Brooks with Destination Development, to come and study their area and give a formal presentation of the results. I am borrowing from his comments because they often match the situation we face. Just change the city names in his comments to our counties’ names.

At his presentation, he said, “if I have a single message of importance to leave the community, it is this: Work together, not separately, and forget about boundaries. It’s a shame that Sevierville, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge don’t work more closely together in the area of tourism. In terms of promotion and marketing, they tend to go their separate ways. As a result, we are hurting ourselves by sending visitors mixed and confusing messages about who we are, what we have to offer…”

“We do so many things well. What we don’t do so well, however, is communicate and work together. It’s time to knock down the political, governmental and ego barriers that exist among the three cities that keep the county from having an even greater tourism industry — one that keeps people here longer and attracts those with more money to spend. All three cities need to come together and develop a marketing plan that makes it easier for visitors to find things and enjoy our community. Tourists don’t care where the city limits are.

“If a rising tide lifts all boats, then everybody will benefit from a better marketing plan… Enough with the boundaries. Enough with turf wars. Enough with a mishmash and hodgepodge of information that doesn’t meet the needs of the intended audience. Change this dramatic can happen only if leaders, both in and out of government, insist it happen.”

Brooks has 25 Immutable Rules of Successful Tourism: One of these is: The rule of partnering  
• Visitors don’t stay within boundaries. Always market the broader package.
• The more you have to offer, collectively, the further people will travel to visit you.
• Your branding effort should be developed to include the bigger picture.

There are truisms in the tourism game that can fit anyplace anywhere. A way to have the counties, cities, TDCs, chambers, and others working together must be found if our area is to reach its full potential. The current highly-splintered marketing efforts for our area certainly will not!

As an Atlanta resident, I know that the marketing of Northwest Florida in no way approaches the quality or level of marketing that we see from competing tourist destinations.

A way to have the counties, cities, TDCs, chambers, and others working together must be found if our area is to reach its full potential.

Don Bennett is founder of CAPEC. CAPEC is Community Association Presidents of the Emerald Coast An Association of 60-plus Community Associations in Okaloosa and Walton Counties representing 7,000 property owners. Learn more at http://hoapresidents.condoconduit.com