Michigan State University Extension
Tourism Educational Materials - 33520052
06/06/02
Community Travel and Tourism Marketing
Source: Minnesota
ID:NUMBR= CD-FO-3272
Authors: Koth, Barbara; Kreag, Glenn
Archived Document: This Extension bulletin is no longer
available from the publishing State and may contain
outdated information.
Every community if affected by visitors. While many
communities recognize opportunities for growth in the
tourism industry, options at the local level expand when
travelers are included. Travelers are people away from
home temporarily. In collecting data, sometimes "more than
miles away from home" further defines a traveler.
This travel may result from a variety of sources: a
pleasure vacation, business and convention purposes,
friends and relatives, special events and festivals, sport
recreation, historic sites, specific attractions, or when
people pass-through headed for another destination. The
cash register doesn't sort out travel purchases this way,
and in reality it is impractical to separate tourists from
travelers. All visitors are important to the travel and
tourism industry.
Minnesota is experiencing a boom in communities organizing
to attract and host visitors as a way to diversify and
boost economies. The impact of travel and tourism on the
local economy goes beyond first level expenditures at food,
lodging, gas, entertainment, and retail establishments.
Travel spending brings in outside dollars that "turn over"
in the community. Even if you do not have direct contact
with travelers, the money filters through the entire
economy as residents re-spend travel dollars. But the
increased interest in tourism translates to fierce
competition in the marketplace.
Key to gaining the attention of potential tourists is
development of a community marketing, not a selling
approach. Marketing is a continuous, coordinated set of
activities associated with efficiently distributing
products to high potential markets. It involves making
decisions about product, price, promotion, and
distribution. Marketing focuses on providing customer
benefits and satisfying needs better than the competition.
It is based on the principle that consumer buying
resistance will be overcome if the product satisfies buyer
needs.
In contrast, selling focuses on the product offered rather
than satisfying customer needs. It assumes that the main
thing necessary to sell the product is to overcome purchase
resistance. A statement reflecting the selling approach is
"we will attract tourists to OurCity because we want
tourists and everyone would want to visit.
Selling is only a small part of marketing. The formal
marketing process involves six steps:
- Analyze your current situation.
- Identify product(s).
- Select target market(s).
- Set objectives.
- Carry out promotion strategies.
- Evaluate results
When the structure to support tourism is in place - 1)
attractions, 2) services and facilities, 3) an
information/direction/interpretive system, and 4)
transportation linkages - communities can move to market
their unique tourist and travel experiences. This
publication outlines one approach for preparing a marketing
that describes how you will get visitors to stop, to
stay, to tell others, and to return.
Analyze Your Current Situation
What does your community have that travelers want? The
first step in the marketing process is to conduct an
inventory and analysis of the travel and tourism industry
and its potential within your area. Tourism isn't just a
community or collection of small businesses with an
interest in attracting visitors. Tourism is an entire
"region" organizing to draw and host travelers-it's an
overall view with a wide angle lens.
Analysis answers the question "what is?" as a basis for
"what could be?" Ten crucial questions for a community to
answer on a regular basis include:
1. What attractions exist that will entice people to stop
and visit?
2. What hospitality services and facilities are available?
3. What experiences are visitors having in the community?
4. What promotion methods are used? How well do they work?
5. What are the current markets?
6. What is the competition for your community?
7. How is tourism related to the community lifestyle and
goals?"
8. What roles do community organizations play in tourism
development?
9. What are trends that affect the tourism industry?
10. What are the community strengths and weaknesses,
problems and opportunities in serving visitors?
Attractions (question 1 )
Through fate or creativity, most communities have tourist
attractions that draw visitors. A community's basic assets
may include:
- Natural resources, or a scenic setting;
- Human-made attractions such as racetracks, museums, or
resorts;
- Historical sites;
- Cultural and ethnic resources;
-Recreation opportunities;
-Special events and festivals;
-Availability of high quality personal services such as
shopping, medical care and education; or
-Local industries and economic base.
Describe each attraction, including quality. How many of
each type of attraction are there? Look forward and list
potential visitor resources that could be enhanced or used
more fully. The Minnesota Extension Service publication "So
Community Wants Tourism" outlines the range of travel
attractors that determine a community's capability to bring
travelers.
As you develop a community tourism campaign, it is useful
to separate "core" attractions that are a prime reason for
travel, from secondary "supporting" attractions that
enhance a visitor's experience once they are there. There
are infinite reasons to visit Minneapolis and St. Paul, but
Twin Cities Attractions Council is organized to promote the
plus theaters, museums, special events, and other core
attractions that draw large audiences.
This distinction is useful when you are selecting an image
for your marketing program. The Spicer area tourism
committee has developed a four-tier list of tourism
assets: most important (includes Green Lake, resorts, 2
hours to Twin Cities); important (Sibley State Park,
fishing, golf course); significant (fall colors, hunting,
July 4 celebration); and contributing (antique shops,
sailing regattas, farm tours). Spicer's marketing theme
reflects this ranking.
Hospitality Services (question 2)
The economic impact of tourism largely comes from spending
in the hospitality sector primarily composed of private
commercial businesses. The U.S. Travel Data Center
estimates tourist dollar expenditures on a statewide basis
by category (1985):
Food $0.26
Public transportation .25
Auto transportation .17
Lodging .15
Entertainment & recreation .09
Retail and other .08
$1.00
In nonmetropolitan areas these figures would shift; for
example, the public transportation component would drop
significantly. It is useful to have local or regional
expenditure data to track the travel industry and develop
public support for this economic sector. However, data
collection requires a visitor survey, and study and
questionnaire design are complex. Seek assistance from
industry professionals in developing a data base that
accurately represents spending patterns.
Good restaurants and sufficient overnight lodging capacity
are essential. Describe the mix of establishments, their
occupancy, and their services. For example, do motels have
facilities for families such as pools and playgrounds, or
are they positioned to attract business meetings where
evening entertainment may be a factor in the decision to
make reservations? Grocery stores, specialty retail shops,
entertainment and service stations also support the visitor
industry.
Questions about the adequacy of public services come into
play. Transportation issues such as roadway congestion,
parking and signing, restroom availability, and utilities
(sewage and trash disposal) assume importance as the
industry expands. Plans for a proposed megamall in the Twin
include construction to widen roads in the area.
Tourism Today (questions 3, 4, and 5)
The tourism experience your community promotes now, whether
or accidental, is generally a good indicator for the
future. It is often easier to modify and market a travel
experience that has evolved over time and is built on local
flavor, than Do introduce and develop a new form of tourism
that does not match local culture, environment, and
heritage. Mississippi Rivertown Rendezvous, an organization
promoting the towns along the river corridor from Hastings
to Winona, builds upon a common heritage and landscape.
Describe the visitor experience your community offers both
in terms of tangibles: the resorts, the boating, the
location, as well as the intangibles. Talk about customer
benefits when you think about intangibles: rest and
relaxation, friendliness, excitement. Then outline and
evaluate promotion strategies now in use to envision future
options. Through survey or observation, determine who is
buying your community's experience now. Customers who have
visited (even though there may have been no major promotion
campaign) are a good clue about the target market your
community naturally appeals to.
Outside Influences (questions 6 through 9)
Tourism marketing occurs within a competitive marketplace
that goes well beyond the community boundaries. There are
many forms of competition for your customers and their
dollars-but neighboring communities generally are not one
of them. A number of strong travel-oriented communities,
working together on regional promotion, results in a
stronger destination image, a greater variety of
attractions and facilities, wider market exposure, and a
healthy degree of competition that spurs improvements. The
Land of Legends group -a ring of communities within 60
miles of Itasca State Park could not promote itself as a
major destination without the involvement of many Chambers
of Commerce. This "critical mass" of diverse attractions
and quality services also enables the Land of Legends area
to attract and host "fam" (familiarization) tours for
travel writers and tour brokers as part of an overall
marketing program.
More important, there is competition for how consumers
spend their discretionary dollar. The purchase of a VCR,
buying a more expensive car, or saving for a college
education means less money is available for leisure and
travel. You also have to be concerned with other
destination areas on a national level. Consumers have
worldwide choices today; you must understand your
competition and their strategies to market your competitive
advantages.
In promoting certain visitor experiences, assess what type
of tourism is compatible with local lifestyles. For
example, many residents of northwestern Minnesota enjoy the
hunting opportunities. They use the same resource
nonlocal hunters use. Conflicts over resource use must be
negotiated before hunting is promoted as a primary visitor
attraction. In other areas, emphasis on scattered small
town activities is more appropriate than major new
construction and facility development. The latest brochure
for Southeastern Minnesota Historic Bluff Country
emphasizes small- scale tourism businesses such as canoe
rental, locally made arts and crafts, bed and breakfasts,
and a lefsa factory tour. It is a format designed to
encourage travelers to wander and explore the area, rather
than directing everyone to a few major sites.
In addition, specify the roles various community
organizations play in development and promotion, and
understand social trends that influence your market
position. React quickly when they occur. For example, the
move toward shorter getaway mini- vacations is radically
changing travel industry strategies.
Where are We Now? (question 10)
Summarize findings on community attractions, services and
facilities, the current travel industry and outside
influences in a WRITTEN summary statement. Combine relevant
in an outline of community strengths and weaknesses,
problem opportunities for tourism. Spend sufficient time on
this step: analysis is the basis for subsequent decisions
about marketing your community's unique visitor
experiences.
Identify Product
What is your community marketing? One main reason people
travel is to experience a new and different environment.
After the situation analysis, most communities find they
are faced with multiple options for attracting tourists.
The challenge is to choose one dominant identity among all
these alternatives. You can not and should not promote all
of the community attributes equally. In a tourism
marketplace where consumers are faced with diverse choices,
need an "edge" to set yourself apart from the competition.
You need to create a unique product with a theme or
identity that characterizes major promotion efforts. Red
Lake Riverlands-Red Lake Falls, Thief River Falls,
Crookston, East Grand Forks-features river uses like tubing
and boat tours, and nearby food and lodging services.
The thirteen Iron Trail United Communities capitalize on
the unique mining characteristics and strong ethnic
heritage of the Range. Ironworld, with its train and
festival series, Hill Annex Mine and Tower-Soudan State
Park are the core attractions that support the mining
theme. A region- wide visitor newspaper and radio
information network are part of this cooperative marketing
approach.
An example from the private sector is three ski resorts
that offer the same hills, the same snow, and the same lift
equipment. One business bills itself as a "mountain of
hospitality," another is a family resort and the third
sells serious, technical skiing.
A marketing theme is the one main idea or message you want
to communicate. It should be based on satisfying visitor
needs. Theme development requires creativity, and there are
advertising agencies that specialize in "positioning" a
product in the marketplace and developing a parallel
marketing campaign. Consult the Minnesota Extension Service
sheet "Creating a Tourism Promotional Theme.
"Select Target Markets
Who will buy the product your community is marketing? One
certain way to fail is to try to please everyone. A target
market is a group of individuals sharing common
characteristics, toward whom marketing efforts will be
directed. The process of dividing the total market into
high-potential target markets is called market
segmentation and involves these steps:
- Identifying and describing the different segments that
make up the total market;
- Evaluating the economic potential of each segment;
- Choosing one or more market segments on which to focus.
Current visitors are a good indication of target markets
attracted to your community. New prospects are likely to
have many of the same characteristics unless you are
planning a product shift. Target markets can be defined by
several factors: geography, demographics, and behavior.
Geography refers to potential visitors: where they live and
they travel. Negative travel time and positive attraction
factors are recognized widely as the two main variables
that determine what customers choose to see and where they
choose to go. Travel time and distance can be negative
factors for potential visitors, but the power of an area's
tourist attractions may be a counteracting positive factor.
A destination that offers a large variety of interesting
attractions has more pull, at an equal distance, than a
location that offers only one or a few low interest
attractions. This doesn't cancel the fact that travel to
and from an area is an important part of the total
experience, as "pass-through" communities have discovered.
Demographics refers to characteristics like age, sex,
marital status, number and ages of children and life stage
(young single adult or retired) that have direct and
obvious effects on travel patterns. For example, unmarried
men and married couples with young children have vastly
different spending patterns.
Behavior refers to how potential tourists act, such as
length of stay, new us. repeat visitors, and skills (novice
expert). But market segmentation using behavior variables
also refers to why they behave as they do, their interests,
and their values. There are many factors that affect travel
by individual consumers: the reasons for travel, activities
enjoyed during travel, a person's general interests and
opinions about travel, and personal values.
For one person, travel may mean a tour of museums,
monuments and other cultural attractions. Another person
may travel to a meeting of a professional organization. A
third person seeks amusement at a sporting event; another
visits a park to fish. For different reasons they engage in
different activities while traveling and value different
types of attractions.
Information on behavior can be difficult and expensive to
collect. Some details are available from observing visitors
analyzing existing records, but most knowledge is likely to
come from surveys or interviews. Work with a marketing
professional about survey design to assure a representative
sample if you try this method.
New and even established host communities must evaluate
each major target market for its economic potential.
Consider your product and estimate the drawing power of the
attractions. Think about proximity to metropolitan areas
and the quality of the transportation network. Consider the
of people traveling near your area; consult Minnesota
Department of Transportation records.
Use size and accessibility of the target market as
criteria. There must be enough members of the target market
justify the investment in reaching them. You must be able
to reach the target market through a standard form of
promotion. Boaters, runners, and anglers, for example, are
very accessible: they belong to organizations and read
specialized publications. In contrast, young single parents
less accessible market because there is no common
affiliation or central source of information.
Finally, select one or more of the target markets. You can
concentrate on a single target market to the exclusion of
all others, or you can use a strategy where promotion
campaigns are developed for two or more markets
simultaneously. It is likely you will change market
segments during the season in the same way resort operators
shift their marketing efforts from anglers (spring) to
families (summer) to retired couples (fall).
Most important, a community shouldn't try to be all things
to all consumers. Primary destination areas like the Twin
Cities, state offices of tourism, and major attractions
such as Disneyland have the resources to accomplish that.
You are much more likely to be successful if you narrow
down the target market you want to reach.
Set Marketing Objectives
Now write down marketing objectives that clearly state what
community wants to accomplish in its promotion campaign.
Objectives keep energy and action focused on what's
important. They help you track your success and judge when
it is time to review and shift strategies. A good objective
contains four elements:
- A specific action of interest such as increased
visitation, sales volume, or awareness;
- A measurable outcome, expressed in dollars, a percentage
or numbers for example, that indicates how much change will
- A time frame within which the action should occur; and
- An indication of the target market you are trying to
reach.
Some poorly stated objectives are "to increase visits," "to
mid-week business," and "to attract more retired
couples." In contrast, some examples of well-written
objectives follow:
- In the next year, increase mid-week (Monday-Thursday)
occupancy to 55 percent by attracting business travelers.
- The Chamber of Commerce will book 500 advance
reservations from vacationers traveling the Lake Superior
circle route in summer (June 1 through Labor Day).
- Increase phone and mail inquiries by 20 percent from fall
magazine advertising between August 15 and October 15.
- Increase retail sales on main street during a summer
festival by 25 percent over last year's.
Carry Out Promotion Strategies
Many communities and private entrepreneurs mistakenly
assume that marketing is just deciding on a promotion
strategy. They direct broad appeals to poorly defined
markets through a variety of media. You can't afford to
spend scarce promotion dollars in appealing to people who
are not prospects for purchase of your product. Effective
and efficient promotion decisions build from a situation
analysis, identifying products, selecting target markets
and setting objectives.
The message content comes directly from the product and the
associated theme. It emphasizes both tangible and
intangible aspects, focusing on customer benefits your
product offers.
Carrying out promotion strategies involves taking your
message to the consumer through a specific delivery system.
Promotion is any attempt to stimulate sales by persuasive
or informative communications to current or potential
customers. The major types of promotion used to stimulate
travel and tourism follow:
Advertising: Any paid form of nonpersonal presentation and
promotion of ideas, goods, or services by an identified
sponsor using mass media. Television, radio and print media
some of the major Minnesota destinations are an
example.
Personal Selling: An oral or written presentation to one or
prospective customers on a face-to-face basis, including
telephone solicitation and direct mail. Attendance at
sports shows is a form of personal selling.
Sales Promotions: Activities other than advertising and
personal selling that stimulate purchasing or create
awareness. Sales promotions, including contests featuring
free tickets or trips, may be geared toward the individual
visitor, while other promotions may be directed toward
organizations selling travel services (for example, travel
agents). The Duluth contest to guess the date the first
ship will enter the harbor in spring is an example.
Public Relations: A nonpaid presentation of ideas, goods or
services generally using mass media. Unlike advertising
there is no identifying sponsor. Travel feature stories
written after a "fam" (familiarization) tour are a result
of public relations efforts.
These promotional categories are known together as the
promotional mix. Strictly speaking, the promotional mix
refers to the relative amounts of efforts or dollars put
into each major promotional category. To find its optimal
tourism promotional mix, your community might look at towns
comparable size and attracting power. However, do not
copy programs- no two communities will be exactly alike.
Finally, the committee may be drawn from owners. The
committee structure is used most often to guide tourism
development. There are several ways to organize a tourism
promotion committee. Some groups originate within the
Chamber of Commerce because of shared goals. Others form
free-standing community endeavor; the final plan must
represent goals independent committees with community- wide
representation.
The Minnesota Extension Service publication "Tourism
Advertising: Some Basics" outlines a process for selecting
an advertising strategy. The tools discussed include
magazines, newspapers, radio, television, direct mail, and
outdoor displays.
Evaluate Results
There is no secret promotional formula. Test and evaluate
regularly. A community or business must continually monitor
evaluate results, and experiment with various types of
promotion. Even with an effective promotional mix now, the
situation may change. Preferences and characteristics of
travelers change: marketing efforts must respond.
Evaluate Results
The Minnesota Extension Service publication "Evaluating
Tourism Advertising with Cost- Comparison Methods"
describes methods such as cost per inquiry, cost per
reservation, and return on investment. The importance of
coding advertisements to track results cannot be
overemphasized.
The Next Step
Working through the tourism development process is a
community endeavor; the final plan must represent goals
commonly agreed to by area residents and business owners.
The committee is used most often to guide tourism
development.
There are several ways to organize a tourism promotion
committee. Some groups originate within the Chamber of
Commerce because of shared goals. Others form free-standing
independent committees with community-wide representation.
Finally, the committee may be drawn from current leaders in
existing tourism agencies, associations, businesses, and
attractions. You know the dynamics of your community best
to pull together a core group of individuals make things
happen.
There must be periodic feedback between the committee and
the community at large. In some locations, the tourism
committee begins its task with a community-wide survey (by
mail, newspaper, or phone) to solicit opinions about
tourism development. The results advise the committee and
can create a widespread base of public support early in the
process. The other strategy is to be sure there is always
an opportunity for community discussion at key decision
points. The local media can play a major role in keeping
the public informed.
Here are seven steps to get started (from "Developing a
Tourism Organization," 1987, a Michigan State University
Extension Service booklet):
1. Select a name that creates an image and identifies the
group.
2. Develop a policy statement, including a statement of
purpose and by-laws.
3. Develop an action program: set goals and methods of
accomplishing them.
4. Set up committees and sub-committees as needed. Some
of the major tasks relate to community involvement,
attractions and support services, promotion, budgets,
research, and information.
5. Create community awareness and support for tourism.
6. Establish lines of communication and develop a flow of
information.
7. Foster a spirit of close cooperation and coordination
among the various communities, agencies, and other
organizations.
Where to Look for Funding
Often good community marketing plans go unrealized or even
unused because financial support could not be obtained.
Funding can be a difficult obstacle. Communities that have
developed a steady and reliable source of marketing funds
generally have the most success. Constant scrambling for
marketing funds drains energy away from the original
marketing objectives.
Some of the basic strategies used to raise money for
tourism and travel marketing are a lodging tax, local
government sources, internal organizational fundraising,
private businesses, foundations, and the Minnesota Office
of Tourism. Adapt these standard methods to your local
situation.
Minnesota Statutes permit the creation of a local option
lodging tax. Home rule or statutory cities and townships
with elected officials may enact a tax of up to three
percent on the proceeds of a lodging facility-with a
possible extension to municipal campgrounds. In unorganized
townships, county officials may enact a lodging tax. Cities
townships can create joint districts to better reflect
the local tourism region.
Of the proceeds collected, 95 percent must be used to fund
marketing and promotion of the area as a tourism or
convention destination. These monies may not be used for
capital expenditures such as buildings, parks, and civic
centers. Lodging facilities are directly affected by the
tax, so any plans for a lodging tax should include early
discussions with representatives of overnight
accommodations.
Some communities have had special legislation passed to
help fund tourism programs: two options are expansion of
the tax base or increases in the tax ceiling. It is
normally difficult to pass special interest legislation,
but such authority can prove valuable to communities where
tourism is a major industry.
Many local governments recognize the importance of the
tourism and travel industry to their economies; a number of
provide funding to marketing programs implemented by
local groups. Monies can come from the general fund,
bonding sources, special assessments, or a variety of other
sources. Government support can greatly assist local
marketing efforts, but funding is less stable due to
changing demands for government funds, the health of the
local economy, and the fortunes of local politicians.
Tourism organizations typically employ some internal
fundraising strategies, in addition to outside sources.
Membership dues is the most common method. Set either a
standard rate or variable fees based on factors such as
business size or number of employees. The organization's
ability to attract members then becomes critical.
Assessments above and beyond dues are another alternative.
Assessments are often based on percent of gross revenue or
business size. These may help to fund an overall marketing
program, but are also used to pay for specific promotional
efforts.
Tourism organizations can also sell products, services, and
activities directly to the public for income. Examples are
publications, souvenirs and merchandise, tours and tour
guides, and operation of attractions, special events,
festivals or auctions.
Major businesses operating in the community and benefitting
from travel and tourism sometimes make substantial
contributions to a marketing program. An important element
in obtaining this support is to thoroughly identify the
benefits of such a contribution,
both to the marketing program and the contributor. Direct
benefits -increased sales- as well as secondary benefits
-general expansion of the local economy- are important. Tax
benefits may be an issue. Do not overlook the
potential to build goodwill in the community.
There are opportunities to obtain project- specific grants
through organizations such as foundations, the Minnesota
Office of Tourism and nonlocal private businesses that will
fund ongoing expenses for tourism marketing. Projects
that provide promotion to an expanded region or attempt to
market an area with an innovative approach are more likely
to attract a foundation grant. The Minnesota Office of
Tourism administers a joint venture marketing program that
allocates matching funds on a competitive basis for
advertising, creative marketing, and new brochure
development. Private businesses beyond the specific area
might also sponsor an activity if there is a connection
between their product and the focus of the event. For
example, dog food manufacturers could be approached for
national sponsorship of a sled dog race.
Travel and Tourism Resources
Tourism USA: Guidelines for Tourism Development.
1 986. University of Missouri, Dept. of Recreation and Park
Administration, University Extension. Prepared for the U.S.
of Commerce. 227 pp.
-Excellent "how to" handbook with sections on ) appraising
potential; 2) planning for tourism; 3) assessing
product and market; 4) marketing tourism; visitor services;
sources of assistance. Single copies are available
for $3.00 from U.S. Dept. of Commerce, 1 4th &
Constitution, Room 1 865, Washington, D.C. 20030, 202 -377
-0140.
Managing Small Resorts for Profit. 1 985. Minnesota
Extension Service, University of Minnesota. 205 pp.
-Contains a marketing section with articles on the market
planning process, brochure development, advertising,
positioning and package tours. Available for $20.00 from
Bud Crewdson, Small Business Development Center, Minnesota
Extension Service, 248 Classroom Office Building,
University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 551 08, 61 2 -625- 31
Minnesota Office of Tourism, 250 Skyway Level, 375 Jackson
Street, St. Paul, MN 551 0 1, 1 -800 -652 -9141, 6 1 2 -296
-Contact for information on a joint venture marketing
program.
Marketing activities may be eligible for matching funds
allocated on a competitive basis to any local, regional, or
statewide nonprofit organization formed to promote tourism.
Tourism Center, Minnesota Extension Service, University of
Minnesota, 240 Coffey Hall, 1420 Eckles Avenue, St. Paul,
MN 55108.
-Offers educational programs and materials for the visitor
industry on community tourism development and small
business management. Contact your local county extension
agent for copies of the extension publications listed in
the folder.
So Your Community Wants Tourism: Guidelines for Developing
Income from Tourism in Your Community (CD -FO -0679,
Available 1988)
Creating a Tourism Promotional Theme (Available Jan. 1988)
Tourism Advertising: Some Basics (CD -FO -331 1 )
"Evaluating Tourism Advertising with Cost Comparison
Methods" (CD -FO -3372)
Tourism Brochures to Boost Business (CD -FO -3273)
Community Improvement Resources
Tourism development depends on citizen cooperation to
accomplish community goals and improve the local
environment. The Minnesota Department of Trade and Economic
Development administers four such programs that give
residents an opportunity to develop expertise in
identifying and using community resources-the Minnesota
Community Improvement Program, the Governor's Design Team,
Minnesota Main Street, and Minnesota Beautiful. Program
coordinators can be reached at the Department of Trade and
Economic Development, 900 American Center Building, 1 50
East Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, MN 551 01. The general office
number is 612 -297- 3190.
The Minnesota Community Improvement Program (MCIP) is a
community (or county) revitalization and recognition
program. Citizens conduct a community analysis and set
goals. They build broad support networks and document the
improvement process so that MCIP judges can evaluate annual
progress. The Minnesota Extension Service provides
educational and technical support. Involvement in MCIP can
build the skills and coalitions necessary to accomplish
other specific tasks such as economic development, downtown
revitalization and design, and beautification.
The Governor's Design Team calls on architects, landscape
designers, urban planners, artists, and other professionals
volunteer their time and services and virtually descend on
a community for a two- to three- day intensive design
consultation and work session. Communities want the team to
a fresh look and new ideas in such areas a downtown
revitalized town image, and development potential. Before
applying for a visit, the community should focus on
specific issues and areas of need. During a visit, broad
-based active citizen support and involvement is expected.
Minnesota Main Street encourages revitalization of
downtowns in small and midsize cities, working with assets
already inherent in the downtown tradition. Rebuilding main
street's image depends on improvements in organization,
promotion, design, and economic restructuring, made in
cooperation with downtown groups.
Minnesota Beautiful supports activities that help keep
Minnesota a clean and quality place to live, work, and
visit. Projects include recycling, landscaping, general
cleanup of waste materials and unsightly areas, tree
planting, and mineland reclamation. Minnesota Beautiful
offers educational materials to communities undertaking
these projects, and organizes an annual conference to
recognize significant progress.
Credits
Barbara A. Koth is an assistant extension specialist,
Tourism Development, University of Minnesota.
Glenn M. Kreag is a tourism Recreation agent, Minnesota Sea
Extension Program, Duluth.
The authors gratefully acknowledge review contributions
from Cheryl Offerman, Colleen 1119, and Marcia Naber,
Minnesota Office of Tourism; Rodney Elmstrand, Chicago
County Extension Service (North Branch); and Larry
Simonson, Minnesota Extension Service (Grand Rapids).
Many thanks to Patrick J. Moore, Franz A. Richter and Karen
Arv Has Society, Milan, for permission to reprint
from the local brochure.
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