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World video travel guide
News • United States • 2012-10-24
NPS Parks Tourism E-newslette: October, 2012 Issue #2
Promoting Responsible use of
Natural, Cultural and Economic Resources
Parks Tourism News
October, 2012
Tourism Dashboard
Park Experiences - Transformational?
We know that experiencing the fresh air, compelling landscapes, and rich culture of our National Parks can have a lasting impact on a family\'s mind, body and soul, but can it be characterized as transformative?
Daniel Beverley at Grand Canyon
The Beverley family is well on their way to answering this question, as they set out to visit all 58 units designated as \"national parks.\" The NPS Office of Sustainable Tourism (OST) interviewed the family to find out about their two-year adventure and whether or not they felt transformed.
Q & A
OST: How do you define transformation?
Anthony (Dad): It is change, growth; something does not look like it did before.
OST: What personal gain did you expect from this trip?
Anthony: Exactly what you are inquiring about - transformation.
OST: Has your expectation been met? Can you describe it?
Anthony: Yes, I have been empowered by the experience, through knowledge, and enlightenment. I feel I have a membership in an elite club. Each park presents something new and different, opening your eyes to the variations of animals, people, and communities. Many parks introduce the idea of being in a place where the sounds of cars are absent and the air is fresh. I have been captured by the parks, inspired and encouraged by a force within me to spread the message to communities that don\'t traditionally seek out park experiences. Equally important is the feeling of achievement; accomplishing something that very few have accomplished. When we finish, we will be forever connected to national parks.
OST: Before the trip, how did you figure this was going to work with your kids?
Anthony: First and foremost, I expected to spend quality time with them. We have dedicated two entire summers to visiting parks and we have only got 11 left, distant places like Alaska and the Virgin Islands. It has taken a toll on the kid\'s social lives, but I hope that one day they will realize and appreciate the experience my wife and I have afforded them. When we started I felt like it was the beginning of a legacy that we would leave to them, providing tools to be successful and vivid memories to look back on. After traveling so much, in such close quarters, I began to know my kids better. They were willing to share more of themselves and I developed a full perspective of their lives, thoughts, ideas and aspirations.
OST: Can you give me an example of how this journey proved being worth the sacrifice?
Anthony: Funny you should ask. My youngest son wants to go to Harvard, so we visited an admissions officer. That meeting reinforced the value of this experience for us. The counselor said that applicants with high grades and test scores are very common, but the school is also looking for someone who is dynamic. She said that his insights and impressions gained from visiting all the national parks could enhance his application.
OST: How were you changed Justice (youngest son)?
Daniel: After spending so much time away from home, when we got back, it looked different! I missed San Antonio.
OST: So, are saying you appreciated San Antonio more?
Daniel: Yes.
OST: Teresa (Mom), how were you transformed?
Teresa: After we had traveled to five parks, I thought the parks would all begin to blend and seem like the same experience over and over again. To my surprise, 35 parks later, they were all still breathtaking with their own identities. In September, when I boarded a plane to serve on active duty, I was torn knowing my family would experience 12 parks without me. I felt connected to the parks!
OST: Considering you serve in the military, how do you feel about the free parks pass for service members announced in 2012?
Teresa: It is affirming and gratifying. In a conversation with Chief Interpretive Ranger Charles Beall at North Cascades NP, he asked me what the NPS could do to attract more service members. A free pass was at the top of my list. It gives me pride to serve knowing an organization like the NPS recognizes our efforts. It creates a unique sense of camaraderie and partnership of good will. The gesture certainly solidified my connection to the parks.
OST: When was your first park experience?
Teresa: It was Yellowstone and I was a teenager. It left a lasting impression on me.
OST: Can you describe the change that has occurred in you?
Teresa: I feel that I am forever linked to the parks that we have visited. Now, I feel myself craving to hike a trail, sit on top of a peak, or simply gaze at the beauty that has been birthed by Mother Nature. I now can\'t think of living without the freshness of the natural world. So, similar to my husband, I have been inspired to help service members discover the park experience.
According to the Beverley family, the cost in time, money, and sometimes sanity, has been a good investment. Have they been transformed? By definition a transformative experience is a phenomena that broadens perspective, invokes introspect, raises questions and causes a significant change. The Beverley\'s believe such a change has occurred. Their description of their experience is valuable to parks and park partners. It speaks to the NPS brand promise. Should transformational experiences be specifically promoted in our marketing communications? Not if we believe in balanced expectations. An alternative can be found in the work of psychographic researchers, many of whom advise gateway destinations and other tourism service providers. They recommend message content which speaks to basic human motives for travel. Terms such as rejuvenate, reinvigorate, discovery and recovery serve as an aid to recall when a consumer travel decision is being made. Nevertheless, we know that park experiences can be compelling and powerful. They initiate or strengthen a gradual transformation in an individual as well as in family units.
Visit the Beverley\'s Website @ http://discoveringamericas58.com/
International Marketing Case Study Using the World Heritage Theme
This month marks the 40th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention, the international treaty that produced the World Heritage Site designation. Designated sites are recognized as having world-class natural and cultural significance. As a result, they have been singled out particularly by international visitors. The designation communicates a brand promise of an exceptional travel experience.
The National Park Service (NPS) manages 18 of the 21 World Heritage Sites in the United States. This prestigious designation affords these parks and their partners an opportunity to communicate with an informed audience of seasoned travelers. In most cases, marketing communications need to focus on initial awareness to achieve initial trial.
After developing the NPS National Tourism Strategic Plan, the Office of Sustainable Tourism launched a series of pilot projects to demonstrate several key plan elements. The NPS National Tourism Council recognized the importance of showcasing cooperative marketing projects among gateway community tourism partners. The project was patterned after a successful co-op undertaken by Grand Circle partners. The earlier effort paved the way to test the proposition that a target audience of \"already awares\" could be motivated to consider specific trip itineraries based on the World Heritage theme. The pilot also demonstrated how a marketing co-op is assembled, how decisions on audience and communication channel selections are made, and how results are measured.
While conducting a research review of the Japanese outbound market, co-op planners noticed a convergence of three market trends. First, Japanese travel firms maintain target audience segments by cultivating affinity groups based on members\' travel preferences and trip histories. One of the more productive repeat-customer groups contains members who express a strong preference for visiting World Heritage Sites. Second, young Japanese office workers, particularly single women living at home with parents, often invest their disposable incomes in leisure travel. Third, Japanese consumers have been early adaptors of internet entertainment and social network applications.
The vision for a Japanese Internet game combining education and entertainment elements is credited to Osamu Hoshino, a marketing consultant for several Western States and destinations. Osamu partnered with web producer, Maki Akuta, to webcast on Ladyweb, a Tokyo-based game channel. Among the keys to developing a loyal audience are internet promotions designed to convey urgency and a sense of mystery, along with email messages to lists of active players. Another key is to create content and site design in-country to maximize cultural and linguistic nuances. Simple translation of English content would have been much less effective as impactful.
Following the success of the \"Mystery in the Desert\" game in reaching key audiences of Japanese travelers, Osamu co-produced a travel and geography game series using the World Heritage theme. The new game featured several national park units also designated as World Heritage Sites.
The game, titled \"Five Stars: World Heritage Sites in the Western US,\" was launched after a series of promotional messages and a 30-day preview for previous registrants. Twelve unique monthly episodes were produced. At the conclusion of each episode, players submitted questionnaire responses for prize eligibility. As new episodes were posted, the previous content remained on the site for continued review and for fresh access by non-registered users. The initial 13-month program drew 6.2 million unique users accessing 87.4 million page views. A total of 183,406 users qualified for prize consideration by submitting all 12 response questionnaires.
Charter partners joining the park service were the states of Arizona and New Mexico and Mesa Verde Country; a destination marketing organization. In the second year, additional travel and hospitality service supporters were added along with the State of Wyoming. This enabled the production of a supplemental \"Fly & Drive\" version of the game.
This cooperative marketing project has also produced some unexpected residual effects. Although the contest version is no longer active, the essential game content continues to draw viewers. [Five Stars: www.uswest.tv]. The Japan Association of Travel Agents incorporated the game into their educational programming.
A Tennessee Tourism Partnership: Recognizing Results
Natchez Trace Parkway and its gateway communities have joined in a cooperative project that has been mutually beneficial to both the park unit and its stakeholders. Through their collaboration, the final trail of the Tennessee Trails and Byways System, \"The Cotton Junction\", has been completed. This form of civic engagement has integrated individual organizational objectives, combined resources and increased the region\'s tourism marketing capacity. As funding sources for tourism marketing has become less reliable, working with tourism partners on a regional level points to new opportunities. Equally important, is the strategic planning that occurs when stakeholders align their interests to enhance the reach of local tourism messages.
This story came to our attention when the park unit recognized Tennessee\'s Tourism Commissioner, Susan Whitaker with an award for her outstanding partnership with Natchez Trace Parkway. According to Ms. Whitaker, \"The \"Cotton Junction Trail\" is designed to give our visitors an authentic Tennessee experience.
The Tennessee Trails and Byways program is one of several government efforts helping to promote sustainable tourism growth by highlighting and maintaining the unique character of destinations. A similar sustainable tourism example is the National Trust for Historic Preservation\'s Main Street Initiative. Since 1980 the program has created almost 450,000 new jobs.
The middle region of Tennessee, Nashville and surrounding areas, receives 11 million visitors annually, which translates into $14 billion in tourism revenue contributing to job growth. Tourism has become an economic driver in rural areas as isolated communities have realized the attractiveness of natural and culture attributes to visitors. Though, if left unchecked, development which stems from successful tourism campaigns can have adverse impacts on natural, cultural and social attributes. It appears that Natchez Trace Parkway and partners, such as public officials, the tourism community and local non-profit organizations, are working strategically to responsibly increase visitation and revenue, while identifying economic incentives to preserve the historical value in the gateways.
There seems to be a lasting trend that organizations are asking employees to do more with less. Noteworthy, in both the private and public sectors, is the respective shrinkage of budget allocations for initiatives with increased expectation. Enhancing an organization\'s capacity to achieve is becoming multi-dimensional, instead of relying on only internal resources and support; partnerships have become increasingly vital in all areas of business. The \"Cotton Junction Trail\" cooperative project is a testament to this notion. Innovation, teamwork, and tolerance with partners are now essential characteristics to achieving goals.
This trail takes travelers throughout West Tennessee\'s historic cities and towns but also encourages them to stay longer and visit the hidden gems along our beautiful back roads.\" The Cotton Junction Trail is the 16th and final driving trail of a system that covers over 5,000 miles, 95 counties, and thousands of points of interests.
For Further information go to:
Natchez Trace Parkway Website - http://www.nps.gov/natrTennessee Trails and Byways website - http://tntrailsandbyways.com/
