Random thoughts at 3am

Many places have historic buildings. But, the visitor asks:

1) What is worthy of my time?
2) Can I get there and back safely?
3) Will I have fun?

It takes engaging interpretation and quality packaging to turn Ouray's heritage assets into visitor ready experiences. Without such assets heritage assets will remain mute and under appreciated by locals.

Challenges & Opportunities

1) There is increased reliance on new modes of information gathering and decision making including: social networks, personal recommendations, online opinions, independent guidebooks, and amateur travel writers.

2) Conveying themes in a way that makes sense to a visitor



Historic Interpretation

1) buy books online from ocra site (or business member)


Sales Pitches

1) Identify prospective visitors before they make the travel plans and shape communications and information delivery to prompt interest in coming to Ouray first and foremost and then influencing their length of stay



Tracking Visitors

1) Track past visitors and invite their return, especially during shoulder seasons
2) Requested info from Kathy Elmont on Pool Visitation



Benefits

1) Tourism is a low impact form of economic development that delivers quality of life benefits as well as jobs and wages.


Online & Electronic Media

Electronic communication tools offer terrific value: they are cheap and effective
Travelers are using the web as a primary information source
Strategies:

• Take advantage of permission based marketing (marketing that includes obtaining customer consent to receive information from us) via the web. A simple tactic such as sending a gorgeous photo via email without an advertising message can evoke powerful nostalgia and yearning
• ouraycolorado.com --> eye towards thematic --> reduce visual clutter
• Roam internet, track how travel sites are presenting Ouray. Review blogs, shops, photo sites, wikipedia are presenting positive perspective

PR Tactics

• Finding travel writers -- Join organizations like "International Federation of Travel Writers" or other trade organizations to gain access to members contact information and stay abreast of the trade.
• prweb.com

Other

• Hospitality skills training
• Ouray product training
• Local brochure development for Montrose Press
• Leading indicators, lagging indicators???
• Annual surveys of visitors? ways to collect data annually, share data, reporting trends to members --> requires long term commitment to repository.
• How to distinguish from day trippers & overnighters
• http://wrdc.usu.edu -- has downloadable guides on measuring and assessing impacts of tourism on local communities

Infrastructure

Visitors who can easily navigate to their destinations, even in difficult terrain, and who receive polite and enthusiastic service from hospitality workers, remember their trips as pleasant sojourns. Those for whom visitor centers provide all they expect--well organized information on attractions, ticket information, and clean bathrooms--will return in the future, affording Ouray repeat opportunities to guide their activities and extend their stays. Even more importantly, good experiences create strong, happy trip memories and generate positive word-of-mouth referrals to Ouray, just a surely as misleading directions and rude service translate into complaints shared with friends and family.


Training for Front-line Hospitality Workers
Front-desk staff, cashiers, gas station attendants, and others who don't smile or can't answer simple questions about local attractions accurately alienate visitors and prompt them to move on concluding there is nothing to do. Successful hospitality training is fun, paid staff activity and free for businesses. Key actions with this strategy are:

• Free admissions for front-line staff to area attractions
• "Be a tourist in your own town" day
• Trivia contests, treasure hunts to get folks to do homework
• Invite visitors to identify especially helpful people and celebrate their good service