Continuing with information from the Nebraska Tourism Assoc. Fall Conference, last week I left you with the thought, what if you feel like your community doesn’t have a niche? How do you create a “Brand” if you don’t have one? 97% of the time it is a grassroots effort to improve and save the community. A Brand is based on a promise; and that promise has to have a product to back it up. There are towns, both small and large, that have created a “Brand” for themselves to bring people/tourists to their communities. Here are three examples and all happen to be small towns.
Jefferson, TX a town of 2000, now known as the Antique and Bed & Breakfast Capital of Texas had declined since 1873. This town now has over 100 Antique shops and more than 60 Bed & Breakfasts. It now features attractions from its early days such as carriage rides along the brick streets, steamboat rides and theater productions. It is a pedestrian community where residents and visitors alike can walk to the shopping and amenities. They took the history of their town and built on it. This is the focus of the whole town, to have a product when people come. http://www.jefferson-texas.com/
Leavenworth, Washington, population 2074, was started by people looking for gold and the logging industry. It flourished with the coming of the railroad but started into a decline when the railroad was rerouted. Building on the natural resource of the Alpine Mountains in the area, their last chance effort was to transform their town into a Bavarian Village. It wasn’t just a complete facelift for their downtown, but they developed numerous festivals to bring people to the community. http://www.leavenworth.org/modules/pages/index.php?pageid=1
A relatively new example of building on something the town already has is Lovelock, Nevada, a town of about 2000. It began as a resting and grazing spot for weary horses and oxen, before crossing the Forty Mile Desert. It built on its name “Lovelock” and the ancient Chinese custom of symbolically locking one’s love on a never-ending chain. This can be done in Lover’s Lock Plaza. Afterwards there are numerous amenities and shopping for the lovers. It has also become a wedding destination location. http://www.loverslock.com/index.html
Next week I will try to wrap of the information shared by Roger Brooks of Destination Development. If you would like to know more of his tips and ideas go to http://destinationdevelopment.com/index.html . You can also read these articles on the Regional Economic Development Blog located on www.furnas-harlan-partnership.org contact Rosie Stockton Furnas/Harlan Partnership, 308-962-7894, email: director@furnas-harlan-partnership.org. or become a Fan of the Furnas/Harlan Partnership on Facebook.
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