Tourism is a billion dollar industry. In smaller communities it is a million dollar industry. Every community, along with their Destination Marketing Organization (DMO), expect to build of the previous years success with new attractions, restaurants, and amenities. My hometown of Sheboygan, WI is a small community whose tourism destination status is on the rise, and the community has definitely changed since I was a kid running through the streets. In 2015, visitors spent $215 million in Sheboygan County. A small amount compared to the visitor spending of $1 billion dollars in the DMO county in IL that I was a Director of Marketing of, BUT quite impressive for a community who is continuing to grow as a tourism destination. Now, the city has been mentioned as a possible location for an NBA D-League team. Impressive for a small community along the shores of Lake Michigan.
In 2015, Sheboygan County was home to the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits in Kohler. Not only that, but Road America is in Sheboygan County and holds June sprints every summer. They also have the American Club, numerous golf courses, Blue Harbor Resort, festivals throughout the year, a minor league baseball team, and is known as the Malibu of the Midwest for freshwater surfing in WI on Lake Michigan. Being mentioned as a possible suitor for the Milwaukee Bucks NBA D-League team will help continue to grow their community as a tourism destination. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that NBA star, Sam Dekker is from Sheboygan.
How Does Tourism Benefit a City?
Provides Jobs
Tourism doesn’t just provide thousands of jobs to a city, it provides meaningful careers. Jobs range from bellhops to executive level positions, from restaurant managers to marketing / PR professionals. The possibilities are truly endless in advancing your career in the tourism industry.
It Provides Revenue to a City
Every single tourism dollar that is spent in a city, it is spent several times over, like when a restaurant server spends his income on dental work, or when a hotel manager spends their paycheck to renovate their home. From sales tax revenue paid by tourists, the local school board sees funding from visitor spending. As the tourism industry grows, so does the sales tax revenue that the city uses to make improvements. Through taxes paid by tourists, city officials can continue to make their community thrive and a better place to work, live and play. These tourism dollars are also reinvested with the DMO to continue to attract meetings, conventions and sporting events to the area.
Social Advantages
Tourism can bring about a real sense of pride and identity to a community. By showcasing distinct characteristics of the culture, history, and way of life, tourism can encourage the preservation of those traditions.
Environmental Advantages
Tourism helps promote conservation of wildlife and natural resources, such as local forest preserve districts, which are regarded as tourism assets. It generates funding for maintaining parks and preserves through entrance charges and guide fees. Not only that, tourism reduces problems such as over-fishing and deforestation.
Future Opportunities
Attracting tourists to your community provides it with new life, and creates opportunities for entrepreneurs to establish new services, products and facilities that would not be sustainable based on the local residents alone. Tourists are all potential customers, and with the right marketing, can be targeted in a business strategy that leads to community growth and success.
There’s no doubt tourism is fantastic for a local community. To recap, by reinvesting in your community, you will raise your profile as a tourist and meeting destination, increased business revenues, increased sales tax revenues, create more jobs, and turn visitors into residents. When you have events that happen year round, coupled with other attractions and dining options, and can bring in world-class events, you do it, the benefits that the community will receive will go a long way in shaping the community and improving the quality of life for its residents. Plus, the visitors will keep coming back to your community.
