Tourism Archives - Anthony Haag

Travel Oregon Launches a Video Game and It’s Awesome

October 30, 2017November 5, 2017Anthony

Screenshot taken during my journey while playing the Travel Oregon game.

I am nostalgic for things from when I was a kid. Oregon Trail was one of the original video games for me, and one that I have found memories of. So, when I heard that Travel Oregon launched ‘Travel Oregon: The Game’ as a homage to the classic video game, I had to check it out. I spent some time Saturday morning playing the game, showing my wife and son the game, and having fun traveling along the Oregon coast in the game. It definitely brought back memories of playing the original game, and yet provided me with ideas and suggestions of things to do in Oregon for when my family travels there. Not only did it bring back memories, it was also engaging and educated me on what you can do in Oregon.

How to Participate in the Twitter Chat, Tourism Chat

August 4, 2017August 16, 2017Anthony

Twitter chats are still occurring today and happen when a group of people all tweet about the same topic using a specific hashtag (#tourismchat) that allows it to be followed on Twitter. The chats are usually at a specific time and repeat monthly at only the announced times. This post is to give you a quick overview on how to participate in the twitter chat, #tourismchat.

What is #tourismchat?

Impact of NBA Playoff Games on a Community

April 21, 2017Anthony

The NBA playoffs have returned to Milwaukee and interest is through the roof for the Milwaukee Bucks right now. If you have been watching the Bucks this season you know this team is young, talented and very athletic, with the goal being championship caliber when new stadium is completed. The bucks returned home last night with the series tied at 1-1 with Toronto Raptors, they now lead the Raptors 2 games to 1, with game 4 in downtown Milwaukee on Saturday afternoon. All day yesterday you could feel a buzz in the city, even today after their resounding victory, you can feel the city alive. Tomorrow is going to be electric in downtown Milwaukee. But what is the impact of an NBA playoff game on a community? I did tweet to Visit Milwaukee but they did not have the numbers yet but when the NCAA March Madness games were in Milwaukee earlier this year, exceeded expectations and had a $6.6 million economic impact on Milwaukee. The impact a Bucks post-season run has on Milwaukee goes beyond financial.

Why I Value Experiences Over Things

April 7, 2017April 7, 2017Anthony

I decided to take a break from writing about my marketing thoughts and mix it up a little bit and write about why should spend on experiences not things. As you know, travel is important to me. Not only because it’s the industry that I cut my marketing teeth in, but because when I was growing up, my memories are of my parents piling us in the care and taking us on trips around the country. It’s something that I will never forget and something that I want to give my family. We all work hard every day for our money. After we take care of our regular expenses we all wonder what to do with whatever we have remaining? Do we save for family getaway? Take our kids to a ballgame? Purchase the latest and greatest tech gadget? That’s the secret to our happiness, whatever we do with that extra that we have. The trouble that I have when I purchase things, is that the excitement fades and I have buyers remorse. But when I purchase an experience, that excitement stays with me for awhile.

Here is why I value experiences over things.

How A Playoff Game Benefits Tourism In One City

January 6, 2017February 3, 2017Anthony

It may be the smallest city with an NFL team, but with a population of 104,000 it is the 3rd largest city in Wisconsin, and its’ about to get a huge economic boost. Not only are the Packers preparing to host an NFL Wildcard Playoff game at Lambeau Field this weekend, the City of Green Bay is prepping for an economic boost that will come crashing in. This is another example of how sports and tourism can help stimulate a local economy, especially in Green Bay, which already has a plethora of tourism attractions.

How Tourism Benefits a Community

November 2, 2016February 3, 2017Anthony

How Tourism Benefits a Community 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.