How many times have any of us been asked for directions or information by map-toting visitors. Even as we ourselves are out and about enjoying our own cities?
Happens to me all the time. Its like having a Tourism 411 sign on my forehead. Back in my Seattle CVB days, not a day would pass while I’m out running errands downtown – there was always someone looking confused about directions or their own whereabouts. Somehow they would find me. I loved it.
That happens a lot in a cloudy city built on a diagonal grid – can’t really tell which way is north. Even in my new stomping grounds, Burlington, Vermont, folks flock to people that seem to be a fountain of local knowledge. Dana Freeman (@MissMagpieFGS onTwitter), the founder of the wildly popular local “guide to kid-friendly fun” website, FindAndGoSeek.net, frequently fields emails about recommendations – even as her website is packed with listings, reviews, and fresh blog posts about what’s happening. She is indeed a tourism ambassador.
Why Tourism Matters
Speaking of Seattle, SCVB’s Why Tourism Matters campaign is still going strong. The website is 
a great resource for Washington state businesses as well as other cities’ efforts to highlight the economic impact of tourism locally. Check out the thoughtfully curated line-up of individual “tourism ambassadors” who work in or own tourism dependent businesses.
When I lived in Seattle, the only go-to resource I needed was my colleague (and preeminent CVB tweeter @SeattleMaven) Ann Peavey. A walking encyclopedia of all-things-local, Ann’s carved out quite the reputation as the “Seattle Know-It-All”. Next time you’re in downtown Seattle, look for her at the Convention Center or SCVB’s visitor kiosk front and center at Pike Place Market.
I wish we had a BurlingtonMaven…
Resources, Shmeesources
I, too am happy to oblige when asked for directions or information, and usually have even better resources to point them to. These assorted resources, however, aren’t the assumed Visitor Centers (there aren’t any here other than a partially-manned kiosk on Church Street, a couple of (very nice) highway Visitor Centers or the local Chamber offices located a bit off the main drag.
The resources I always defer to locally are the ones I see, hear, and read about everyday – those that show their all-things-local prowess on Twitter, Facebook, and blogs. In addition to the local weekly entertainment paper, I also reference mobile resources – restaurant finders like Yelp or Urbanspoon, Foursquare, and any site that might be helpful AND is mobile – so many aren’t…yet. Even the newly relaunched VT state tourism website, although beautiful, lacks a mobile version. Hopefully it is in the works.
These go-to individuals and organizations brand themselves as trusted resources whenever they tweet or post about what’s good in our big neighborhood. Those travel, tourism, or local to-do blogs and websites are goldmines for tourists, travelers and locals alike. Casual insights and reviews. Non-staged photography of real people enjoying what’s local – fresh off the weekend.
(I nearly revealed my short-list of fave bloggers here, but now my gears are turning. They know who they are…)
I long for a one-stop all-inclusive online resource to defer to. I might just have to create a hub of local travel bloggers, event rosters and to-do sites myself.
Not talking about a CVB member-listing or local weekly rag events calendar, but something non-exclusive and tourism-related. An all-things-tourism blog hub. Web, mobile, useful, informative and inviting.
Any good examples out there? Is there a go-to hub of real tourism ambassadors for your area?
Image courtesy Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau
