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Clean
Means Safe
The
12 September 2003 edition of the Zeitgeist e-Zine
I had
the chance last week to work with the incredible Maura Gast (of the
Irving TX CVB)
on a top-to-bottom redesign of their website. For those that know Maura,
you know that she’s a ton of fun, far from shy about voicing her
opinion…and that those opinions are usually dead on. She also
has a knack for tossing off the occasional “Maura-ism.”
 She
did it again as we returned from a late lunch. “Clean means safe,”
she quipped, as I marveled at how sensationally pristine the City of
Irving was. And, once again, she was dead on.
Safety continues to rank high as a desirable attribute sought by today’s
traveler. Concern about crime and terrorism motivate a significant percentage
of travelers in the decision making process. And that process is two-fold…
On one hand, travelers weigh the perceived threat level of a destination
on name recognition. I’m not going to perpetuate negative connotations
by naming communities that fall into this category. But, if I say, “murder
capital,” you’ll respond with one of four or five cities
that have been known for this dubious distinction over the past couple
decades.
One of the cities that is often named (Gary, Indiana) isn’t that
dangerous anymore. The urban revitalization there is nothing short of
amazing. Hell, they’ve been hosting the Miss
USA pageant for the past few years! But their name still
comes up as a response, despite their recent lower-crime statistics.
So, name recognition (even decades old) plays a role.
But the second role is that of the traveler’s instant perception
of the destination when they arrive. In those first few minutes in a
community, the visitor makes an observation that will likely impact
their decisions for the rest of their stay. How can they do this? They’ve
assessed the level of trash they see littering the sidewalk. They’ve
observed the peeling paint on storefronts. They’ve spied boarded
up buildings well past their prime.
And they don’t think “dirty.” They think “dangerous.”
And this will impact the amount of time they spend on those streets.
The result: the cleaner (safer) a destination, the more time the visitor
will spend outside the walls of their hotel room. The more time spent
outside the hotel, the more money spent in the community.
Conversely…well, you get the drill. The money stays in their wallets
and they go home telling their friends how run down your town is. And,
you got it…rundown means “dangerous” to the listener
who then makes an initial buying decision (like, not to) about your
destination.
As communities struggle to find the funds for major development projects
such as convention centers and the like, they may want to consider intermediate
development initiatives…like, cleaning up a little.
A cleaner look equals a safer feel. And that’s not just a tourism
thing. It’s also a prerequisite for relocation decisions by both
business and today’s young professionals as well as a motivation
for your existing population to stay.
The Peanuts character Pigpen and California gubernatorial candidate
Mary Carey may like it dirty. But, as Maura said…”Clean
means Safe.” And safe means money.
Have a great weekend...and I hope to see many of you at the Upper Midwest
CVB Conference in Des Moines!
Bill Geist
Wanna comment on this or other topics. E-mail Bill at bg@Zgeist.com.
And, another take on the "clean means safe" concept can be
found on our website by clicking HERE
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