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Must
Tourism Remain the
"Invisible Industry?"
Taken
from Autumn/1997 issue of the ZEITGEIST Client Newsletter
Those in the travel and tourism industry have labored under the term
"the invisible industry" far too long. We bemoan the fact
that 'Joe' and 'Jill' citizen don't appreciate us. And, if Joe and Jill
don't, how will our governmental leaders (i.e., "funders")?
Well, two tourism organizations are fighting back with videos that just
may speak in a language that the masses can understand. The Texas
Travel Industry Association has released a tape geared
to business leaders that opens with former Arlington
Mayor Richard Greene standing in the middle of his new car showroom,
proudly proclaiming that he's in the tourism industry. 
He then proceeds to show viewers the three largest parking lots in Texas
(at Wet & Wild Water Park, Six Flags and Arlington Stadium). The
surprise is that they are the employee parking lots for those tourism
generators. And Greene wastes no time making the statement that a good
number of the cars in those lots came from and are serviced at his dealership.
Touche.
The Texas video gets even better as it shows a progressive linkage of
non- traditional businesses right back to the visitor. One example starts
at the hardware store that sells supplies to the boat builder who makes
boats for a shrimper who sells his shrimp to restaurants and to a baitshop.
The Baitshop owner sells to tourists who arrived by car, bus or plane...all
using petroleum products produced off the Texas shore, delivered by
Texas semis to Texas gas stations. Thus, every one of the businesses
mentioned benefited from the tourism trade.
Meanwhile, the Greater
Pittsburgh CVB has produced a video called "The Power
of Tourism" that significantly improves upon the timeworn breakouts
of tourism expenditures from the "$235 million in retail, $156
million in lodging" drone that has been used for years to numbers
that are more easily understood.
Like 16,656 scoops of ice cream each month, 4,645 pounds of prime rib
each week and 16,260 slices of apple pie each year...all consumed by
visitors (and washed down by 4.6 million cups of coffee).
In our presentations to business and governmental leaders, Zeitgeist
has used the "It's
A Wonderful Life" angle to drive home a similar message.
If tourism were to stop for our community today, what would we look
like? Jimmy Stewart's Bedford Falls...or Pottersville? Do the math.
Old man Potter would be ecstatic.
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