September 25, 2017 Presented by Bonnie Wichtner-Zoia MSU Extension Educator ( )

Transcription

1 First Impressions: Assessing Your Community for Tourism (FIT) A Community Report Forum for Marlette. MI September 25, 2017 Presented by Bonnie Wichtner-Zoia MSU Extension Educator ( )

2 MSU is an affirmative-action, equal- opportunity employer. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Margaret Bethel, Director, MSU Extension, East Lansing, MI This information is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned. This material becomes public property upon publication and may be printed verbatim with credit to MSU Extension. Reprinting cannot be used to endorse or advertise a commercial product or company. 2

3 Sponsors Marlette Community Leadership Team Corey Schmidt Sarah Barratt Sara Redman Kendra Jickling

4 Agenda Welcome & Introductions FIT Overview 2017 Marlette FIT Findings Suggestions Questions/Comments Next Steps Marlette CLT MSU Extension

5 MSUE MSU Extension Greening Michigan Institute Community Food Systems Entrepreneurship Finance & Homeownership Government/Public Policy Land Use Leadership Natural Resource Management Tourism Bonnie Wichtner-Zoia, Statewide Tourism and Leadership Educator

6 FIT Overview

7 FIT Process 1. A Community Leadership Team (CLT) formed 2. CLT submits application to MSU Extension (MSUE). 3. MSU Extension conducts a FIT orientation and outlines next steps with the CLT. 4. A team of FIT visitors tour community unannounced. 5. Internal meetings & results summarized. 6. CLT organizes a Community Report Forum (CRF) and MSU Extension shares result summary. 7. A written report provided to CLT. 8. CLT takes the community lead with action steps. 9. MSU Extension follows-up with CLT/Community to gauge impacts and offer assistance, if appropriate.

8 Program Overview

9 FIT Assessments Michigan Pilots 2016 Standish Sturgis 2017 Elkton Imlay City Marlette Sebewaing 2018 Applications being accepted

10 Things to consider... Every community gets visitors but, not all visitors look like this.nor do they all return! Assessment from the individual perspective of assessors Information, not criticism Public comments/questions near the end of the forum Evaluation completion

11 FIT 2017 City of Marlette Assessment

12 Assessors Background Professor MSU Department of Community Sustainability Forester/Natural Resources Educator Leadership/Tourism Educator Food/Tourism Educator Visit Between May 15 & June 30, 2017

13 Assessor Expectations Conduct pre-assessment research Spend 8 24 hours in community Complete 38-page written assessment Take lots of pictures Enter data/reflections online within 48 hours One-time online meeting to discuss and reflect

14 Pre-Assessment Research Online research for hours Used Smart Phones, Tablets, and PCs Social Media Searched for: Things to do Places to go Events Ideas to build experience/visits

15 Pre-Assessment Research

16 Pre-Assessment Feedback Most Helpful Tourism Sites City of Marlette Many attractions and links in one place (hospital, chamber, parks, golf course, airport, etc.). MapQuest Could easily locate businesses, parks, etc. Facebook List of amenities and general information.

17 Pre-Assessment Feedback Websites provided brief history, community services and amenities. Websites were not helpful. Geared more toward residents than visitors or tourists. It took a lot of searching to find information about things I might wish to visit, such as historical sites, recreation areas, fitness opportunities, quaint shops, museums, etc.

18 Initial Impressions Clean, some industry, lots of trees in the neighborhoods, good signage and overall looked like a pleasant place to be. Not much was open and there weren t many people around, but it was clean with nice architecture and well-kept lawns. Much bigger than I thought! A lot of small service-related businesses. Excellent way-faring signage. Lots of trucks pickup and semi s driving in and through town. It was hard to spot a restaurant for breakfast. Downtown was a mix of active businesses and empty store fronts. Clearly efforts were made to spruce up the downtown lamps, banners and blue directional signs. A large grain elevator, located along the tracks, seemed to emphasize an agricultural heart of the town. Would you feel compelled to stop? Agree (1); Somewhat agree (1); Disagree (2)

19 Community Information Directions were accurate 100% agreed It was easy to find a visitor center 100% disagreed It was easy to find a hard copy map of the community 100% disagreed It was easy to find a community/regional tourist brochure 50% disagreed; 50% somewhat agreed - Found the Daily News in restaurants Information booths/kiosks exist to help locate attractions and services 100% disagreed

20 Community Information In your opinion, what are the top 3 reasons visitors come to Marlette?

21 Pedestrian travel infrastructure 3 1 Visitor Motives Attribute Poor Fair Good Excellent N/A Hospitality and friendliness of residents 2 2 Customer service Dedicated tourism attractions Safety and security 2 2 Cleanliness Conveniently located 2 2 Variety of activities to do 2 2 Directional signage 2 2 Road conditions 1 3 Shopping facilities Variety and quality of accommodations 3 1 Variety and quality of restaurants 3 1 Nature-based activities 1 3 Interesting architecture 2 2

22 Visitor Motives Assessor Comments The grain elevator dominates the town, yet could not find information about it, its history and how the surrounding community supplies it. Marlette seems to be an excellent place to live, but as a visitor I struggled to find established activities or tours. It appears that everything is developed primarily for local residents. There doesn t seem to be a coordinated tourism plan. Finding healthy food choices was challenging. The blue wayfaring signs, brick walkways and lamps demonstrate an effort to enhance the downtown image.

23 Downtown Observations Feature Disagree Somewhat Disagree Somewhat Agree Agree Grounds landscaped 4 Areas of greenspace 1 3 Signs on exterior of businesses Business information is displayed on the exterior of businesses 3 1 Sidewalks well maintained 2 2 Additional paths available Walker/biker friendly signs available Vehicle traffic managed to encourage foot or bike traffic Bike lanes exist on roadways 4 Parking is centrally located Parking is secure 2 2 Parking charges are reasonable 4 Downtown business area is handicap accessible 1 3 There is pedestrian foot and bike traffic 2 2 Customers are greeted warmly when they walk through the door 2 2 There is a gateway point to town 1 3 This is a welcoming place People are smiling There is a mix of ages 3 1 There is a mix of ethnic groups 3 1 People are loitering 3 1 The main downtown business area feels district or special The main downtown business area is a major tourist draw for the area 2 2

24 Residential Observations Varied styles, sizes and age Several unique homes Walkable Yard and structures generally maintained Streets and sidewalks in good repair Quiet and peaceful lots of mature, healthy trees Roads did not line up exactly, requiring the driver to jog to continue on a forward path, which keeps traffic patterns at a lesser speed and is safer for pedestrians

25 Sites Visited

26 Sites Visited

27 Assets Noted Opera House/other Architectural Structures Monday Swap Meet Community Pool Agricultural Festival Jazz in the Park Storefront Churches Marlette Cemetery Sanilac Petroglyphs Nearby Attraction Dog Days of Summer (posters and a banner) Former Vulture Club Headquarters Glider Planes The Ice Cream Shop Train Depot Library Cannon Library History Antique Shops Quilt Trail

28 Most Positive Experiences Sitting in the pavilion at the park. I really liked those catalpa trees. Personal interactions with residents and business owners/operators. Touring the grain elevator and walking Gayle s Trail. The ice cream place - staff were super friendly and easy to engage in conversation. The really cool project where kids were hiding rocks with positive messages on them.

29 Overall Strengths Rural character - agriculture Sufficient amenities (for local residents) Green spaces M-53 streetscape (pavers, lighting, wayfaring signs) Friendly people and positive vibe History and architecture possibilities

30 Overall Weaknesses Lack of lodging Heat was intensified by all the pavement. Traffic and lots of it moving quickly through town. Unable to look around and clearly see what to visit. Downtown business signage inconsistent difficult to notice. Varied customer service experiences sometimes felt that because we were not local our curiosity/business was less important.

31 Opinion, what stage is the destination in? Assessor Responses: 50% Exploration 25% Stagnant 25% Decline The people I spoke with do not see Marlette as a tourist destination and there is a decline in people coming to the area. Destination tourism opportunities (versus pass-through) are minimal. Tourism does not seem to have been a goal for Marlette, though maintaining activities and amenities for residents has been important. Not sure community has thought of tourism as an industry on which to capitalize increased economic development.

32 Opportunity

33 10 MINUTES! Suggestions Next.

34 Suggestions Tourism Plan Consider a facilitated process See Heritage Tourism Planning ( Establish an Identity Identify assets, authentic & unusual experiences Determine audience(s) Explore agri-tourism Are farmers interested? Clearly identify and advertise (u-pick, farm stands, farm tours, corn mazes, farm stays, educational programs, etc.) MSU Extension agri-tourism workshop for farmers Regional driving tour (artsandeats.org) Consider half-way or full-day opportunities Agri-tourism Antique shopping Walking/driving tours Michigan Agritourism Educate & Involve the Community Be a tourist in your own community Encourage and support entrepreneurship Promote surrounding resources (fishing, hunting, petroglyphs) Surveys, listening sessions and focus groups utilize existing meetings, events Geo-caching

35 Suggestions Develop a Stronger Web Presence/Social Media Better utilize regional, county and state websites Get connected to the question What is there to do in Marlette? Advertise proximity from other attractions (i.e. Petroglyphs, beaches) Keeps sites updated Create a Marlette promo video(s) for youtube, etc. Utilize city FaceBook by involving community What is your favorite place, event, memory new question every quarter Compile responses for advertising Downtown Coordination Register to attend Connecting Entrepreneur Communities in Howell (10/4 10/5) Encourage downtown activities and pedestrian traffic Continue downtown improvements (Façade, parking, filling vacant storefronts, creatively using window space in vacant stores, visible business signage, sandwich boards, etc.) Marketing: Involve downtown businesses, increase cooperative marketing, utilize regional guides & Pure Michigan branding Training (Customer service, local event updates/brochures, etc.)

36 Suggestions Connect & Collaborate Campgrounds, industries, farms, businesses, etc. Contact and/or visit successful communities Welcome peer-to-peer or shared economy business opportunities such as Vayable, TaskRabbit, Spinlister, AirBnB and VRBO. Walking/Driving Tours Quilt Trail Ensure maps always available Encourage coordinators to create website with map (alconaquilttrail.com) Post on all websites Historical Trail Identify buildings Obtain permission to list Create a brochure with map/short descriptions of history/architecture for each building Plaque or signs on each building (see Imlay City downtown signs/donations) Online access to brochure/qr code Health/Fitness Trail Others Lodging Encourage more VRBO or AirBNB short-term rentals Evaluate need for more long-term lodging opportunities

37 Suggestions More greenspace Consistent business signage Organized quilt trail map distribution Public Perceptions

38 Next Steps FIT Program Assessment Results Q&A Next Steps- CLT-MSUE YOU Questions before discussing next steps?

39 Next Steps Marlette Community Leadership Team Corey Schmidt Sarah Barratt Sara Redman Kendra Jickling

40 Next Steps As a community? As a Business?

41 Next Steps MSUE First Impressions: Assessing Your Community for Tourism (FIT) Provide a summary report to the CLT Conduct follow up with CLT within a year to gauge action & success Use community successes as examples for others FIT communities Provide additional MSUE tourism programs upon request

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44 Evaluations Thank you! Please take the evaluation to help shape future FIT programs Presented by Bonnie Wichtner-Zoia MSU Extension Educator ( )