Ithaca e-Conference
Postings are archived at the IthacaConference Google GroupWeek Three (March 1 - March 7): Dog-Based Tourism
Personally, I'm not crazy about tourism. I cringe at the thought of people walking slowly down my street, pausing to take pictures of dribbly-nosed kids sucking their thumbs next to potted geraniums, yapping away unintelligibly in my favorite fast-food joint, tying up the checkout counters at Walmarts where they try to buy Mickey Mouse watches with suspiciously crisp $100 bills. But there are good reasons for taking tourism seriously.
Our politicians don't want to hear from us. We don't vote as a block, much less contribute to political campaigns. Unlike other interest groups, such as gun-owners, we've let our lawmakers and neighbors ride roughshod over us, with hardly a squeak of protest. And we're not likely to move away to dog-friendlier communities, leaving our persecutors to stew in their shrunken taxbase. On the other hand, our politicians do want to hear from people with money. They want to attract new businesses, large businesses, businesses that hire people and pay taxes. They may not care what we think, but they sure do care about the Chamber of Commerce.
Tourism, according to authoritative bean counters, is the largest industry in the world (although that does beg the question what exactly constitutes an industry). Worldwide, it is estimated to constitute 11% of the global gross domestic product (GDP), employing 200 million people, moving 700 million per year -- and it's expected to double by 2020. Virtually every Chamber of Commerce in the world has to take tourism seriously, and that means so does City Council.
As an industry, tourism has many advantages. Unlike mining, car manufacture, pharmaceuticals, and other industries, tourism is highly scalable -- it can be carried out on any scale, from cottage industry (e.g., a bed and breakfast) to Disney World or Las Vegas. It can be started up almost instantly. And best of all, the stock-in-trade (those so-called "tourism amenities") can be things we all want in our communities: restaurants, parks, movie theaters, and so on. More than any other industry, tourism lends itself to social engineering. You want parks? Persuade the City Council that parks will attract out-of-town visitors. Even Ithaca's [illegal] dog park regularly attract hundreds of out-of-towners, people who then put their kids and dogs back in the car and do their grocery shopping at Ithaca's nearby Greenstar Food Coop rather than back home in Trumansburg. That's dog-based tourism.
According to the latest survey by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA), Americans own approximately 73 million dogs, and "a growing number of dog owners are taking the family pet with them when they hit the road. Nineteen percent of dog owners bring along their dog when traveling -- that's up from 16 percent in 2002." (http://www.appma.org/press_releasedetail.asp?id=52) In short, Tourists-R-Us. (Sorry, I can't do the backward 'R.')
Hotels are beginning to realize that dog-friendliness can offer a competitive advantage. In Florida, there is a bill pending that would make it easier for restaurants to accommodate dogs. Lists of top dog-friendly destinations make the mainstream news. There are now luxury spas for dogs, and you can even send your dog away to camp.
In most communities, there are few businesses that depend exclusively on out-of town business. Instead, there is a synergy: people come to town for a conference, need a dog-friendly hotel, a place to eat, place to exercise their dog off leash, a doggie daycare center; if there's a famous haute-couture doggie boutique, they'll drop in. Doggie bakery? Let me have some of those fire-hydrant biscuits. Dog-size tee-shirts? Hmmm... might as well pick up our Hanukah presents now.
The trick is to put together a dog-based tourism package that will identify your community as a good place for a conference (and you can bring your dog!), a great place for hiking (and you can bring your dog!), a fun place for nostalgic hippie festivals (and you can bring your dog!) Once your Chamber of Commerce buys into the picture, you can expect that they will support the need for a top-notch dog park, dog-friendly nature trails, a statue of man's best friend in front of the library, and water bowls outside of Baskin-Robbins. At some point, your community becomes a great place for dog-people to live, not just to visit -- and then the cycle really picks up.
Now, where can you begin in your community? Why would a tourist ever come there? Maybe you don't have Ithaca's spectacular waterfalls, gorgeous campuses, world-renowned vegan restaurant. How about a conference hall? A highway? Are you on the way to Sugarbush ski resort? Halfway from the SF to LA? None of the above? How about setting up a Museum of the Dog? A dog show for non-breeds? A soap-box Iditerod? Help your local Seeing Eye school raise money by setting up training clinics and demonstrations. Transform your high-kill shelter into a must-visit model installation that will attract animal welfare activists from around the world.
It doesn't necessarily follow that because your community is a good place to visit, it's a better place to live. However, if you are taking a hand in shaping tourism development, the chances of changing things in the right direction are probably better than if you just approach City Hall with your hand out.
Question: what are the tourism amenities in your community, and how can you shape them into a dog-based tourism initiative?
Remember too that dog tourism can be specifically about dog events happening - agility trials, shows, etc. Many dog people come to town to compete and need places to sleep, eat, and exercise their dogs.
For instance, we wanted one of our dog parks to have an area suitable for agility trials, so that we could attract those events. They may not be large events, but then local press gets local people out to watch, who then learn more about dogs, and better educated dog owners want a more dog friendly environment.
Tourism isn't necessarily bad looky-loos. It's regular folks on a trip, taking a stroll after breakfast, traveling. I drove from San Diego to New Hampshire, and it was great being able to stop at dog parks along the way. There weren't many (either not listed or impossible to find, or just not on my route), but I went to one in Oklahoma City that was great - just got off the freeway for an hour of dog play in the middle of the day.
Margarat Nee
Park Design Committee
P.A.D.Z. - People & Dogs Zones
Encinitas, CA
http://padz.org
