“We’re hopeful that we’ll see other tournaments,” says Amy Beadle, SCVB sales manager.
“We want to put our best foot forward, make the city look good, make UIS look good, and hopefully bring other sporting events.”
Beadle says the capital city excels at drawing “niche sports.” Springfield will host the United States Tumbling and Trampoline Association in June, the American Junior Golf Association in July and the National High School Finals Rodeo in July 2012 and 2013. The SCVB is also bidding to host the Illinois Horseshoe Pitchers’ Association State Horseshoe Pitching Championships in the future.
“If it’s something that we think can draw people from out of town to Springfield and will enhance spending here, and hospitality and tourism in general,” Bramlet says, “then we’ll probably get involved.”
A fresh start
At last month’s Governor’s Conference on Tourism, Kostner told the state’s tourism professionals that they needed to “make the most of a less than desirable situation.” She introduced several initiatives, including foreign marketing, social media, and improved access, that could help Springfield and the rest of Illinois forge ahead in 2010.
The state plans to promote Illinois tourism in Brazil, India and Japan. The citizens of these countries are “high-value customers,” Kostner says, as research shows they stay longer at their destinations.
They’ve also found that the British have an interest in the 1960s and authentic American experiences like Route 66, Kostner says, so they’ve partnered with Little Chef, a chain of United Kingdom roadside diners, to bring a Route 66 ambassador to travel and promote the road back in their country.
“It’s an urban and a rural experience,” she says. “Europeans get two to three weeks of vacation, so they can take huge chunks of time to really experience it.
“We’re reaching out to different audiences to get above the noise of our competitor states — here’s something that you can get here that you can’t get elsewhere.”
The Chinese have also taken an interest in Route 66, recently sending three photojournalists to explore the route and report their experiences for two popular Chinese Web sites.
The Illinois Bureau of Tourism also plans to reach more audiences in the state and in the country. Two years ago, the bureau published an Easy Access guide to Chicago, and will now expand the publication in Springfield and Rockford. These guides break down barriers, Kostner says, by helping people with disabilities or people who travel with people with disabilities locate the most accessible hotels, restaurants and attractions.
The bureau will add Spanish to several of its member city Web sites, including in Springfield. Since the Hispanic population is the largest growing in the United States, Kostner says, it’s important to provide information to these visitors in their own language.
Social media has exploded over the past several years, becoming a valuable marketing tool for tourism. Visitors to Springfield can log on to Twitter or Facebook to find local restaurants or entertainment, or post notes about their own experiences for other online users to read. Although it will never entirely replace television or radio ads, Kostner says, it helps fulfill the tourism bureau’s goal of reaching wider audiences.
These new products and partnerships will continue attracting families that are looking for inexpensive and diverse destinations, Kostner says, and will help build an even stronger state tourism industry in the coming years.
“Tourism is a huge part of our state’s economy, and it’s important to keep investing in it,” she says. “To market and let people know that these wonderful jewels do exist.”
Contact Amanda Robert at [email protected].
