April showers bring May flowers and then all of the sudden it's summer! At the moment, people are considering where they might go on vacation. They may be considering Carlsbad as their vacation destination or possibly a stop along the way.
Why is this so important? If they do indeed select Carlsbad, the financial impact of outside money coming into the community is significant.
Tourists' dollars look just like local dollars; they fold the same way, have the same presidents' pictures on the front and buy the same things. The difference lies in the fact that the money comes into town from outside the immediate area. That is where its strength is.
According to the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau, each visitor to San Diego who stays in a hotel is worth about three times as much as a day visitor. Carlsbad would benefit from even a portion of these tourism expenditures. We should all explore our responsibilities as employers and employees in capitalizing on this opportunity.
Recently, I overheard a conversation between a waiter and a group who were asking for their food check. They mentioned they were from Canada and had been in the San Diego area for several months. They were on their way back to Canada and had plans to travel to Anaheim that same afternoon. A golden opportunity had presented itself for the waiter to discuss tourism opportunities in Carlsbad.
Another customer heard the exchange and commented about her "wonderful town," Carlsbad.
"You should really consider staying in Carlsbad for a few days, it's so much fun," the fellow diner said. "One of our favorite things to do is visit the Museum of Making Music. They always have something going on. If you can change your travel plans, I would encourage you to do so."
She went on to talk about other things her family loved to do in Carlsbad and why they had moved here five years ago.
The Canadians listened intently; they were travelers and although they had been in San Diego for several months, traveling out of the city to the mountains and deserts provided them with additional places to visit. Thanks to the intervention of the astute resident, the tourists got directions to the museum and mentioned that they would love try to find a hotel to spend the night and thanked the resident for "such great information!"
This resident had captured tourist dollars, economic impact and possibly an advocate for Carlsbad. All of this as a result of the fact that she struck up a conversation and shared her town with them.
This is a perfect example of how everyone in a town can strive to encourage tourists to spend time in our city. Even if you are not specifically in the tourism industry, you can certainly contribute wherever you happen to be, just like the aforementioned resident.
It's important to promote Carlsbad and to become aware of the impact a simple gesture of sharing information can have. The trick is to turn travelers into full-fledged tourists who will stop, shop, and spend the night.
Our responsibility lies in providing them with the information to encourage them to stay.
Visit Carlsbad welcomes all visitors with a big smile. If you would like some assistance in turning that smile into tourist dollars, give us a call at 760-434-6093 or email [email protected]
Why is this so important? If they do indeed select Carlsbad, the financial impact of outside money coming into the community is significant.
Tourists' dollars look just like local dollars; they fold the same way, have the same presidents' pictures on the front and buy the same things. The difference lies in the fact that the money comes into town from outside the immediate area. That is where its strength is.
According to the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau, each visitor to San Diego who stays in a hotel is worth about three times as much as a day visitor. Carlsbad would benefit from even a portion of these tourism expenditures. We should all explore our responsibilities as employers and employees in capitalizing on this opportunity.
Recently, I overheard a conversation between a waiter and a group who were asking for their food check. They mentioned they were from Canada and had been in the San Diego area for several months. They were on their way back to Canada and had plans to travel to Anaheim that same afternoon. A golden opportunity had presented itself for the waiter to discuss tourism opportunities in Carlsbad.
Another customer heard the exchange and commented about her "wonderful town," Carlsbad.
"You should really consider staying in Carlsbad for a few days, it's so much fun," the fellow diner said. "One of our favorite things to do is visit the Museum of Making Music. They always have something going on. If you can change your travel plans, I would encourage you to do so."
She went on to talk about other things her family loved to do in Carlsbad and why they had moved here five years ago.
The Canadians listened intently; they were travelers and although they had been in San Diego for several months, traveling out of the city to the mountains and deserts provided them with additional places to visit. Thanks to the intervention of the astute resident, the tourists got directions to the museum and mentioned that they would love try to find a hotel to spend the night and thanked the resident for "such great information!"
This resident had captured tourist dollars, economic impact and possibly an advocate for Carlsbad. All of this as a result of the fact that she struck up a conversation and shared her town with them.
This is a perfect example of how everyone in a town can strive to encourage tourists to spend time in our city. Even if you are not specifically in the tourism industry, you can certainly contribute wherever you happen to be, just like the aforementioned resident.
It's important to promote Carlsbad and to become aware of the impact a simple gesture of sharing information can have. The trick is to turn travelers into full-fledged tourists who will stop, shop, and spend the night.
Our responsibility lies in providing them with the information to encourage them to stay.
Visit Carlsbad welcomes all visitors with a big smile. If you would like some assistance in turning that smile into tourist dollars, give us a call at 760-434-6093 or email [email protected]