Tuesday's business section revealed that nature-based tourism is the new focus (fad) for Osceola tourism officials, and the article went into great detail about trying to attract visitors from Spain who would want to come to Lake Toho to fish for bass. Talk about a defined market segment!
What left a lasting impression, though, is that the Convention and Visitors Bureau funds an "official outdoors spokesman," whose responsibilities apparently consist of marketing Kissimmee/Osceola County while competing in fishing tournaments, complete with a truck, boat, and clothing emblazoned with tourism logos, even in such faraway places as Spain. We're sure that he is a skilled fisherman, and very outgoing and engaging, everything you would want from someone who is a marketing representative. The CVB has apparently had this relationship for eight years, and the current annual budget for this outdoors ambassador is $400,000 per year. We're sure that includes travel expenses and bait and lures, but our reaction is still ...wow ...maybe it is time to cut bait. "Anecdotally we think it's been a success" says a CVB representative.
Which leads us to ask...does the CVB have any more targeted market segments defined? Potential tourists from the Ukraine that like to bowl? Visitors from Siberia that have an interest in juggling chainsaws? If you have other target markets, how can we sign up to be the representative who pursues them?
What left a lasting impression, though, is that the Convention and Visitors Bureau funds an "official outdoors spokesman," whose responsibilities apparently consist of marketing Kissimmee/Osceola County while competing in fishing tournaments, complete with a truck, boat, and clothing emblazoned with tourism logos, even in such faraway places as Spain. We're sure that he is a skilled fisherman, and very outgoing and engaging, everything you would want from someone who is a marketing representative. The CVB has apparently had this relationship for eight years, and the current annual budget for this outdoors ambassador is $400,000 per year. We're sure that includes travel expenses and bait and lures, but our reaction is still ...wow ...maybe it is time to cut bait. "Anecdotally we think it's been a success" says a CVB representative.
Which leads us to ask...does the CVB have any more targeted market segments defined? Potential tourists from the Ukraine that like to bowl? Visitors from Siberia that have an interest in juggling chainsaws? If you have other target markets, how can we sign up to be the representative who pursues them?
2 comments:
You have to wonder what it would cost to do TV spots in Spain? Maybe even spots that included fishing.
these people are crooks.
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