By Stan Ralstin, Columnist
July 04, 2009 07:12 pm
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There seems to be a growing effort to develop Enid into a destination, a place that people will want to come and visit.
I for one am very glad to see this development. We have so much to offer we just need the right focus and expertise to make it happen. We have those working on a trail system, which when done right can truly benefit the community in many ways.
We have those who are trying to promote the downtown as a place to be, and this also is a great idea. We have so many activities, sports, festivals and events there is something going on all the time. But like the humans that we are, most people I hear say Enid is boring and has nothing to do. Well, I disagree.
With this newfound interest of trying to develop Enid as a destination, I find cause for hope. I recently attended a National Extension Tourism Conference in Park City, Utah. I gathered a wealth of information and contacts focusing on this type of effort. As we proceed to travel down the tourism development road, I would like to share some ideas to keep in mind.
Tourism is an economic development activity. The object is to have people come to your town, stay awhile and spend money. The tourism industry is a $740 billion industry in the United States. The wants and needs of people are changing. Studies show people relate to three specific places: home, work and a third place where they can hang out and have fun.
Most communities seem to focus on places to hang out for youths in their town, when deep inside they want the same thing. We need to create a third place in our downtown. The downtown needs to be inviting. If the locals do not hang out in the downtown, then neither will visitors. The No. 1 diversionary activity for visitors is shopping, dining and entertainment in a pedestrian-friendly, intimate setting. This is where 80 percent of all visitors’ spending takes place. So we have to create the opportunity.
Now comes the hard part. What experience do we offer or can we create that will be unique? I mean, what do we have that sets us apart from anything that someone can get closer to their own home? We must be specific, generic will not work.
Every town has fine restaurants, museums, golfing, historical downtown, beautiful parks, events, antiques and galleries. What do we have specifically to bring people to Enid? What is our lure? That is what we must decide upon and promote.
When we get them here, they will spend time and money on all of these other activities. Remember the 80 percent figure from above? Statistics show in a 14-hour day visitors spend 4-6 hours with the primary lure and 8-10 hours on diversionary activities. These are things they can do in their own town, but will do in Enid while they are here. We must develop all of the amenities and comforts to give our visitors a quality experience while they are here.
Successful communities follow the 10+10+10 rule. Within three linear blocks you need a minimum of 10 places such as restaurants, coffee shops, delis, bakeries, ice cream shops. Second, you need 10 destination retail shops, such as art galleries, bookstores, clothing, home accessories, and third, you need 10 places open after 6 p.m., including entertainment, movies, theaters, bars, dining and open air markets. Enid’s downtown places to hangout are expanding, and I see a lot of interest in the area. We just need to keep on doing what we are doing and focus our efforts.
One other point, we need to name our downtown. An example is Oklahoma City’s Bricktown. We need to develop it and then market and promote it. We can’t just call it the town Square or downtown or Main Street. Remember, every other town has one. What do we want Enid to be?
As I said at the beginning, I gathered a wealth of information at this conference and a lot of it pertains to what is happening in E-town, and I would encourage everyone to find a way to get involved to make Enid the best community we can.
If you have any questions or comments feel free to contact me at stan.ralstin@okstate.edu or call me at 237-7677. As always, you also can contact your local county Extension office.
Ralstin is Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service community development specialist.
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