Tourism Marketing and Development
Every community has its treasures. The old mill where it seems like you have stepped back to colonial times, the fishing hole where you can always count on the catfish to bite, and growers with the best apples (and the best apple pie) to be found anywhere.
Communities know what they love about that place they call home.
Many communities share their treasures with others. It is a kind of hospitality known as tourism.
And when it is done right, everybody – both resident and visitor – finds their lives just a little bit richer.
PRTM researchers know that tourism is big business, especially in North Carolina where tourism is the state's largest service industry. We also know that rural tourism depends on communities where social and natural capital are valued. Our research delves into what makes a quality tourism experience, how a community or attraction can assess what it has to offer, and how to get the word out. We look at where people go, what they do, and how they spend their money. We measure how tourism impacts communities and job creation and we evaluate strategies for community partnerships to increase revenue and attract visitors. The fruits of our research are shared with community leaders and attractions to better equip them with the knowledge to make decisions concerning how tourism can grows their community’s economic, social, and natural capital.
The envisioned outcome:
Rich and vibrant communities where people are engaged, jobs are plentiful, and business and landuse practices are sustainable. Helping communities and attractions to make more informed decisions regarding tourism development.
Featured Project: North Carolina TravelTracker
Their Mission?
To provide monthly and quarterly summaries of North Carolina travel and tourism i
ndicators
(e.g., airport deplanements/enplanements, hotel/motel occupancy, welcome center visits, etc.). TheTravel Tracker is produced and published in collaboration with Dr. Gene Brothers and the North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development.
Why does this matter?
Strategic tourism marketing and policy decisions depend on accurate, consistent tracking of business indicators such as lodging statistics, attraction and welcome center visitation, transportation statistics and more. The intent of the North Carolina Travel Tracker is to provide up-to-date and relevant tourism indicators for both the state and individual regions within the state. With data from the Travel Tracker, program areas and industry partners can strategically plan, implement and evaluate processes and programs.
Learn more about the Travel Tracker and/or view recent reports
Examples of Recent Publications from PRTM Faculty in the area of Tourism Marketing and Development
Supak, S., Leung, Y.-F., & Stewart K. (in press) Geotourism Potential in North Carolina: Perspectives from interpretation at state parks. In: Dowing, R. & Newsome, D. (eds.) Geotourism: The Tourism of Geology and Landscape. London, UK: Goodfellow Publishers.
Rozier, S. (2009). Understanding travel promotional narratives: The influence of narrative transportation and skepticism. Dissertation Summary. European Journal of Tourism Research, 2 (1), 123-130.
Kline, C., Cardenas, D., Leung, Y.-F., & Sanders, S. (2007) Sustainable farm tourism: Understanding and managing environmental impacts of visitor activities. Journal of Extension 45(2).
Tomas, S. R., & Crompton, J. L. (2004). Repositioning Texas State Parks. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, 22(1), 115-128.