Thread the Needle - Part 2

Following up on last week’s Monday Huddle Up, we want to dive a bit deeper into how you should think about driving your destination and your organization going forward.

Last week we talked about “threading the needle.” That is, how do we intentionally think through building capacity (facilities) in a destination that fits our local user group wants, tourism opportunities, and helps our hotels in times of need. Where do all of these circles intersect like a Venn diagram to everyone’s benefit?

We talked about how to engage your stakeholders to sort out what type of venue is needed that could support the local community and also create a regional competitive advantage in regard to sports tourism. We covered several strategies to go through before you need to bring in the outside/consultant experts. This week we add another layer by asking a question…..

What data tools are you using to help thread the needle?

Many of the destinations we serve subscribe to various data-focused tourism subscriptions. A vast majority of the tourism organizations we work with that have these tools don’t leverage them as much as they could. As a golfer myself, it’s akin to buying a new $500 driver and not pulling it out of your bag.

If you pay for it, use it.

And frankly, force the purveyor that sold you the technology to help you use it. Especially if you are in a smaller market with limited staff capacity to engage in the process.

Beyond the usual vendors in the tourism geofencing world that we also lean into, our team uses sports participation data from one vendor, and sports equipment data from another. The more layers you can add to the analysis, the smarter and more intentional decisions you can make.

We would certainly love to have you hire our team to help with a strategic planning or facility development process. At the same time, you likely have the tools to do a lot of the groundwork with the tools you have available to you today.