It's your story: tell The Rural Tourist about the War of 1812

Keynote speaker Eddie Friel told attendees at a "Beyond the City Lights" tourism conference that the story behind a tourism product must be told, reports Trevor Terfloth of the Chatham Daily News in southern Ontario. Further, says Friel, it is the residents that must define the story, not outsiders. He was referring to the upcoming bicentennial commemoration of the War of 1812. That story must be told and retold to tourists, visitors and residents -- not just at the commemoration.

"Beyond the City Lights" is a series of conferences supported by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs. These conferences are to "advance tourism in local communities and provide the opportunity to explore industry trends, hear about tourism success stories and pick up marketing ideas and strategies ". Each conference was developed by a local planning committee.

Roger Brooks' Rule No. 16: Great Stories Make the Campfire Memorable: the rule of telling stories.Your community has stories to tell. They are distinct. They bring people together. They attract visitors. (from "The 25 Immutable Rules of Successful Tourism") Tip 2 from Roger Brooks
RT