Rural Kansas Project links over 40 small communities

  The Kansas Sampler Foundation and the Kansas Department of Commerce Travel and Tourism Division joined with over 40 partners to tell us where to go, what there is to see, do and learn in rural Kansas. This is a first result of the "Rural Kansas: come and get it!" project -- to promote rural communities in the State.
  Towns are grouped by region or by theme, such as the Amazing 100 miles, the Wetlands and Wildlife National Scenic Byway, and the Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area. In Freedom's Frontier, for example, where the bitter rivalry of the past between Kansans and Missourians is brought to light, seven communities are linked -- such as Lecompton, the political birthplace of the American Civil War, Piqua, Atchison, Fredonia, Garnet, Tonganoxie, and Yates Center.
  Tourists take the communities "as is" and start their journey by first getting off the main highways and slowing down. The Project is to entice tourists to explore, to feel good about spending money in small Kansan towns, and to interact with the locals.

Green Dirt Farm, a value-added sheep farm and agritourism business

 
Tony Glamcevski, from Kansas City, is a tours and events manager with Green Dirt Farm (www.greendirtfarm.com) of Weston, Missouri, who is responsible for cheese-making classes, farm table dinners, and product sales to local farmers markets, supermarkets and chefs, reports Cindy Hoedel of The Kansas City Star. In an interview, Tony wants to develop agritourism -- to have consumers experience farm life and see how the food on their plate gets there. It’s booming. It can also be an additional source of income for the farm he says. 

  Green Dirt Farm is owned and operated by women who raise and milk sheep, offer tours and half-day cheese-making workshops, and prepare barn suppers with unique beverages.
  

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

"Loan Eagles" Affect the Rural Knowledge-Based Economy

It is the individuals that are creating business in today's knowledge-based rural economy, says Mr. Paul Blais of Millier Dickinson Blais, and a former municipal economic development manager in Napanee, reports Brian Shypula with the Stratford Beacon Herald, especially in a rural, knowledge-based economy such as Perth County, Ontario. Blais' report is part of a provincial grant with support from the Perth Community Futures Corporation.

"Loan Eagles" are small businesses that are typically run by individuals, often fall under the media radar and grow by one, two or three people at a time. Their impact, however, can be considerable. They would often fall under the category of highly skilled, highly educated, and/or highly paid. The long-term migration of 'loan eagles' (as illustrated by Richard Florida, the George Mason University professor and author of "The Rise of the Creative Class") can, however, be contrary to rural development interests.
The arts/culture/tourism challenge for southern Ontario's Perth, Stratford and St Mary's region is to attract the Loan Eagles. Perhaps they can be lured with opportunities such as Blais' "green tech" businesses and University of Waterloo's Stratford "new digital media" campus.

Avoid the "Geography of Nowhere"

Lisa Brochu, author and tourism consultant, and keynote speaker at the recent Heartland Byways Conference in Kansas, encouraged communities located along scenic byways to be distinct and present their innate character, writes Dale Hogg of the Grand Bend Tribune. When a visitor wakes up in the morning they should know where they are. As Lisa Brochu states, avoid the geography of nowhere.

The Annual Heartland Byways Conference is designed for byway, tourism officials from 10-state region, including: Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Nebraska.
Link to: America`s Byways
...
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.

Unique Agritourism Approach: Look, But Don't Buy

20 football-sized fields of tulips are grown annually for the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival, but not for sale, writes Wendy Owen of the Oregonian. Woodburn farmer, Ross Iverson, and family grow them for visitors to admire and photograph. They also grow another 30 acres for harvest and sale. They've been growing tulips since 1974. Over 100,000 visitors are expected each year with traffic sometimes backing up for over 12km to enter their farm. Their tulip farm is also rented for weddings, company picnics and meetings, family reunions and other special events. This year is special. It's the 25th anniversary of the Tulip Fest.

The International Ecotourism Society now 20 years old

 

The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) now celebrates its 20th year. TIES "promotes responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people".
TIES' global Ecotourism Explorer map geographically links us to various ecotourism resources: travellers, students, professionals, lodging facilities, tour operators, affiliated businesses.colleges and universities, institutions, and non-government organizations. A search, for example, of Canadian members with connection to Geographic Information Systems (GIS), displayed the Great Bear Nature Tours in Port Hardy, British Columbia.
TIES joins 500 businesses, professionals and community members at ESTC (Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference) 2010 from 8-10Sep2010 in Portland Oregon. The conference is hosted by Travel Portland and Travel Oregon, and will provide opportunities to share the latest trends in ecotourism and sustainable tourism.