Civic tourism… for residents

Tourism is usually regarded by residents as a necessary evil in order to maintain a viable economy. Luckily, there’s a civic tourism movement that is redefining tourism as an enhancement to preserve and grow local quality of life and culture.

It wouldn’t be such a big deal if tourism wasn’t the largest industry in the world and in the top three in each and every state, but it is. May as well use it to your city’s advantage.

In this Smart City Radio interview, civic tourism founders Dan Shilling and Mark McDermott single out San Francisco and both Bozeman and Missoula, Montana as cities that have used tourism to improve quality of life for its residents. It’s as simple as this – think of all the main streets, downtowns, and favorite restaurants and shops that would have suffered, closed two hours earlier, or effectively shut down because they didn’t have enough patrons. While residents can choose to eat at home every night, visitors pretty much have to eat out.

How to go about accomplishing this in your city? More tomorrow.

Image: Little Italy, NYC – thriving economically by promoting its heritage.

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