• Survey
  • Book Becky to speak
  • The book: Small Town Rules
  • Shop Local video
  • SaveYour.Town

Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource

A row of small town shops
  • Front Page
  • Latest stories
  • About
  • Guided Tour
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • RSS

Tourism gems from things you take for granted

By Becky McCray

You have local traditions and things you take for granted; things that your visitors would love to be part of.

Feeding the gullsHere’s an example from outside Nassau, Bahamas, that could have been from your small town. In the evening, locals come out to the beach along Arawack Cay. They stroll, they feed the gulls, they sit in their cars and watch the ocean, and the old men play dominoes. I didn’t find this in any guide book. No one told me about it. We just happened to stroll into it, and felt the local small town feeling. It gave me a tiny insight into the real people who live there.

Dominoes on the beach

There’s an equivalent in your town. Something great that no one thinks about. Where do your locals get together? Think about walks in the park, kids sports where people still sit on blankets on the grass, concerts downtown, and the place where the old men play dominoes.

Here’s why it matters: if you can let your visitors be part of that local feeling, they will be better connected to your place. They will leave happier, and they are more likely to want to return.

Discussion question: what is your local version, and how can you help visitors feel a part of it?

Photos by Becky McCray.

New to SmallBizSurvival.com? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Get our updates.

  • About the Author
  • Latest Posts

About Becky McCray

Becky started Small Biz Survival in 2006 to share rural business and community building stories and ideas with other small town business people. She and her husband have a small cattle ranch and are lifelong entrepreneurs. Becky is an international speaker on small business and rural topics.
  • Downtown is your town’s core: How to make your case - February 22, 2021
  • Zoom Towns: attracting and supporting remote workers in rural small towns - December 10, 2020
  • In an economic crisis, spend your brainpower before your dollars - November 25, 2020
  • Video: How to fill empty car dealership buildings for the holidays - November 6, 2020
  • How has 2020 changed the challenges rural small towns face? Tell us here - October 20, 2020
  • The Idea Friendly Method to surviving a business crisis - October 6, 2020
  • Join me for the Rural Renewal Symposium online Oct 13 - September 26, 2020
  • Cheap placemaking idea: instant murals - September 11, 2020
  • Refilling the rural business pipeline - July 7, 2020
  • Huge vacant buildings: grants to renovate? - June 9, 2020

April 27, 2010 Filed Under: tourism

Wondering what is and is not allowed in the comments?
Or how to get a nifty photo beside your name?
Check our commenting policy.
Use your real name, not a business name.


Don't see the comment form?
Comments are automatically closed on older posts, but you can send me your comment via this contact form and I'll add it manually for you. Thanks!

Comments

  1. Ken Burgin says

    April 28, 2010 at 4:15 am

    The MyMaps feature of Google Maps is a great way to show where they are and share info about what’s involved – even add a photo. Then the Map can be linked to from local businesses and info services….easy.

  2. Becky McCray says

    April 28, 2010 at 3:09 pm

    Ken, you’re right. Maps are another way to present your location at its best.

  3. nick waters says

    April 29, 2010 at 5:20 pm

    Great post! I don’t have an answer to the questions that you posed, but I am at least thinking about the opportunities now.

  4. Becky McCray says

    May 4, 2010 at 2:55 am

    Thanks, Nick.

Howdy!

Glad you dropped in to the rural and small town business blog, established in 2006.

We want you to feel at home, so please take our guided tour.

Meet our authors on the About page.

Have something to say? You can give us a holler on the contact form.

If you would like permission to re-use an article you've read here, please make a Reprint Request.

Want to search our past articles? Catch up with the latest stories? Browse through the categories? All the good stuff is on the Front Page.

Shop Local

Buy local buttonReady to set up a shop local campaign in your small town? You'll need a guide who understands how we're different and what really works: Shop Local Campaigns for Small Towns.

Best of Small Biz Survival

What is holding us back? Why does every project take so long in small towns?

How any business can be part of downtown events by going mobile

Concert-goers talking and enjoying the evening in downtown Webster City, Iowa.

Why do people say there’s nothing to do here then not come to our concerts?

Retailers: Fill all empty space, floor to ceiling

More of the best of Small Biz Survival

Copyright © 2021 Becky McCray
Front Page · Log in