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Take your locals on a local tour

By Becky McCray

Last week, two local tours caught my eye. No, not local as in “my town,” local as in “taking your local people to see what’s local.”

Hamilton County, Indiana, was taking their tourism staff out for a tour:

Some of our staff is touring the county today to get acquainted w/ Hamilton Co.’s history! What are your fave historical attractions here?

— Hamilton County CVB (@8GreatTowns) June 6, 2013

For tourism staff, imagine how much more they can say about local attractions when they’ve just been there. Imagine how much better they can do in social media interactions with the history fresh on their minds.

And Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada (where I spoke in January), was taking their entire economic development team around: Planners, Building Inspectors, EDOs, Heritage & Culture, Bylaw. 

Tour guide Chris Baird leads us across #norfolkcounty today checking out latest development twitter.com/investnorfolk/…— NorfolkCounty EcDev (@investnorfolk) June 6, 2013


I suggested they follow up with a tour for their local media, educators, business owners, or bankers. They play a big part in economic development, too.

Remember:

  • Locals suffer from “never been there” syndrome. They may live right next to an attraction, but they’ve never been there.
  • Things change. Who ever told you small towns never change was lying. Small towns change, and pace of change is faster than ever. I’ll bet even you would be surprised what’s changed in your small town in just the past five years.

What locals will you take on your next local tour?

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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

June 11, 2013 Filed Under: economic development, tourism

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