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Rural Tourism Trend: electric vehicle chargers can drive visitors

By Becky McCray

Electric vehicle chargers are a perfect place for tourism wayfinding signs. EV charging stations are popping up in lots of rural places, especially along interstate highways and along the coasts in the US. They’ve become relatively common at some motels as well. Chargers are also popping up globally in rural places. Deb Brown reported seeing […]

January 15, 2023 Filed Under: Best of, economic development, rural, tourism, trends Tagged With: Electric Vehicles, EV, EV Charging, placemaking, rural, tourism, trends, wayfinding

Extra agritourism revenue from camping, cabins and RVs with HipCamp

By Becky McCray

After we discussed Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome, our friends at Marketing Delmarva pointed out HipCamp. One of our local blueberry farms does this with an app called HipCamp. Folks literally camp in the middle of a historic fruit farming operation. Well, not quite the same; they don’t trade blueberries for campsites, but you DO […]

December 12, 2022 Filed Under: economic development, entrepreneurship, rural, tourism Tagged With: agritourism, glamping, RV, tourism, vanlife

Harvest Hosts attract vanlifers and RV tourists, Boondockers Welcome

By Becky McCray

A van-sized RV parked in a green field under trees at a winery

RV travelers, vanlifers and other self-contained nomads can stay at interesting destinations with Harvest Hosts. Stays feature wineries, farms, breweries, museums, and more.  There’s a membership fee for campers to join, but no camping fee when they stay. Guests are encouraged to buy at least one thing from their hosts during their stay. One guest […]

December 2, 2022 Filed Under: economic development, entrepreneurship, rural, tourism Tagged With: agritourism, RV, tourism, vanlife

Tourism: Make the most of scant remains and “not much to see” sites with a look-through sign

By Becky McCray

Wide view of a prairie landscape with a walk-through gate in a fence

Here’s a tourism tip from a roadside stop from my long drive to visit rural communities in Eastern Colorado. The Santa Fe Trail wagon ruts are still visible near Lakin in Western Kansas. You can walk across the little dam, past the tree and right out to the original trail, but there isn’t a lot […]

October 11, 2022 Filed Under: Best of, economic development, rural, tourism Tagged With: historic, history, tourism

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