Travel Center Economics & Tourist Attraction Database
Christopher
I need some industry background and insight for some work I've been
asked to perform.
I work at a very high traffic gas station in Southern California that
has just decided to open a traveler's information center. Because I
have written professionally from time to time, I have been asked to
write the letter pitching the travel center to area tourist
attractions that might want to provide us with brochures, etc., and/or
pay us a fee if, for instance, they wish to place a visual display
in the center. (I don't think the intent on the part of the owners is
to make this a profit center so much as help pay for the lights.) I
could use some insight into how the economics of such an information
center work, please.
I've also been asked to put together the list of tourist attractions
to whom we will send the letter inviting them to take part in the
travel center. I am looking for an accessible Web database of such
tourist locations: any suggestions on how or where to obtain such
information would be appreciated.
This information center is being designed for the most part for
"civilian" (i.e., non-professional trucker) patrons and their familes.
*Thank* you. //Christopher
STJensen
Christopher <casteele95thbghe...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> I could use some insight into how the economics of such an information
> center work, please.
Usually, rather poorly. Think of it from the tourist's standpoint.
They travel to destinations to see something specific. They don't
travel in some general direction and decide after they get there or,
even less likely, on their way to there to do something else. So the
first question you need to ask yourself is: Are we a tourist
destination?
Now if you are at a tourist destination, your travel center can expand
vacation options for tourists that have just arrived. Think of your
travel center from their standpoint. Don't just stuff full a rack of
brochures from local tourist attractions. Organize them by activity
and then organize those by how far away they are. Use big labels that
can be read from across the room. As activities, give the activities
that would compliment the main attraction the best brochure space and
the less-likely-to-be-done tourist attractions the less choice space.
As for distances, organize them by "Within a mile", "Within ten
miles", and "Within twenty miles". You can forget attractions beyond
twenty miles. Respect the tourist's time and make your travel center
easy to use and easy to get desired information.
If you're just a truckstop out in nowhere, I would recommend you tell
the owners to use the space for what they were going to use for the
travel center for something else. For example (and I'm not kidding),
a back massage center. Not a full body massage but just for back
massages. People understand you don't need to get undressed to
received a back massage and there's no misunderstanding what is being
sold (in other words, it isn't a front for a brothel). You can then
just put Help Wanted ads on Craig's List (which should be free unless
you're in one of the major cities) and send letters to all the massage
therapy schools within your region (region =3D states) to get applicants
besieging your place to work in it. But you don't directly employ the
massage therapists. You handle them like how hair salons handle
hairstylists. They either rent one of your back massage chairs from
you and/or they pay you a cut of what they take in. Both professional
truck drivers and tourists LOVE these back massage centers and, if
properly managed and designed, they can be HUGE profit centers.
Advertise it at all your gas pumps and put up special billboards for
it. If possible, locate it next to your restaurant, don't let
restaurant patrons seat themselves, and then have your waitresses
suggest the restaurant patrons look at a menu at the maitre d' station
(where they wait to be seated) and then go get a back massage while
their meal is being prepared. A table will be reserved and held for
them. I have even seen truckstops where if the patron sits at a chair
(as opposed to a booth), the massage therapist will come around to
their table and give them a back massage while they wait for their
food to arrive. If your owners are up to allowing massage therapists
to do this, have your waitresses inform your diners of this option
when seating them and sell them on it. Give your waitresses a
commission on each sale and they'll get good at pitching it to your
diners.
> I've also been asked to put together the list of tourist attractions
> to whom we will send the letter inviting them to take part in the
> travel center. =A0I am looking for an accessible Web database of such
> tourist locations: any suggestions on how or where to obtain such
> information would be appreciated.
This is really simple. Go and visit your state's Department of
Tourism. They will LOVE to answer all your questions. I would
suggest you go in person and not do this over the phone or email.
Bring a layout of your truckstop, where the tourist center would be
located in it, and how big is your remodeling budget. I'd suggest you
make the truckstop layout look nice and professional. Make it
proportional and give measurements. If there's blueprints of the
truckstop building, bring them.
Good luck!
Scott Jensen
NotMe
"Christopher" <casteele9...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:f-adncfMtrwVUUXU...@supernews.com...
:
: I need some industry background and insight for some work I've been
My first question is who is paying the freight for the center? The state or
the attractions you promote?
If former you have a chance if the latter your company is wasting time.
Some state have laws on who can be a tourist information center and others
don't. Tennessee is in the latter group with the result you have
'information centers' literally on top of each other. Travelers might get
sucker in on the first few but after that information centers are no more
than another bump on the road side. BTDT.
Please answer the who pays question. Once I have that I can offer a bit
more.
Christopher
your response to my question: took quite a nit of work on your part
and I appreciate it ! //christopher
Christopher
sent the wrong reply to ... well, I messed up. In answer to your
question about who is funding this ... not the state from my
understanding. And they would like some income from the attractions
they promote, if possible: how does that work? (Ramp traffic to this
location per day is about 1,500 vehicles.)
This travel center idea is more of a "dream" (i think) of the owners
(but will impart Scott's ideas anyway). For reasoms I can't discuss,
it is my feeling that they have an emotional attachment to the idea of
a "travel information center" and -- believe me -- they won't feel a
loss. They do, however, want to bring in some nominal amouts of money
to (as I think I said) help "cover the cost of the lights." And, at
this location, they literally have the market to themselves.
thanks, notme. Good questions!