NEW Film:  Weaving Tourism into Community:  four stories over time (2010) 

A longitudinal case study of four communities--Dahlonega, GA, Sandpoint, ID, San Luis, CO  and Villages of Van Buren, IA. 

Community leaders describe the changes, benefits and challenges their communities have experienced from tourism development over nearly two decades.      

 These case studies stress five core values for tourism development:

1) maintaining authenticity and sense of place;  

2) delivering quality service and products;  

3) using tourism as a diversification strategy;  

4) encouraging local control; and  

5) assessing the true benefits and costs of tourism.    

DVD format / 65 minutes long and divided into segments on each community.   Extension Store item # 08662    To View a sample  or to order    

Price:  $24.95 (+S&H)  

CLASSROOM ACTIVITY IDEA

Tourism impacts everyone in a community - either directly or indirectly.    

The "web of tourism" helps students visualize this.   

Activity 

Begin with a brief lecture/discussion of tourism in a community and how it impacts everyone.  Explain that you are going to have them participate in an activity to illustrate this.  They are to think of how a tourist interacts with, and moves through a community during a multi-day stay --- perhaps from their own experiences. 

Use a ball of string.   Unwind a length about 10 feet long.  Ask for a student volunteer to be the tourist.  Have that student come to the front of the class.  Instruct him/her to hold the string end tightly.  Ask him/her to identify something a tourist needs during their visit.  Once they identify something (lodging, food etc) have the tourist/student "get" the service.  Holding the end of the string, the "tourist" gets the service by tossing the ball of string to another student.  Have the students identify another service, product or aspect tourism / community intersection.  

Ask the student who received the ball of string to unwind a length and then holding onto the string, toss the ball across to another student.   Repeat this process multiple times as students identify how tourism involves both the private and public sectors of the community.  (Note: be sure students identify public infrastructure components or you may need to coach ideas a bit).    Each student who receives the ball must hold onto the string after they toss the ball.   They are all connected to the tourist.    

Note:  this activity illustrates that tourism touches all aspects of community. It can also be used to illustrate a number of additional concepts such as "my guest is your guest" and the importance of quality customer service across the community.