The Office of CITY MANAGER CITY OF LINCOLN CITY CITY

The Office of
CITY MANAGER
CITY OF LINCOLN CITY
CITY COUNCIL
WORKSHOP MEETING AGENDA
February 4, 2015 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm
4:00 p.m. - The City Council of the City of Lincoln City will hold a workshop in the City Council
Chambers, 801 S. Highway 101, 3rd Floor at City Hall.
The meeting location is accessible to persons with disabilities. A request for an interpreter for the
hearing impaired, for a hearing impaired device, or for other accommodations for persons with
disabilities, should be made at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting to Cathy Steere, City Recorder,
541-996-1203.
This meeting is a workshop only, and generally does not include public comment.
A.
CALL TO ORDER
B.
ROLL CALL
C.
SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS
1. Discussion: Visitor and Convention Bureau
D.
ADJOURNMENT
To: Mayor Williams and the City Council Fr: Ron Chandler Dt: January 29, 2015 Re: City Council Workshop The staff is preparing to initiate the hiring process for a permanent Visitor and Convention Center (VCB) Director. Prior to doing this, we wanted meet with the City Council in a work meeting to discuss your priorities and goals so they can be incorporated into the hiring process. The work meeting is intended to be a free‐flowing discussion and will include the following discussion items. 1) Report about the Lincoln City VCB – Bruce Bustamante 2) Discussion of priorities and goals for the VCB – Ron Chandler/Bruce Bustamante. To facilitate this discussion, we are including the following documents in this packet. a. The VCB Marketing and PR Plan 2014‐15 b. A Recommended Format for Future Marketing Plans c. The March 2006 Visitor/Tourism Assessment Report. Lincoln City Visitor & Convention Bureau
Marketing and PR Plan 2014-15
MARKETING
OVERVIEW:
OUR MISSION: The Lincoln City Visitor & Convention Bureau (VCB) was created
to promote tourism in the area. Although the ordinance which established it
acknowledged several components of its focus, particular emphasis is placed on
two elements: (a) to stimulate economic growth and (b) to enhance the quality of
life in Lincoln City by stabilizing the seasonality of tourism, that is, growing
tourism in the shoulder and off seasons to, among other things, create and
maintain employment throughout the year.
OUR SEASONS: 33% of trips to the Coast occur July through September (down
from 2010); 27% happen April through June (up from 2010); 21% January
through March (same as in 2010); and 19% October through December (up from
2010). (Longwoods International, 2010 and 2013) The Coast is no longer a
sleepy area that rolls up its welcome mat for the winter. Its shoulder seasons are
growing, but the summer may not be.
THE ECONOMY AND TOURISM SPENDING: Tourism is slowly rebounding as
the economy improves. Oregon's statewide lodging trends have shown
continued positive growth from October 2013 vs. October 2012. See the Oregon
Travel Barometer, maintained and updated monthly, at
www.traveloregon.com//industry.
Lincoln’s Cities Numbers:
Lincoln City’s gross lodging sales numbers have steadily increased from the
2009 low of $45,705,267 to $52,028,053 in 2013. The 2014 numbers as
generally reported will be skewed because of the annexation of Roads End. The
Lincoln City Finance Department has the data to determine regular growth by
excluding Roads End numbers in 2014. Beginning in 2015, the comparison once
again becomes simple.
Prior to annexation, Lincoln City’s room inventory, including RV spaces/
campsites, was 3,868. As of April 2014, it had grown to 4,327. In the past
decade available rooms in Lincoln City have grown by 1,237, only 459 of which
resulted from annexation. The pieces of the pie are considerably smaller, which
impacts property owners. In order to maintain an average 60% annual
occupancy, about 170,400 more room nights have now to be generated than in
1004. Some could survive on less, but even 40% requires about 114,000 more
room nights. 99% of those will come by motorized vehicles on our street.Though
we lack data for comprehensive analysis, it is likely this inventory growth has
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increased competition and driven down revenue per available room (revPAR).
Other economic factors also contribute, making individual business profit more
difficult.
Oregon Coast Numbers:
According to the most recent Longwoods International report, updated for the
2013 year, about 34% (same as in 2010), 10.3 million, of the overnight trips to
Oregon include travel to the Coast, representing $1.6 billion in spending. In 2010
there were 9.8 million trips, representing $1.4 billion in spending. Nearly all of
those are leisure or business-leisure, e.g., staying over beyond a convention.
The two largest spending sectors are lodging (39%, $625 million) and food and
beverage (25%, $394 million). In 2010, the total lodging spending was 39% also,
but only $552 million. Food and beverage was a percent lower in 2010 and
represented $350 million in spending. Average spending per person on overnight
leisure trips for lodging is $57 (business trips $49) and on food and beverage is
$35 (business trips $31). In 2010, the average spending on lodging for leisure
trips was $55 and for food and beverage $33. The average number of night stays
has declined from 3.4 in 2010 to 3.3 in 2013, while the party size has increased
from 3.2 to 3.3. 63% stay in hotels, motels or resort hotels, up from 55% in 2010.
Although it is somewhat difficult to tell from how the segments are collected in
Longwoods, it appears that VRD occupancy may be down 1%.
The main purposes for visiting1 the Coast are resort, outdoors, or touring. They
were nearly equal in 2010 and remain so. Our largest markets continue to
include Oregon (67%, up from 64%), Washington (18%), California (5%, down
from 8%), and Idaho (2%). Idaho and Washington are the same, Portland and
Eugene are the highest locations of trip origin. The internet is used 60% of the
time for planning the trips (up from 49% in 2010) and 56% of the time for booking
the trips (up from 43% in 2010). The average age of our visitor has gone down by
.4% to 46, a year older than the average visitor to all of Oregon, which went
down by 1.7%. Overall, by percentage, household incomes appear to have gone
down some; fewer visitors are unemployed or empty-nesters. A smaller percent
of visitors are white, while African-Americans and “others” have increased.
Longwoods International Report 2013.
Within the activities of interest, the beach has declined by 4% and shopping has
increased by the same amount. Visiting historic places, engaging in cultural
activities and enjoying exceptional culinary experiences have all increased since
2010, by about 3% each, and remain the top three activities of special interest.
1
A day-trip visitor must have traveled more than 50 miles to be included in the Longwoods data. That is
generally considered to be the determining factor of the definition of a visitor and is thus the survey data we
collect in attractions and special events.
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OUR MARKETS, GENERALLY: Lincoln City has traditionally been a leisure
travel destination, touting itself as a family destination. Although there is some
business and convention trade, sites are limited (only 5 with more than tiny
space) and challenging. In addition, the cost of getting here for conferees seems
daunting. Since there is limited public transportation, out-of-state conferees must
absorb the cost of air travel and car rental, as well as extending travel time from
Portland or Eugene, in order to get here. Those additional ground transportation
costs and time are not a requirement in larger metropolitan areas. Government
and corporate conferences originating from areas within 5 driving hours are more
plentiful. Without the future creation of larger meeting space and better
transportation from the Valley, however, business and convention travel, though
important, will always be a much smaller piece of the pie than leisure travel.
The VCB serves approximately 2 million travelers annually, we think. Acquisition
of vehicle-count data from recently installed counters will help us know that better
in the future. Most originate within 5 driving hours of the area, with the largest
markets being Portland Metro, Eugene, and probably Salem. Most of the Eugene
market goes to the South Coast. Local travelers seeking a weekend getaway are
generally far less willing to pay higher prices for lodging. Our lodging costs are
often dramatically below what would be found in larger metropolitan areas or
other parts of the county.
More than half of visitors to the Oregon Coast are female, and more than half of
those are between the ages of 45 and 64 (half Boomer, half Generation X). A
third of visitors are between ages 25 and 44 (mostly Generation X, soon to be
partly Millennial).
The promotion formula is simple: Get them here and show them a good time in
attractive surroundings so they extend their stays and come back. Getting them
here with advertising and free press, as well as events and attractions, is only the
beginning. Building satisfying relationships with them is critical. It requires
providing good quality attractions and events not readily available where they live
and that set Lincoln City apart from other similar communities, quality restaurants
and lodging, stellar customer service, an attractive city, regular reminders we’re
here, and invitations to newcomers to become repeat overnight customers. It is
a community-wide effort. The VCB participates in most of it and leads in much.
It is obvious from Lincoln City’s numbers that we need to increase the
average night stay in order to reduce the impact on our infrastructure,
particularly streets.
OUR SUPPLIERS: The VCB also serves about 45 hotels/motels, 150 individual
nightly motel condos, 3 bed and breakfasts, 4 RV parks/campgrounds, a dozen
or so vacation rental companies, 513 individual VRDs within the city limits, about
80 food establishments, and a host of other area businesses targeting tourists.
The industry annually generates more than $185 million in lodging, food, retail,
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gasoline, transportation, recreation, and other visitor services to the local
community.
THE PRODUCT VISITORS SEEK: According to Oregon Tourism Commission
(OTC) and Longwoods International 2014, the most popular activities for
travelers to the Coast include the beach, shopping, outdoor activities, gaming,
dining, exceptional culinary experiences, cultural activities, museums and
historical sites. “Trips including cultural and heritage activities comprise one of
the most significant segments of the travel industry, accounting for 23 percent of
domestic trips. And those trips generate economic activity for local businesses.
Visitors to historic sites and cultural attractions --- including museums ---stay 53
percent longer and spend 36 percent more money than other kinds of tourists.”
(Keni Sturgeon, curator Willamette Heritage Center at the Mill, Statesman
Journal, March 20, 2011.)
The baby boomer market (33% of travelers to the Coast are between the ages of
45 and 64 and 29% are age 65 or older), currently the largest market with the
greatest dollars available for travel, is looking for value in travel and continues to
seek hands-on transformative experiences and soft adventure --- traveling to
learn. They want their vacations to be extraordinary --- creating experiences
and memories they can’t get anywhere else. They want an experience of value,
not just a product.
Seeing the sights is not enough, and there is a move from simply seeing
to truly experiencing and making the event transformational by being
absorbed in that experience. There is a burgeoning desire to stray from
that beaten path and understand how the locals live, work and play, and
perhaps give something back in exchange for that understanding.”
www.hotelmarketing.com
What is experiential travel? Experiences that connect you with the
essence of a place and its people…simply seeing the sights is no longer
enough. Experiential travelers want to venture beyond the beaten tourist
paths and dive deeper into authentic, local culture, connecting with people
from other cultures in ways that enrich their lives and create lasting
memories. www.AFAR.com
The transformation can be through a structured educational program such
as a cookery class or meditation retreat, or through living and immersing
yourself in a community and culture…Experiential travel will continue to
grow as a market, with travelers seeking to enrich their lives with a
collection of experiences. This is becoming part of their individual sense
of sustainability, improving their sense of self worth through acquiring
skills, education, knowledge and personal wellbeing whilst contributing to
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the lives of others. It is critically important to understand this market and
stake a position in this value system. Tim Peck, www.HotelNewsNow.com
Today’s vacationers are experience-hungry travelers who want a transformative
stay. Authentic experiences drive tourism. The days of sightseeing are virtually
gone. The cover of Travel Oregon’s 2011-13 Strategic Plan was titled “Winning
the Hearts of Experience-Hungry Travelers”. The plan expands on that concept:
“The mass-market-consumer world is yielding to a world where people value
connections and experiences more than acquiring the next new thing…People
are no longer content to just watch the game --- they expect to be in the game.
Consumers are increasingly hungry for authentic adventure and
exploration….People want their travel experiences to be unique and highly
personalized.” A large market fitting our goals is the “empty nester” who wants
quality products, learning vacations, a new experience and sufficient attractions
to make a multi-day stay worthwhile.
Generations X (born roughly between 1960 and 1982) and Y (Millennials, born
roughly 1983 to mid-1990s) have similar desires albeit different ways of satisfying
them. The data indicates that more than half our current visitors are Generation
X. 30% of visitors to the Coast are age 25 to 44. We must develop product for
them also, since they are a significant part of our visitor base. The VCB conducts
surveys constantly in a variety of situations to learn what must be done to further
develop and maintain a good reputation and relationship with our visitors
regardless of their age. Massive surveys were done in 2013, including intercept
and direct mail. The report is available upon request.
Although it is unquestionably true the beach is the primary reason people come
here, visitors have a variety of good beach options over Oregon’s 365-mile coast,
and those coastal communities compete for the same visitors. More is needed to
get visitors to choose Lincoln City. Creating authentic experiences which invite
visitors to be IN THE GAME and differentiating ourselves from other neighboring
similar communities is critical to our future wellbeing.
CHANGING TRAVEL PATTERNS AND COMMUNICATION: The worldwide
economic downturn also changed the way people travel, whether in a daytrip or
overnight. The urgency to be economical has increased “togethering”, travel in
larger groups lodging together, eating in more, buying fewer souvenirs and
seeking out free or nearly free entertainment. Black Americans and Latinos in
particular find family reunions and gatherings to be important to their cultural
fabric.
Virtually nothing in the tourism industry is as it was 8 or 10 years ago – not the
economy, not the mindset and patterns of travelers, and not the media available
to reach them and engage them in conversation. Print media continues to decline
as people struggle to survive the 5000 advertising messages they are exposed to
daily, but recent studies show that print visitor guides continue to be vital to
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travelers. Social media has become the predominant communication forum and
thus a critical component of tourism destination marketing.
Our ability to measure past successes or inadequacies is hampered by lack of
data. We do not now get occupancy data from local lodging properties. Access
to that data would be extremely valuable in determining the most productive
promotional plans and in aiding valuation of lodging properties and other
businesses. The vehicle-count data may be valuable in future years.
This plan is an overview of the marketing goals for the VCB during the 20152016 fiscal years. At the end of the plan is a summary of the approximate
marketing activities by month. The VCB budget is part of the budget for the City
and can be viewed at www.lincolncity.org. As 2015 approaches, there will be a
new VCB director and a new City Manager, both of which could alter this plan.
Marketing a destination is different from marketing a business and must be
approached differently. In Lincoln City’s case, marketing includes product
(events, attractions, and venues) development, improvement of curb appeal, as
well as traditional marketing tools like website and other technology
development, public relations, free editorial press, social media, and paid
advertising. Sometimes the destination is promoted to thousands and
sometimes to one traveler at a time. It is the relationship developed between
Lincoln City and the traveler that matters; a good reputation and enhanced
relationships expand the repeat visitor market. We must strive to make each
and every visitor an advocate for Lincoln City.
These are unusual times in the tourism industry and this plan must be seen as a
fluid document. Terrorism and war, global economic crises, economic downturn,
the fear of tsunamis, and high unemployment numbers make it difficult to
forecast travel trends and outcomes. Recent budgetary decisions described
below have also changed the way in which the VCB interacts with the community
regarding events, attractions, and marketing. Our stated goals provide us with
targets that will focus our efforts, but should be considered quite fluid, as is the
market. Fluidity will help us adapt to changing conditions in a way most beneficial
to the whole community.
CHANGING DIRECTIONS:
VCC recommendations: The primary recommendations made by the VCC
(Visitor and Convention Committee) and adopted by City Council were (1) a
reduction in the number of events produced by the VCB alone or in partnership
with others, (2) positioning the VCB as a participant in but not a leader in
development of or builder of attractions, (3) increased effort on package
development in the private sector, (4) increased commitment to convention and
conference development; and (5) increased emphasis on social media and other
electronic communications and press.
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The latter was an expressed desire of the City Manager and the VCB and an
obviously important focus.
Attraction development has been a significant part of the VCB efforts in past
years (Glass Studio in 2005 and Culinary Center in 2007) and a focus
recommended by the Economic Development Study for Lincoln City done in
2006. Funds are unlikely to be available for major attraction development in the
fiscal year 2015-16. Programs and changed advertising tactics will need to be
developed to support extended nightly stays and group travel. Staff must work
with for-profits and nonprofits to develop events and media that support brand
and sub-brands and appeal to Gen X and Y.
SWOT ANALYSIS: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
LINCOLN CITY’S STRENGTHS:
The three things people look for in leisure travel, all of which Lincoln City has,
include the following:
Affordability: The cost of the vacation. Lincoln City has options available
from camping to luxury lodging (and unfortunately more rooms than any
other Coastal town between San Francisco and Seattle---a condition
which encourages price wars and bargaining). It also has a large number
of VRDs and condominiums to serve the “togethering” market.
Service quality: The Lincoln City community and the Chamber of
Commerce are active in providing quality service to our visitors. Most
survey results indicate consumer satisfaction with our hospitality.
Accessibility in time and distance: We don’t have as much control over
this factor, other than that we are accessible from a reasonable population
base within 500 miles. We are a convenient destination. We can,
however, be challenged by winter weather closing travel from the Valley.
Glass promotion: Lincoln City has brought awareness to itself for the
past 16 years through Finders Keepers: Glass Floats on the Beach. This
program continues to be a high demand visitor experience. Adding glass
sand dollars and crabs to the mix and dropping larger quantities at preannounced times has rejuvenated the program. When those large drops
occur, the phone rings off the hook and a “feeding frenzy” occurs on the
beach. Coming here to hunt for floats has become a tradition for many.
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LINCOLN CITY’S MAJOR WEAKNESSES
Not “unique”: Lincoln City has not successfully set itself apart from other
similar communities on the Coast and needs to continue repositioning
itself to strengthen the brand that we are a great place to enjoy a handson experience, through such vehicles as glass art, culinary experiences,
and kite festivals. Government alone cannot accomplish this. It takes a
significant portion of the whole community and a drum-beater. So far no
one is beating the drum.
Limited meeting space: Lincoln City has an interesting but comparatively
small amount of meeting space, wedding reception venues, and group
tour lodging.
No “walkable” area: Lincoln City has no satisfactory “walkable” area for
shopping and dining. The Taft and Oceanlake Districts have a good start,
as will Nelscott, but are not yet there. The Villages may be the first, best
opportunity to create such an area. It’s an opportunity that shouldn’t be
missed.
Tired appearance: Although there have been recent improvements,
Lincoln City looks to many like a town struggling to survive. Businesses
have closed. Moss grows visibly on the sides of buildings and stores are
in obvious disrepair. Even before the economic downturn began, Lincoln
City’s main street was very unappealing and its lodging properties looked
tired. Quality affordable restaurants are limited.
Very limited family activities: We have few available activities for small
children and the younger portions of Gen X and Y. Lincoln City lacks
indoor venues to execute large festivals and events that can attract and
accommodate large 5-figure or 6-figure crowds. Lincoln City lacks outdoor
venues that have sufficient space and parking to facilitate large outdoor
festivals and events.
The Lincoln City hospitality industry largely sees the town as a family
destination. At the same time, there is economic pressure to increase
travel during the shoulder and off-seasons, the times when family travel
including children doesn’t happen much. Those somewhat opposing
concepts fight each other for both effort and money.
Difficult for persons with disabilities: Our available services and
amenities for persons with disabilities are inadequate. Although this is
begin addressed, there is much to do. If Lincoln City could meet this
market’s demands, the increase in valuable tourism would explode.
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OPPORTUNITIES
We are a driving destination when the economy discourages air travel.
We are a community that, for the most part, supports and thrives on diversity and
ecological responsibility.
We could be the first community on the Coast to capture the largest
market-share of persons with disabilities.
We could capture a much larger share of travelers from the Southwest,
Midwest and Rocky Mountains by creating and promoting things to do in the
area, with Lincoln City as home base, until we can add more visitor attractions to
our community. That is possible because we own www.oregoncoast.org, which
can generate “click-throughs” to anyone wishing to go anywhere on the Oregon
Coast.
THREATS
Our biggest threat is exhaustion and myopia. There often seems little agreement
on who we are or where we need to go. No one is beating the drum.
Our second biggest threat is anger and blaming, rather than working together to
improve and promote Lincoln City as a desirable travel destination.
As a whole community, we have not fully embraced the idea that we must invest
in our tourism market and be forward looking if we are to thrive and we must find
cooperative voices to move forward successfully. Comments from our visitors
frequently reflect this.
Our “competition” (e.g. Bend and Newport) is much farther ahead in the process
of developing tourism product, and setting themselves apart.
TARGET AUDIENCES (BUYERS – not listed in order of importance):
 Our best market is repeat overnight visitors
 Married women with no children and a household income of more than
$70,000. Women make most of the travel decisions.
 Empty-nesters
 Group Tours
 Pacific Northwest Latinos, Asians, Anglos and Black Americans
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 Southwest and Rocky Mountain states through AAA and other regional
marketing opportunities
 GLBT (gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender)
 “Green” travelers
 Small business and association meetings and retreats
 Medium and small-sized conferences and conventions
 Motor coach tour groups
 Travelers with disabilities
 Travelers with pets
 Generation X
 Generation Y
 Nature travelers
 “Foodies”
 Patrons of the arts, culture, and heritage
GOALS:
 Increase our repeat overnight visitor market
 Encourage longer stays by visitors to the city---develop Southwest and
Rocky Mountain markets
 Pursue shoulder and off-season markets
 Continue to position Lincoln City as a place where you can enjoy handson experiences – be in the game--- A Great Place to Try New Things
 Per City Council goals, position Lincoln City as a community with a social
and environmental conscience that stretches beyond its own boundaries
and a community that cares personally
 Position Lincoln City as a community that embraces equality
 Promote Lincoln City to travelers with disabilities, younger people
 Maximize the return on public and private investment in tourism
 Assist in the development of areas of critical mass
 Assist in the development of tourism product, like the Glass Studio, the
Culinary Center, the Cultural Center, and a Heritage Trail
 Assist in attracting reunions, conferences, conventions, weddings
 Continue development of existing signature special events, specifically the
kite festivals, cook-offs, fireworks, and placing glass floats on the beach
 Evaluate marketing and publicity results and needs
 Participate in area beautification
 Expand electronic and mixed-media marketing within the limitations of
staff and administration demands of grant and sponsorship funds
STRATEGIES AND TACTICS:
1)
Expand our repeat overnight visitor market.
STRATEGY: It is easier and more economical to grow and retain this
market than it is to develop new ones. That’s done by developing a good
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reputation as a destination, offering impeccable hospitality, responding to
the needs and desires of visitors, providing a variety of activities and
attractions that entertain them four times longer than it took them to get
here, and making all of that information easily available. More than 48%
of travelers plan trips using the internet and 42% book services online.
 TACTICS:
 By definition, accomplishing this goal includes the tactics for the goals to
follow, like offering opportunities for people with disabilities
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 Place special emphasis on customer service, including local training films in
conjunction with the Oregon Coast Visitors’ Association.
 Maintain a top-notch website, mobile web access and e-newsletters
 Assist businesses in building affordable and attractive packages
2)
Position Lincoln City as a place where you can be IN the game.
 STRATEGY: Lincoln City has already established a name in glass, and
the Jennifer Sears Glass Art Studio has brought it a step forward in
offering “artisans in action” as a tourist opportunity. To avoid staying in a
narrow glass niche, which could fade over time, repositioning Lincoln City
as a location where you can learn a trade or skill while on vacation (a
brand not existing in this area and appealing to the baby boomers and
other generations, as well as being part of the unique experience
movement) would be beneficial. Building this flexible image will allow the
“brand” to mutate easily with changing fads in arts and crafts education
and will accommodate a wide variety of visitors with different interests and
abilities. If a broader brand is ultimately developed for Lincoln City, this
repositioning can easily continue as a sub-brand. The addition of the
Culinary Center added a high class element to this repositioning.

 Bundle the products together in advertising/ press releases and promote
the products individually to interested audiences
 Identify the interested audiences and how to reach them
 Assist hospitality businesses in developing packages that include handson activities
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TACTICS:
 Find the drum beater
 Continue to develop the Culinary Center for motor coach group
tours, team building, incentive travel, multi-day classes, and private
classes. 79% of adults say they like to cook, and 30% say they love
it (Harris Poll, 2010)
 Attach educational opportunities to events
 Contact websites and persons interested in the educational product
and find out from them how to reach interested audiences outside
of Lincoln City through internet searches, targeted advertising,
focus groups, and survey results
 Develop advertising and other promotional endeavors to foster the
above, including targeted e-mail and animated float videos
 Develop a catalogue of hands-on experiences
 Promote the Glass Studio and Culinary Center to other
cultures/ethnicities, travelers with disabilities, Generations X and Y
 Develop a nature-based tourism package
 Seek grants and other funding opportunities to facilitate activities
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3)
Position Lincoln City as a community with a wide-reaching social
and environmental conscience and one that cares personally.
STRATEGY: Develop and foster mutually beneficial relationships with
social and charitable organizations recognized in the Pacific Northwest
and other groups and continue developing green travel programs. 85% of
potential travelers to the Oregon Coast identify themselves as
environmentally conscious.
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4)
TACTICS:
Attach a charity as a beneficiary to as many special events and attractions
as possible, e.g. the Ocean Conservancy
Research appropriate causes, charities, and attractions to attach to events
Research appropriate similar sponsorship opportunities
Highlight the relationship on their websites
Release the nature of the relationships through PSAs (public service
announcements) and press releases
Continue developing a special services section on the website for persons
with disabilities, including development of activities and attractions that
can meet those needs, and acquisition of appropriate equipment
Continue developing methods for making travel easier for persons with
disabilities.
Continue responding to visitor survey statements directly
Immediate personal follow-up on inquiries for weddings, reunions,
conferences and meetings
Free step-on guide service
Respond personally to hospitality complaints
Develop and lead spouse and incentive traveler programs
Position Lincoln City as a community that embraces equality.
STRATEGY: Make overt gestures to invite other cultures and ethnicities.
Chinese visitation to Oregon doubled in 2010 over 2009.
Blacks, Asians, and Hispanics accounted for 79% of the U.S. growth in
population between 2000 and 2009, according to U.S. census data. In 10
states, whites are now a minority among people 18 and younger.
Oregon’s Latino population surged 63% in 10 years, while the Asian
population increased by 41%. “Overall, Oregon grew by 419,000
residents, with Latinos accounting for about 43% of that growth. The
state’s white population increased 5%, its black population 22 % and its
Native American population 6%. People identifying as more than one race
grew 33%, making the number of Oregonians ---about 110,000---choosing
the multiracial category larger than both black and Native combined.” (The
Oregonian, February 24, 2011) “Non-Hispanic whites now account for
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78% of the state’s population, down from 83% in 2000.” (Statesman
Journal, February 24, 2011)
The importance of the expanding Hispanic market is clear in Google’s
efforts. “Google has decided to put more focus on the US Hispanic
market,” John Farrell, general manager of Google Mexico, told MediaPost.
”Google has created a specialist team …and has developed a methodical
approach to develop best practices to help advertisers connect with this
market segment.” (Hispanic Business magazine, March 2011)
During the height of the recession, a respected travel survey found the
LGBT market a significant one for tourism destinations. “Gay men and
lesbians travel more, own more homes and cars, spend more on
electronics, and have the largest amount of disposable income of any
niche market…Lesbians and gay men are a dream market for the tourism
industry…” The annual economic impact of LGBT travelers is
approximately $63 billion in the US alone. (Community Marketing, Inc.,
2009)
“…one demographic that has refused to let the current economy put a
damper on travel…is the Gay market” -- “Gays and lesbians tend to spend
more when they travel, as much as $800 per trip compared to $540 for a
straight man…plus they have more disposable income.” (NTAonline.com,
May 2009)
The Chinese are coming. The international market is currently being heavily
driven by the Chinese, who are also heavily courted by Travel Oregon. The
internet usage by Chinese, whether living in mainland China/HK/Taiwan, or
Chinese living overseas, is very high. Internet usage via mobile phone access is
the highest (compared to computers.) This is true of young adults, and their 40something parents, as well as educated/professionals in their 50’s.
Asians 20-45 in the US have jobs and start businesses at a higher rate than
Caucasians of the same economic class. Asians are very driven to succeed, and
thus they have disposable income. Many Asians, in their native countries and
here as well, do more than one type of work, or they invest in real estate. They
tend not to depend on one source of income. They buy homes to live in and they
buy them for investments. They are fast-moving and savvy, therefore they’re
dependent on mobile phones.
TACTICS:
 Continue researching how to market to those groups
 Advertise in culturally targeted publications
 Join ethnic Chambers of Commerce, specifically Hispanic, Asian and
Black American
 Attend and exhibit at cultural trade shows and celebrations
 Bundle product that appeals to specific cultures
 Link to other group websites
Page 14 of 25
 Update website language translations
 Continue multi-language banner program
5)
Begin promoting Lincoln City to new audiences with additional
emphasis on old audiences.
STRATEGY: Identify the new desirable markets and take overt steps to
invite them here.
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TACTICS:
Follow the tactics in #2 and #3 above
Research the interests of and trends in travel of generations X and Y
Bundle the products of interest to generations X and Y
Promote those bundled products through the media used by them (1/3 of
population is X at $170 billion/yr. They use internet more than TV)
Seek sponsorships for events of generations X and Y
Maintain the connections to the Ducks and the Beavers and pursue
relationships/partnerships with other Oregon and WA colleges
Add other high-tech marketing tools to facilitate those avenues
Continue using an ad banner plan on other websites
Continue meeting sales group
Continue pursuing pre- and post- Portland convention traffic including
through private presentations
Direct mail to associations and clubs---update the list
Direct mail to tour operators and travel planners and travel agent lists
Direct mail to churches
Develop military specials plan
Continue supporting the execution of travel writer fams (research tours)
Continue attaching “Pet Friendly” to dog websites and events
Publicize nightlife programs
Direct mail to Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Fulfill Travel Oregon online leads program
Explore methods for developing alumni and faith-based tours and student
tours and the product needed to support them
Continue using and developing social media like Facebook, Twitter, and
YouTube, with an emphasis on video and still photography
Complete evaluation of social media program and make adjustments
Continue using lure piece for OTTA Tour operators - Work with Oregon
Packaged Travel – adjust for housing location
Customizable e-postcards---see www.meetingpalmspring.com
Keyword purchases on web
Testimonials on the website---change them periodically
Narrow down desired publications and get their editorial calendars---then
pursue with pitch letters, etc.
Maintain relationships with OTTA, ODMO, OTC, MPI, OACVB, OCVQ,
COCA and Oregon Film
Page 15 of 25
6)
Assist in the development of areas of critical mass.
Lincoln City is badly in need of a pedestrian-friendly area where people
can easily gather, shop, eat and enjoy activities. No area in town has
been adequately developed to facilitate that, and it is a priority for locals
and visitors alike. We have been identified in the Economic Development
Study as one of the few (and possibly the only) towns on the coast that
lacks this important component.
STRATEGY: Develop a plan and identify area(s) that may be easily
converted. This will require multi-agency cooperation and broad
community support. The VCB needs to be involved in these projects even
though it is an unusual activity for VCBs.
TACTICS:
 Work with the VCC and motivate City Council, Urban Renewal and other
stakeholders to make this a priority and assist in locating funding sources
and partnerships to facilitate it.
 Find the drum-beater
 Participate in the development of The Villages as appropriate
7)
Assist in the development of tourism product, like the Glass Studio
and the Culinary Center.
Because of the competition from other destinations and the need to brand
Lincoln City, we must develop additional tourism venues for activities and
attractions, as well as additional other product. Festivals and other special
events contribute to that but are short-lived, labor-intensive, and frequently
destroyed by weather. Attractions influence travel here all the time, while
events do so only on the days of the event. Festivals and events generally
do not create jobs, while attractions usually create several.
STRATEGY: Become a player in a multi-agency effort to pursue
additional tourism attraction development.
TACTICS:
 Find the drum-beater
 Create more programs like the crabbing and clamming clinics, e.g. tide
pooling and photography hike programs
 Continue to develop the potential of the Glass Studio
 Continue the development of the Culinary Center and its programs
 Work with the City, Urban Renewal and other agencies and consultants to
design, create, and open another attraction
 Continue pursuing public art with the Public Arts Committee and others
Page 16 of 25
 Create marketing partnerships with local for-profit businesses producing
events beneficial to tourism
 Participate in the development of The Villages as appropriate
 Add to the Heritage Trail Project
8)
Maximize the return on public and private investment in tourism
through outside sources.
Partnerships are a critical piece of our ability to position Lincoln City
positively in the travel marketplace. With limited dollars on all sides,
partnerships help us leverage funding and grow the reach of our
marketing and development programs, as well as offering advertising
support to local businesses with limited budgets.
STRATEGY:
We will continue pursuing partnership opportunities from outside and local
corporations and foundations for funding toward execution, advertising
and promotion of special events and attractions.
TACTICS:
 Continue developing compatible cooperative advertising and trade show
opportunities with organizations outside Lincoln City, like the Central
Oregon Coast Association (COCA),Travel Oregon, Oregon Disability
Sports, Oregon Paralyzed Veterans, and Newport
9)
Maximize the return on public and private investment in tourism
through local partnerships.
Partnerships within our community offer opportunities to expand the
advertising and promotion budgets of Lincoln City tourism business.
STRATEGY:
We will increase partnership opportunities for our local tourism
businesses for advertising and promotion of special events, attractions
and tourism product.
TACTICS:
 Research and develop compatible cooperative advertising and trade show
opportunities for Lincoln City tourism product
 Develop industry side of the website to announce opportunities
 Research and develop compatible event and attraction marketing
partnerships with local nonprofit and for-profit partners
 Continue working with Chinook Winds, the Museum and the Cultural
Center on appropriate events and promotions
 Work with the lodging industry to obtain occupancy data
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10)
Encourage longer stays by visitors to the city.
Lincoln City has three primary visitor markets: Overnight, Day Visitors,
and Second Homeowners. Although the overnight visitor is more
desirable, all three have an economic impact on Lincoln City, even if they
don’t contribute to TRT. All three markets are looking for something to do,
see or eat--something having “bragging rights”. They are looking for
“adventure” tales to take home.
STRATEGY: Increasing the length of visitor stays will be approached
through increasing the opportunity for bragging rights, developing niche
markets, and broadening our sales area to include those visitors who
travel further and tend to stay longer.
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TACTICS:
Bundle attractions, itineraries, and events and promote to Southwest and
Rocky Mountain areas
Develop video itineraries on the website with “Ron” as docent
Research new niche and specialty publications/media for advertising and
free press
Research new and specialty publications/media for advertising designed
to reach other races, cultures, and lifestyles and join their chambers and
activities when possible
Update our website to include unique interests and learning experiences
Update niche market brochures
Produce at least two additional group tour itineraries
Continue to make niche market brochures available from website
Continue to participate in Research Tours with Travel Oregon
Host Travel Writer Research Tour
Continue annually to notify second homeowners of events/attractions
Develop a Travel to Learn catalog
Continue offering the attractions map as tear-off sheets
Work with and encourage businesses to “spruce up”
Re-do website packages so they can be located by month/season
Move advertising to be substantially online and video
11)
Assist local entities in attracting reunions, meetings, conferences
and conventions.
 Lincoln City has limited services for meetings, conferences and
conventions. Other than Chinook Winds, there is no space available to
hold meetings in excess of 375 people, and Chinook Winds’ Hotel has, at
various times, had restrictions on providing room blocks, making it difficult
to be the host hotel. Most conferences and conventions want the host
hotel to block most of the rooms. Those factors severely limit the number
of conferences and conventions that can be accommodated in Lincoln
City. We do, however, have most of the necessary services (except
transportation). The VCB will continue to pursue small meetings,
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conferences and reunions to increase usage of smaller meeting spaces
and support Chinook Winds in booking conventions. Although the VCB
has no separate sales person, nevertheless, some assistance can be
provided to local entities to attract conferences and conventions.
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 STRATEGY: The primary means for achieving this goal is to facilitate the
sharing of conference/convention opportunities with the local entities that
can provide the services and to provide support services for conferences
and conventions. Some limited direct solicitation can also be made
through tradeshows, sales blitzes, and other avenues.
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TACTICS:
 Continue advertising and pursuing trade shows for reunions, meetings,
weddings, travel planners, and tour operators
 Provide leads to appropriate service providers
 Try to establish a conference web calendar
 Participate in providing support services for booked conferences and
conventions, like itineraries, travel companion programs and information
packets/resources
 Disseminate RFPs and participate in responses
 Continue conference promotion group meetings at least quarterly
12)
Reduce seasonal fluctuation in tourist-related industries.
 Travelers equate the beach with good weather and summer. Those same
travelers will risk life and limb through snow and ice to go skiing. It is the
activity or attraction that drives these travelers, not the weather. Our goal
is to develop activities and attractions that reduce seasonal fluctuation.
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 STRATEGY: Continue developing existing tourism product which can be
experienced in the shoulder and off seasons.
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 TACTICS: (Some of these same tactics also appear in other sections.)
 Develop/promote niche related learning experiences in shoulder seasons
 Develop our website to promote ‘year-round’ activities including antiques,
kites, dining, glass, niche and unique interests
 Research tools available to contact specific interest visitors directly
 “Extend your stay” attachment to POVA meeting planner sites and
presentations to other DMOs with convention services
 13)
Continue the development of existing signature special events.
 The VCB was required to reduce its special events in 2012-13.
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 STRATEGY: Our strongest remaining events are kite festivals, culinary,
and glass. Because they are consistent with re-positioning and have
available satisfactory venues, our goal is to keep those alive and fresh.
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 Tactics:
 Continue to work with organizations for-profit and nonprofit businesses
 Add at least one new (preferably hands-on) activity to each event/festival
or some other feature to create news
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 14)
Evaluate and generate free publicity.
 Expansion of our free press (publicity) potential is critical to leveraging
limited advertising dollars. The economic value and reach of free press is
substantial. Editorial space is better than anything that could be
purchased.
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 STRATEGY: We will continue to increase our effort to acquire free press
through methodical campaigns and upgrading of photo library.
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 Tactics:
 Annually update our press kit and image library
 Continually update the PR/social media grid and calendar
 Organize and execute at least one travel writers’ familiarization tour
 Identify and research attractions/events in our area that would be of
interest to niche markets
 Target press releases at specific publications/media in specific geographic
or subject matter areas
 Establish a 4-hour block of staff time weekly to develop free press
 Solicit articles from our local experts – food, antiques, kites – for
publications
 Provide tours and interactive experiences for the press/photo journalists
 Develop relationships with individual press members
 Set a schedule of publicity efforts (timeline) for each event and attraction
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Enhance the value of the VCB in the community’s view.
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 STRATEGY: Educate the community about the value of tourism and the
activities of the VCB
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 Tactics:
 Set up speaking engagements at Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions, Chamber
 Continually remind businesses when we do something that promotes their
business
 Let businesses know when visitors comment about them in our email
inquiry
 PowerPoint presentation for groups
 Co-op trade show opportunities for businesses
 Broadcast e-mail inquiries for information, like those sent out by COCA or
Travel Oregon
 Quarterly e-mail/mail of calendar of events
 Weekly hot sheets
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16)
Posters and press releases carried to all public meetings to build audience
Tie business specials to events
Continue providing marketing materials to businesses
Update and promote industry side to VCB website
Evaluate marketing and publicity results and needs.
Our goal is to track the effectiveness of advertising and events.
STRATEGY: Continue to survey event attendees and media contacts
through established in-house and online systems.
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17)
TACTICS:
Continue surveying special events for media and patron information
Continue compiling Visitor Center contact information as it relates to calls
generated from specific media efforts
Create special web addresses and key words for information requests
Continue evaluating special events for revenue generation to the
community
Continue to survey web traffic as it pertains to certain pages of the website
and evaluate the need for changes to the site or changes to the promotion
contained in various portions
Evaluate results of website and other surveys
Get feedback from tour operators
Evaluate which news sources people are picking up and develop method
for pitching stories to them
Use prize drawings to evaluate placement and drive subscribers
Maintain internal clipping service
Purchase external clipping service?
Beautification.
The goal is to make Lincoln City a more visually appealing place to be.
STRATEGY: Work with businesses and groups in town to clean up and
dress up Lincoln City.
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TACTICS:
Banners and flags for Roads End
Support Public Arts Committee
Further the bus stop mural program with Public Arts Committee
Pursue permission to mural the wall across from Inn at Spanish Head
Expand general electronic and interactive marketing
STRATEGY: Shift and increase the VCB’s promotional resources to
emphasize electronic and interactive opportunities available through
websites, social media, and mixed media opportunities.
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TACTICS:
Expand design of the VCB’s website, mobile applications, blog, and other
electronic and social media
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Create video docent program with “Ron”
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Continuously evolve website as a destination for visitors to learn, interact,
and communicate with the VCB and the community—system for updating
weekly
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Carry out an online web/media strategy targeting current market sectors
and to develop new sectors, e.g. Gen X and Millennials.
 Use giveaway packages to induce e-newsletter subscription and measure
ad effectiveness
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Develop methods for audiences to interact with our brand online
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Ensure that all designs are user-centric for a clear and logical self-service
experience for customers
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Manage internal and external marketing and website analytics, converting
and presenting data as actionable information
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Manage the calendar of visitor
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Maintain an effective online social media strategy, i.e., blogs, Facebook,
email marketing and multimedia to communicate with and receive
feedback from potential visitors
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Develop more videos
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Develop integrated online marketing programs to generate demand using
email, banner ads, search marketing, landing pages and other web tools
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Maintain the OCVA website partnership agreement
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Use search including SEO to develop awareness and generate web traffic
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Stay current with social media and other electronic marketing trends and
recommend and incorporate into strategy as appropriate to improve
visitor/media experience, as well as marketing efficiency
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Use social media as a communications channel with visitors daily,
including on weekends
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Manage content on social media sites, keeping content current,
appropriate, and accessible
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Execute media plan including public relations, print advertising strategies,
online advertising, social media, and all other aspects of marketing
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Cultivate relationships with members of the media (print and online)
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Update and maintain targeted media contact list
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Use web analytics to fine-tune and improve website’s performance
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PUBLICITY AND PR
Publicity and PR support the marketing plan by targeting the influencers of the
buyers. Since this is essentially a bid for “free press”, the plan requires targeting
the right media to reach the desired audiences and “selling” the information to the
right editors. Because the publicity and PR supports the marketing plan, its
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goals, strategies and tactics are consistent with the ones described above and
won’t be restated here. Publicity will primarily be worked as a support for events,
attractions, and promotions, although other opportunities will likely arise from
time-to-time. This will be more difficult with reduction in events. It will be
necessary to create news. (See tactics above, specifically 14 and 18.)
PRIMARY PUBLICITY MESSAGES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Lincoln City is a Great Place to Try New Things – you can be IN the
game
There is something fun to do here all times of the year
Lincoln City welcomes visitors from all races, cultures, and lifestyles
Lincoln City’s tourism industry cares about the environment and wishes
to give back by supporting charitable causes
Lincoln City will do everything reasonably possible to make travel easier
for persons with disabilities
Lincoln City is home base for a multi-day stay
 PUBLICITY OPTIONS AND ELEMENTS
 One or more of the following options (or others not listed) may be used to
pursue publicity for any event, attraction or promotion:
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 Press kit---radio, television, newspapers---cover letter
 Individual event and attraction press releases
 Fact sheet
 Pitch letters
 Photo library
 Live shows -- celebrity
 Press clippings
 Testimonials
 Clippings used to generate more publicity
 Blogs and chat rooms, MySpace, YouTube, etc.
 Press reprints on the web
 Press clippings in press kit
 Web links to articles
 Tip sheets
 Editorial Calendars
 Articles
 PSA scripts
 E-newsletter
 Sponsorships
 Contests (e.g. photo)
 Surveys
 Press Trips
 Creating News: How-to articles or tips articles
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 PRIMARY MEDIA CONTACTS
 A directory of primary print media contacts in the PNW has been
compiled, including identification of target writers and journalists.
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PRIMARY MEDIA
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 Establish editorial calendar timeline for topics, not less than 5 months
before publication or as set by media
 Update annually Print Media Contacts
 Update annually other media contacts
 Record publications and writers of free press obtained as it comes in and
include in the contacts list
 Update annually website links, webcast opportunities and calendars
 Update twice a year the print media press---media impressions (how
many people see the message) by circulation X 2.5
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 CREATING NEWS: SURVEYS, CONTESTS, CALENDAR DAYS, TIPS
AND HOW-TO ARTICLES
 Consider completing one to three of these per month. Ideas might
include interesting information about the ocean, how to find the best value
in a hotel room, how to get the best deals in the shoulder and off seasons,
how to be prepared for a disaster, how to find a tsunami-ready hotel, how
to catch your own dinner.
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 A staff member will develop one of these every month to be included
minimally in the e-newsletter.
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 PRESS KIT FOR THE WEB:
 Update it annually
 Get article reprints or links on press page---write for permission
 Continue developing press release archive
 Make photos searchable by subject matter
 “Contact sheet” with thumbnails that load quickly---have different sizes
available, at least 300 dpi
 Regular checks on Google re: traffic
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 E-NEWSLETTERS
 A general one has been developed which goes out monthly through
Constant Contact. One directed solely to culinary pursuits was started in
March 2010. Increase the readership of each by 5% annually.
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 MASTER CALENDAR GRID
 A master calendar has been created to manage the PR, advertising and
other marketing efforts, by month, through 2015.
 Faithfully maintain it
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 Update it monthly going forward with activities and ideas for 2016
 Keep all staff advised of activities and information, including front end staff
so they can “promote” over the phone
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Marketing and Public Relations Plan 2015-16
GOALS:
1. Enhance the value of the VCB in the community’s view. Be identified as the
tourism industry expert for Lincoln City.
2. Increase our repeat overnight visitor market and encourage longer stays by
visitors to the city and develop shoulder and off-season markets.
3. Continue to develop and improve key marketing tools to competitively position
Lincoln City as a premier destination.
4. Continue to position Lincoln City as a place where you can enjoy hands-on
experiences “A Great Place to Try New Things”
5. Communicate to the traveling public that Lincoln City is a community with a social
and environmental conscience that embraces equality.
Goal #1 Position the VCB as the tourism expert and educate the community
about the value of tourism and the activities of the VCB
STRATEGY: Engage with local business and organizations to emphasis the
importance and economic impacts of tourism in the Lincoln City community.
STRATEGY: Update community on progress against goals and timely status of the
visitor market.
STRATEGY: Create a tourism stakeholder group and engage tourism beneficiaries on
the value of tourism to the community.
STRATEGY: Act as a qualified voice for tourism on key capital projects that impact
Lincoln City visitors and visitor attractions.
STRATEGY: Participate in visitor industry support activities in position the VCB as the
leading resource in tourism.
STRATEGY: Participate in planning and identify area(s) of critical mass that may
expand pedestrian capacity.
LINCOLN CITY VISITOR & CONVENTION BUREAU
801 SW HIGHWAY 101 SUITE 401  LINCOLN CITY  OREGON 97367
TELEPHONE 541 996 1274  800 452 2151  FAX 541-994-2408  TDD 541 994 7432
WEBSITE: www.oregoncoast.org  EMAIL: [email protected] STRATEGY: partner with local business to create additional promotional and
marketing opportunities which add value to Lincoln City brand and product.
Goal #2 Continue efforts to increase our repeat overnight visitor market and
encourage longer stays by visitors to the city and develop shoulder and offseason markets.
STRATEGY: Develop a good reputation as a destination, offering impeccable
hospitality, responding to the needs and desires of visitors. Promote a variety of
activities and attractions that entertain and make visitor information easily available.
STRATEGY: Promote Lincoln City to new audiences and continue to market to Repeat
customers that Lincoln City is a premier destination on the Oregon Coast.
STRATEGY: Increasing the length of visitor stays through developing niche markets,
and broadening our geographic sales area to market Lincoln City as an overnight
destination.
STRATEGY: Develop leads and share conference/convention opportunities with the
local entities that can provide the services and to provide support services for
conferences and conventions.
STRATEGY Continue developing compatible cooperative advertising and trade show
opportunities with organizations outside Lincoln City.
Goal #3 Continue to position Lincoln City as a place where you can enjoy handson experiences A Great Place to Try New Things.
STRATEGY: Our strongest events are kite festivals, culinary, and glass. They are
consistent with re-positioning and have available satisfactory venues, our goal is to
keep those alive and fresh.
STRATEGY: Further develop Lincoln City’s unique visitor attractions incorporate into
destination product offering and messaging.
LINCOLN CITY VISITOR & CONVENTION BUREAU
801 SW HIGHWAY 101 SUITE 401  LINCOLN CITY  OREGON 97367
TELEPHONE 541 996 1274  800 452 2151  FAX 541-994-2408  TDD 541 994 7432
WEBSITE: www.oregoncoast.org  EMAIL: [email protected] Goal #4 Continue to develop and improve key marketing tools to competitively
position Lincoln City as s premier destination.
STRATEGY: Expand our earned press (publicity) potential by developing relationships
with Pacific NW travel writers and ensuring that our destination content accurately
represents our destination.
STRATEGY: Continue to survey event attendees and media contacts through
established in-house and online systems. Track the effectiveness of advertising in
promoting events
STRATEGY: Shift and increase the VCB’s promotional resources to emphasize
electronic and interactive marketing opportunities available through websites, social
media, and mixed media opportunities.
STRATEGY: Develop integrated online marketing programs to generate demand using
email, banner ads, search marketing, landing pages and other web tools
Goal #5 Position Lincoln City as a community with a wide-reaching social and
environmental conscience and one that cares personally.
STRATEGY: Continue pursuing partnership opportunities from outside and local
corporations and foundations for funding toward execution, advertising and promotion of
special events and attractions.
STRATEGY: Participate in promoting green travel initiatives such as electric vehicle
charging stations to meet the needs of our environmental conscience visitors.
STRATEGY: Increase partnership opportunities for our local tourism businesses for
advertising and promotion of special events, attractions and tourism product. LINCOLN CITY VISITOR & CONVENTION BUREAU
801 SW HIGHWAY 101 SUITE 401  LINCOLN CITY  OREGON 97367
TELEPHONE 541 996 1274  800 452 2151  FAX 541-994-2408  TDD 541 994 7432
WEBSITE: www.oregoncoast.org  EMAIL: [email protected] MARCH 2006
L I N C O L N C I T Y, O R E G O N
VISITOR/TOURISM ASSESSMENT
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
I
n January of 2006, a Tourism Assessment
of Lincoln City, Oregon was conducted,
and was presented in a three-hour workshop in March. A “Tourism Assessment”
is a process in which the area is looked at
from the eyes of a visitor. No prior research
was facilitated, no community representatives were contacted except to set up the
project, and the town and surrounding area
was “secretly shopped.”
Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
First impressions
...and some ideas to increase tourism spending.
The assessment is a no-holds-barred look at
the community from a visitor’s perspective. It
includes marketing, signage, things to see
and do (attractions mix), critical mass, ease
of getting around, customer service, availability of visitor amenities (information, rest
rooms, parking, etc.), general appeal, and
the community’s ability to attract overnight
visitors, who spend three times that of day
visitors.
There are two primary elements to the assessment process:
1) A Marketing Effectiveness Assessment
2) On-site Assessment
In the Marketing Effectiveness Assessment
two people were asked to plan trips into
the region both as a leisure and business
traveler. They are not told in advance what
communities are actually being assessed.
They are to use whatever resources they
would typically use in planning a trip: travel
guides, brochures, the internet, calling visitor information centers, etc.
The community has four opportunities to
close the sale:
• Personal contact (visitor information,
trade shows, etc.)
• Internet (websites)
• Brochures and printed materials
• Word of mouth (referrals, image)
In this process we test all four methods by
contacting area visitor information services
and attractions, looking for activities via the
internet, requesting and reviewing printed
materials, and asking visitors and regional
contacts about their opinions of the area.
This last method also includes looking at online articles, AAA Tour Book reviews, etc.
The findings determine how “visible” the
community is during the research and
whether or not the materials and/or person-
• Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
al contacts were good enough to “close the
sale,” convincing the potential visitor that
the community is worth either a day trip,
stop, or an overnight stay.
The On-site Assessment process includes a
look at enticement from freeways and highways (signs, billboards, things that would
pull a visitor off the primary roadways),
beautification, wayfinding (ease of getting
around), visitor amenities (public restrooms,
visitor information, parking), things to see
and do, overall appeal of the community,
business attractiveness (drawing power),
signage (public and private), customer
service, area attractions (things that might
prompt a visitor to spend the night), retail
mix (lodging, dining, shopping), critical
mass (are these things concentrated in a
pedestrian-oriented area?), availability of
marketing materials and their effectiveness.
The “Recommendations” made herein are
referred to as “suggestions,” as they were
developed without consulting the local
community. It will be up to the community
to adopt some or all of the suggestions, taking them from suggestions to recommendations.
For every shortcoming or challenge we
note during the assessment process, we
have provided a low-cost suggestion (when
possible) on how the challenge, obstacle
or negative element can be corrected. It’s
important to point out, that to increase the
community’s tourism industry, fulfilling one or
two of the suggestions will have little impact, but implementing a number of them,
if not all of them, can have a profoundly
successful impact on the community’s ability
to tap into the tourism industry.
Implementation of these suggestions must
be a community effort - involving both privately owned businesses as well as county
and state agencies, where appropriate.
A Destination Marketing Organization
(DMO or CVB, Chamber, etc.) cannot be
successful if the tourism effort is not a community-wide effort.
Tourism is largely a private-sector industry,
after all, the benefit of tourism is to convince
visitors to come, spend money, then go
home. That spending takes place, primar • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
ily, in local businesses.
Product development is far more of a driving factor in tourism than marketing. After
all, you must be able to deliver on your
marketing promises. Visitors are drawn to
activities, not cities or counties.
The Visitor/Tourism Assessment took place
over a period of several days, providing a
low-cost overall assessment with ideas the
community can discuss and hopefully implement.
Successful tourism
translates to cash
• The idea is to import more cash
into your community than you export. When local residents earn money in the community and spend some
of it outside the community, this is
referred to as “leakage.” Tourism is a
way to fill that gap, importing cash
into the community, without the necessity of having to provide extended
social and other services.
Communities with successful tourism
programs will see that the industry
subsidizes the community, whereas
communities which don’t have successful tourism programs find that
they are subsidizing visitors - providing services which visitors use, but
don’t leave enough money behind to
cover the cost of having them available.
There are three kinds of
tourism
• 1. Status quo
If you do nothing to further the tourism industry, you will still have an element of tourism, just by the fact that
some visitors will pull off local highways or freeways for services (gas,
food, lodging), and by the fact that
the number one reason for travel is
to visit friends or family. If you have
residents, you will have tourism.
• 2. Getting people to stop
Getting people to stop is always the
first priority of successful tourism.
Imagine how successful the businesses in the community would be if just
50% of the vehicles traveling through
(there are hundreds of thousands every year) pulled off the highway and
spent just 30 minutes in your community.
And if there’s a strong pull, imagine
the money spent if visitors stayed
two hours in the community, which
almost always translates to additional
spending.
• 3. Becoming the destination
You cannot be a successful tourism
destination if you can’t get people to
stop. And to become the destination,
you must have attractions (things to
see and do) or amenities that will
convince visitors to spend the night.
Overnight visitors spend three times
that of day visitors, and nearly ten
times that of visitors making a “pit
stop.”
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
The Four-Times Rule
• Visitors will make it a point of stopping or staying in your community if
you have enough to offer to keep
them busy four times longer than it
took them to get there.
In other words, if a person has to
drive 15 minutes to visit you, do you
have enough for them to do to keep
them busy for an hour? (4 times 15
minutes). If a visitor drives an hour,
do you have the activities and amenities to keep them busy for four
hours?
In a nutshell, if you hope to keep
visitors overnight, you must make it
worth the drive.
The more you have to offer, the further visitors will come, and the longer they will stay. This is why rural
communities MUST typically market
more than just the immediate downtown areas. You need to market
neighboring communities, outdoor
recreational opportunities, exploration, and discovery.
Finally, you must also be different.
Too many communities promote “outdoor recreation” as a primary draw.
But if residents living in the markets
you’re hoping to attract can enjoy the
same activities closer to home, then
why should they go out of their way
or the extra distance to visit you?
Market the broader
package
• Every community MUST market
more than just the community in order to be successful with their tourism efforts.
Remember the Four-Times Rule and
also remember that visitors don’t
• Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
stay within or care about boundaries
- so market the attractions you have
around your community that might
keep people in the area long enough
to translate to another meal, some
shopping, or an overnight stay.
The more you have to offer “collectively,” the longer visitors will stay.
And the longer they stay, the more
they spend.
Critical mass means cash
• While it may not be the primary
reason why visitors come to your
community, shopping and dining in a
pedestrian setting is the number one
activity - and where visitors spend
the most amount of money - other
than lodging.
Do you have a pedestrian-oriented
shopping district? If not, can you
create one? Many rural communities have been highly successful with
the development of a two or three
block long pedestrian “village” which
would include visitor-oriented retail
shops, dining, visitor information,
restrooms, etc., all in an attractive,
well-landscaped setting.
The general rule of thumb is ten retail stores (more on that in a minute),
and ten dining establishments which
can include sit-down restaurants,
espresso bars, cafes, dessert and ice
cream shops, etc.
“Visitor Retail” would include antique
stores, galleries, collectibles, souvenir
shops, T-shirt shops, outfitters, bike
and jeep rentals, guided tour operations, activity shops (kites, hiking,
climbing gear, etc.), home accents,
jewelry, old-fashioned hardware
stores, casinos, entertainment facilities such as movie theaters, pubs,
etc.
By grouping these businesses together, you will create the “critical mass”
in a pedestrian setting that will draw
visitors and will make it worth their
while to stop and shop.
Have you ever noticed at major intersections you will see a Chevron,
Union 76, Conoco, and Shell on each
of the four corners? Or how about
fast food franchises? McDonald’s,
Burger King, Jack In The Box, and
Wendy’s on each corner. You would
think these places would avoid being next to the competition, but they
know that visitors are drawn to the
“critical mass” where they have multiple choices that are convenient.
Where are your visitor-oriented
shops? If they are spread out, they
will be marginally successful when it
comes to tapping into visitor spending. Put them all together, and you
have what it takes to get visitors out
of their cars (or busses and RV’s) and
into your stores.
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
You must be different or
better than everyone else
• To become a destination community where you’re the place visitors
spend the night or multiple days, you
must set yourself apart from everyone else.
In order to make your community
“worth the drive” and/or “worth a
special trip,” you must be better or
different from other competing communities.
Ashland, Oregon, previously a depressed timber town, adopted its
Shakespeare Festival which runs nine
months of the year and draws hundreds of thousands of visitors who
spend an average of six nights in
the community. It became “different”
than other communities and the festival set it apart.
Leavenworth, Washington, another
dying timber town, adopted a Bavarian architectural theme and all of
their events revolve around the Bavarian theme. The town is one of the
primary tourist attractions in Washington state, hosting more than two
million visitors annually. They have
something different to offer.
Okanogan County, Washington (just
south of the Canadian border in central Washington) is an outdoor recreational paradise - but so are 37 of
the 38 other counties in Washington.
So why go to the Okanogan? Because
they are the best. They researched
guide books, newspaper and magazine articles, and pulled quotes they
could use in their advertising efforts.
They started using quotes along the
line of “Pinch Yourself, you’re in
Okanogan Country with perhaps the
best cross country skiing on the continent.”
This, and numerous other quotes,
• Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
makes it “worth the extra drive” to
visit Okanogan Country. They used
third party endorsements to show
that they are the “best.”
Just look at how powerful movie ratings are when it comes to box office
receipts. “Two thumbs up” carries a
lot of weight.
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Tourism is the fastest growing industry in all 50 states and the nations
third-largest industry. In Oregon,
tourism is a $7.4 billion industry,
and much of that is spent along the
Oregon coast.
For coastal communities, tourism is
and always will be the primary industry. Hundreds of coastal communities have spent decades hoping to
diversify from tourism, but with little
success. The effort should be geared
to creating a brand that sets the
community apart from other coastal
communities, will spur non-tourism
development around the brand, and
one that will extend the seasons.
If you were to pick up the entire city
of Lincoln City, and plop it down in
the hills of McMinville, would the
community survive? What do you
have beyond the beach that will
extend your seasons?
The beach is, no question, the
number one tourist attraction in the
world - during the peak seasons, but
what about the rest of the year? And
most importantly, what do you have
to offer that a visitor can’t get at
other beach areas closer to home?
The first element in a successful
tourism program is getting visitors to stop. If you can get them to
stay at least two hours, chances are
you’ll see additional spending. But
becoming the destination should be
the primary goal. Overnight visitors
spend three times more than day
visitors.
• Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
BRANDING
Branding is critical, especially for
tourism-driven economies. Branding extends far beyond slogans and
logos - branding is your image, your
value, your promise. Branding is
what sets you apart from everyone
else. Many communities need to develop a branding image, and they do
that through product development
first, then public relations, followed
by advertising and sales efforts.
First, though, the community needs
to take a close look at itself and
decide what its brand will be - what
does it already have that differentiates itself from other similar communities? What is its lure? Then build
on that.
Suggestion #1:
Promote specific businesses that will
make Lincoln City worth a special
trip, or at least make it worth a stop.
Stating “we have unique shops”
doesn’t set you apart from anyone
else. Sometimes visitors will travel
a great distance to eat at a special
restaurant that’s highly rated or
renowned. You MUST promote these
opportunities.
Note
Newport has done a good job sticking to its brand as a working fishing
village and home of the Oregon
Coast Aquarium. Everything fits the
brand: the murals, the retail shops,
the working marina and docks, etc.
Visitors are drawn to the activities in
downtown Newport.
• Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Branding ideas and comments
• The “surf city” town of the Northwest, like Pismo Beach. Funky. 60s.
• The “glass float” capital - not just one event. Glass blowing artists from
around the world. Special events. Learning.
• The Oregon Coast event capital. Always something going on.
• The Oregon Coast Plaza - the shopping mecca of the coast.
“Make tracks to the Ocean” is not a brand and promotes the entire coast,
a very noble cause that I’m sure Seaside, Cannon Beach, Newport, and the
other coastal communities appreciate.
“The Beach is just the Beginning” is not a brand and doesn’t say anything
about Lincoln City at all.
Tell the visitor WHY they should come to Lincoln City. Who are you? What
is your brand? What are you known for? And is that a good thing? What can
you promote that is unique, positive, and worth the drive?
Suggestion #2:
Create a Tourism Development,
Branding & Marketing Action Plan.
This should be your number one
priority.
The Plan will help identify the
brand, and what product development needs to take place to support
the brand and make it successful. It
will dovetail with non-tourism economic development efforts.
It will include key messages, marketing slogans, graphic images, icons,
signage design, ad design concepts,
and recommendations regarding
wayfinding, signage, and entries.
The plan should also include recommendations for marketing, advertising, and public relations including
detailed budgets.
Recommendations should include
ten to twenty year capital projects
planning to support the brand development.
The plan should also include a three
to five year detailed marketing plan.
You build your brand through public relations, advertising is used to
maintain your position.
• Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Note
It takes a village to obtain success. It
must also be a grassroots effort - top
down seldom works.
• The business community must
take the lead
• Business organizations take on the
cause
• Together they come to the city for
help
• The business community STILL
takes the lead. The city only provides support: grants, ordinances,
funding, technical assistance
• Winning popularity contests won’t
result in a successful effort. You
can’t be all things to all people.
• Every branding effort requires a
“tireless pioneer”
Suggestions #3 & #4:
Develop continuity in your marketing pieces. The brochures (above
left) are terrific and help create
continuity in your marketing efforts.
Additionally, these have been developed around different experiences
- a great job, and well done. Now
get the guides and other materials to
follow suit.
Develop a professional photo
library. Nothing sells better than
excellent photography.
Suggestion #5:
Rework your advertising to be
specific to Lincoln City. Most of the
photos we viewed online, in brochures, the visitors guide and postcard seem dated and of poor quality.
Invest in a new professional photo
library. Make them modern and
cutting edge. Once you develop a
brand, it will help guide the type of
photos you need, including content.
• Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Words to avoid
Visitors are looking for activities, not
just things to look at. Always sell the
“rapids” - not the “river.”
Avoid:
• Marketing counties
• Marketing cities
Avoid these words:
• Explore
• Discover
• Outdoor recreation
• We have it all
• Naturally fun
• The four season destination
• Something for everyone
• Historic downtown
• Center of it all
• Gateway
Main Street trends
• Festivals and events is the fastest
growing trend in tourism.
• Creation of “gathering places”
• Activity-based retail: Restaurant
and culinary education, visiting
artists
• People are moving into
downtowns
Welcome to the experience economy. You must sell activities, education, culture, and fun - experiences.
The beach is the draw, but then
what?
THE INTERNET
The top marketing priority should
be placed in the internet. 94% of all
internet-abled people use the web
as their primary travel resource. It is,
by far, where most of the marketing
effort should be directed. Even your
advertising should drive people to
your website. But then, the website
MUST be good enough to close the
sale. How do you stack up against
Seaside? Cannon Beach? Newport?
Rockaway Beach? Florence?
10 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Suggestion #6:
Develop an e-marketing program.
It must be permission-based, and
provide the reader with real information about something they’re
interested in or special deals.
E-marketing creates top of mind
awareness. The customer gets a
short e-mail once a month, or
even every other month, and when
they see it, they remember Lincoln
City. Since most getaways are now
planned within three weeks of the
departure, you want to be the first
place that comes to mind when
someone says, “let’s get away this
weekend. Where should we go?”
Make your teaser e-mails specific,
short (one or two paragraphs, max),
and good enough that the recipient will click on a link to get more
information. Make it easy for them
to unsubscribe, as well.
Suggestion #7:
Purchase key word listings.
It’s one thing to have a great
website; it’s another to have people
find it. Purchase strategic, activitybased, key words from Google and
Overture, who command 70% of all
search engine searches.
11 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Purchase key words
Make sure the keywords are activity
based. People are looking for things
to do, not locations.
Some suggestions:
• Oregon Coast
• Glass floats
• Ocean storms
• Central Oregon Coast
• Glass blowing Oregon
• Surfing Oregon
• Outlet malls Oregon
• Shopping Oregon coast
• Beachcombing Oregon coast
Suggestion #8:
Make all your marketing materials
available for viewing online, and
have them be downloadable for
printing as well. Make it as easy and
convenient for potential visitors as
possible to get the information they
want.
Make sure your materials will print
easily on 8.5” x 11” paper.
Suggestion #9:
Include special deals on your
website - with specifics. Don’t use
discount percentages - that doesn’t
tell the reader what they really want
to know, which is “how much!” Use
real dollar amounts.
Offering special deals on your
website creates a call to action, a
sense of urgency, and a reason to
check back again and again for
other, new special deals.
12 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Suggestion #10:
Purchase additional domain names
to help sell your activities. Make
sure they are short and easy to
remember. For instance, Tucson,
Arizona uses visittucson.com, but
during the winter when they are
trying to attract frozen northerners, they promote another domain,
www.worshipthesun.com. Both take
you to the same site, but which is a
better lure and still easy to remember? You may end up with half a
dozen domain names used to market to niche groups. You can register
a domain name for about $8.95 at
GoDaddy.com.
Suggestion #12:
Develop some video clips to include
on your website. Make it fun and
engaging. But be sure the viewer
has the OPTION of clicking on the
video - don’t make it mandatory.
Streaming video sells. Create one
to four minute clips of various fun
experiences.
Suggestion #13:
Work with OCVA to develop a new
website. Use EOVA.org’s site as a
benchmark.
Be sure to use lots of eye-catching
professional photography, and keep
the text as brief as possible. Website
viewers don’t read - they scan. Use
bullet points, and be sure to provide
the details and information that potential visitors want to know.
What do you want to find out when
you’re deciding where to go on vacation? Be sure to include that.
Don’t overwhelm your viewer with
too many categories, and make your
site easy to navigate.
13 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Note
The Eastern Oregon Visitors Association’s (EOVA) website (left) does
a good job of selling experiences. It
includes professional photography,
itineraries, and is a very well designed website.
Compare the OCVA site to central
Oregon’s site and others. How does
it stack up? Is it good enough to
close the sale?
Suggestion #14:
Provide more details. Every day?
Once a month? How often do you
put floats out? If chances seem very
remote that I might find a float, then
why bother? Why pick Lincoln City
over other coastal towns? What else
could you do, with the same amount
of money that might do a better
job of closing the sale? Our secret
shoppers weren’t so sure the glass
floats was enough to entice them to
Lincoln City over other beach destinations closer to home.
Demographics: The baby boom generation
The baby boom generation:
• 350,000 turning 50 - every MONTH
• For another nine years
• They control 70% of North America’s wealth
• Mindset: Individuality. Emphasis on youth. Self-absorption.
• Currencies embraced: Time, comfort, easy access
• Trend: “Downshifting” and simplicity. Entire trip planned and
booked for them.
• Empty nesters prefer to travel during the shoulder seasons.
• Baby boomers will be inheriting $10.4 trillion from their parents.
• A HUGE opportunity for “me-oriented” spending.
14 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Suggestion #15:
Work with seasonal businesses to
tell customers WHEN they will be
open. “Open April 1st”
Don’t just say you’re closed - let potential future customers know when
you’ll be open so they’ll come back.
Extend your seasons. Baby boomers,
who are becoming empty nesters,
travel extensively in April, May, September and October. Are you open
for business? If not, when ARE you
open?
Events embraced by boomers
•
•
•
•
Culinary tourism: visiting chefs, restaurants, education
Art: Artists in action, learning new hobbies, education
Ethnic events: European, Scandinavian, Cajun, Indian
Home and garden: education, training, tours of gardens and historic
homes with a great story to tell
• Open air markets, farmers markets
• Activity based events, albeit cushy adventure
Wayfinding
• If it’s not convenient, or easy to
find, chances are that visitors will
not find what you’re offering and
will move on.
• Adequate signage and wayfinding
are essential to help visitors know
where attractions and amenities are
located, and what you have to offer.
• Tourism-related signage, including wayfinding or directional signs,
should be decorative and should
help promote the area’s “brand.”
15 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Suggestion #16:
Develop and implement a signage
plan and program that includes:
• Wayfinding
• Gateways and entries
• Attractions
• Amenities
• Billboards and marketing displays
The signage should be decorative, like the samples shown here.
The signs for Appleton, Wisconsin
(below left) cost approximately
$550 each, including stainless steel
mounting hardware.
Your signage should be decorative,
and should promote the brand: the
essence of who you are as a community.
Suggestion #17:
(Below) Add location information or
at least distances. Where is this taking the visitor?
The sign should read “Visitor Info
- 1/4 mile” (or whatever the distance is). Once again, even this sign
should be decorative.
16 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Suggestion #18:
Never have more than five items
on a sign. The sign (far right) has
twelve, far too many to read from
a passing car. Additionally, the sign
should say what instead of who.
What is “Filthy?” What is “The Red
Cock?” What is “Sea Wick?” If a gallery, the sign should simply say “Gallery.” Sell the experience, not the
business name.
Consider a pedestrian-friendly plaza
sign if this is what this is designed
for.
Suggestion #19:
Is this sign saying that there is parking two blocks ahead on both sides
of the street? If so, just put “Parking
- 2 blocks” with a straight-ahead
arrow. When they get there, direct
them right or left.
The first sign should simply state
“Parking ahead two blocks.” Then
when they get there (left) another
sign will direct them to both sides of
the street.
17 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Note
Lincoln City should develop several
different districts along its seven
miles, then identify each with banners and signs like those shown
above, identifying each district.
Suggestion #20:
Add directional signage to the
“historic Taft district.” If we hadn’t
been doing an assessment, we might
never have found this little gem. The
only signage we saw was for visitor
information and parking.
18 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Suggestion #22:
“The Beach is just the beginning”
should be removed. Consider a
brand defining slogan. The gateway
signs, however are nice and provide
a positive reflection on the community.
Suggestion #24:
Is this really where you want to
begin to promote the core shopping
area (above)? Consider redefining
the boundaries. Start with just one
block. Make it fun! Quit using brown
and gray. Avoid using script text on
banners and signs.
First impressions are lasting impressions. When a visitor sees the first
Ocean Lake banner, they will size
up this area of town immediately.
Reduce this district down to one or
two blocks, where there is something to sell.
19 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
Suggestion #23:
This isn’t Lincoln City? What is
Ocean Lake? Where is Lincoln City?
Consider a much more colorful banner. Instead of saying “Downtown
Ocean Lake,” consider “Ocean Lake
District.”
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
You need more than pole banners to
effectively identify a district. StreetPrint is a company that embeds
designs into asphalt (above and left)
to help create a more powerful identifier for different districts.
Suggestion #26:
Consider removing these signs at
both ends of town (left). Do they
really serve any purpose? The
locations do not provide a positive
first impression of the community
and just add to sign clutter, already
somewhat of a problem in the area.
Suggestion #27:
Can you read this banner? (Right)
• Never use script lettering on banners or signs
• The general rule: Letters should be 1 inch tall for every 12 feet of viewing
distance.
• Begin putting banners where you will make the first, best impression.
As part of a branding program, all banners, districts, and signage should be
redesigned to fit the overall brand. There is no continuity between districts,
banners, signs, promotional materials, advertising, etc. Banners should only
have one simple graphic and the text should be readable from a distance.
20 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Note
Salishan has done a great job with
its gateway signage, which sets the
ambiance, the brand as a lodge-style
resort.
Beautification
Curb appeal is an investment with
tremendous return. The greater the
“perceived value,” the more visitors
will spend and the longer they will
stay.
Planters with flowers, shrubs, street
trees, decorative signage and facade
improvements entice people to stop
and linger, encouraging more spending.
Sisters, Oregon (left) is considered
to be one of Oregon’s most beautiful communities, and this effort has
paid off with increased spending,
and one of the state’s most successful small communities.
21 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Note
Lincoln City, overall, can use major
improvements in its beautification
and curb appeal efforts.
Compare the two top photos.
Doesn’t the scene on the right stand
out for its curb appeal, with the
planters, shrubs, and street trees,
compared to the scene on the left?
This is in the town of Neenah,
Wisconsin. Which shops (before or
after) most catches your eye?
Visitor information
Visitor amenities are critical. The
number one reason people stop is
to use a restroom, so if you place
public restrooms near where visitors
can spend money, you’ll see your
visitor spending increase. Promote
your public restrooms.
Likewise, if you place your visitor information center near where people
can spend money, they will be likely
to take advantage of stopping to get
a cup of coffee, an ice cream cone,
or buy a gift.
22 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Visitor information
Visitor information should be working 24/7, 365 days a year. Travelers
don’t just travel during business
hours.
Put up visitor information kiosks
and outdoor brochure holders at
local attractions, parking areas, and
at visitor amenities such as public
restroom areas.
Make sure you have signage that
notes 24 hour visitor information is
available.
Suggestions #29 & #30:
Decide which place will be the official place for visitor information,
then have all signage lead there.
Instead of signing this “Chamber of
Commerce,” use “Visitor Information.” Always sell the activity, the
draw or lure, not the name of the
organization.
23 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Note
This is not a very attractive “front
door” for the town or the chamber.
Add some gingerbread. Make it fit
the brand. Better yet, provide visitor
information in the heart of downtown where there is visitor-oriented
retail. This location is difficult to
get to, not very convenient, and not
very attractive.
Suggestions #31 & #32:
Consider not allowing advertising
banners except with a temporary
permit for two weeks. They do not
enhance the appearance of any
building. Signage should be decorative, permanent.
Promote “24 hour visitor information.” Let visitors know you can help
them, no matter what time of day or
night they arrive. Instead of Chamber of Commerce, make Visitor Info
prominent, then put Chamber of
Commerce is smaller letters below.
Once on the other side of the building you can see it’s quite attractive with nice landscaping, a nice
walkway and landing. And 24 hour
visitor info! Good job. Promote it.
24 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Suggestion #33:
Is “Travel Info” different from “Visitor
Info?” This sign should be removed.
The signs below contain no traveler
information, only rules and regulations.
Suggestion #34:
Note
Does everything need
to be painted brown
or gray? Wouldn’t it
be nice if Lincoln City
was colorful, fun,
vibrant?
25 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
This kiosk (left) is very poorly maintained. Either do something to keep
it up, or close it down. It would
be better served as an interpretive
center than a visitor info center. It
reflects very poorly on the community.
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Note
There was no information whatsoever for Lincoln City in this kiosk. This
is so poorly maintained it should be
closed or turned into an interpretive
kiosk. See if you can lease it from
the state for $1 a year and convert it
or just tear it down. This would be a
great location for some public art.
Suggestion #35:
It was easy to miss the Visitor Information Center. Consider moving it to
a visitor-oriented retail site.
Tucked away in a corner next to a
grocery store is not a good location.
Visitor info should be placed in visitor-oriented shopping areas. While
it’s convenient to city hall, the focus
should be on making it convenient
to the city’s customers: its visitors.
26 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Suggestion #36:
Develop a new, simpler brand identity (logo) and maintain the sign.
Most of the signage in Lincoln City is
reflective of a second class destination.
The landscaping should be maintained around important signage like
this.
Suggestion #37:
Include signage to your public
restrooms - but in places where visitors can spend money.
Note
This set of restrooms should be promoted with signage. It’s in the heart
of the “shopping district.” Once a
visitor gets out of their vehicle, you
have a four-times greater chance of
getting them to spend money. There
should also be visitor information
mounted on the restroom exterior
walls.
27 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Parking time limits
Shopping and dining in a pedestrian
setting is the number one activity
of visitors. Visitors will spend four
hours in a pedestrian-friendly setting.
Two hour parking sends customers
away before they are done spending
money.
If you insist on parking limits, use
courtesy tickets (warnings.)
Include RV parking areas.
Critical mass
Again, the #1 visitor activity in the
world is shopping and dining in a
pedestrian setting.
Visitor-oriented retail needs to be in
a compact setting. Separate “neighborhood retail” from “visitor retail.”
The average rule of thumb is
10/10/10: Ten retail stores, ten dining establishments, and ten entertainment options. All in a pedestrianfriendly setting.
Critical mass
Ever wonder why fast food restaurants and gas stations gather together at
intersections? The critical mass (choice) translates into increased sales for
all. Another great example is antique malls - all the competitors under one
roof attracts the most shoppers. Lincoln City outside of the outlet mall and
Salishan’s shopping village, is missing the critical mass. The businesses are
in the community, but are scattered along the seven mile route - not convenient at all for shoppers.
28 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Critical mass (continued)
By grouping together these visitororiented businesses, you will create
the “critical mass” in a pedestrian
setting that will draw visitors (and
residents!) and make it worth their
while to stop and shop.
Currently, the only “critical mass” in
Lincoln City is at Salishan.
The number one activity of visitors around the world is shopping
and dining in a pedestrian setting.
It’s typically not the primary lure,
but it is the top diversionary activity. Consider the success of intimate
shopping areas like Cannon Beach,
downtown Seaside as a couple of
examples. Lincoln City’s most popular attraction is probably the factory
direct stores - a powerful draw to
the community.
Note
(Above) Seaview has
a great little shopping
district as does Salishan
(left and right). The fireplace adds some ambiance to Salishan’s lodgestyle branding effort.
29 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Suggestion #38:
Concentrate on just one area. Just
one block. Work to make it a showcase - a demonstration project - and
retailers in neighboring blocks will
want to start working on their block.
Start small, keep it manageable and
really take it to the next level. To
determine which block to begin
with, talk with property owners and
tenants. Revitalization is a public/private process. The city will invest in
the block where the merchants will
also invest. This may even include
rearranging the merchant mix.
Note
This block has the makings as a
starting point for revitalization. Most
other areas are in need of major
makeovers. This area does need
some help, but it is much farther
along and could set the standard for
visitor-oriented retail.
Note
There are several “destination retail”
businesses, but they are spread out
over a seven-mile stretch, making it
difficult for them to survive. Visitors
want convenience above all else:
park the car, walk a very short distance, to a variety of shops, restaurants and attractions.
Lincoln City should work to find or
create a district where these types
of businesses can congregate and
succeed. This is the “antique mall”
mentality. Like businesses group
together, and even though they
are competitors, they all do more
business. You’re a lot more effective
as one loud voice than a bunch of
small voices. This goes for marketing
as well as critical mass.
30 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Note
There are some outstanding galleries and shops at both the north and
south ends of Lincoln City, but they
are not convenient for most shoppers and so retail sales are probably
not as strong as they could be.
Suggestion #39:
The signage throughout town does
little to attract customers.
Merchants need to work to improve
the signage throughout town with
decorative, well maintained, easy to
read signs. What is your impression
of the Bird Nest Gallery? Signage is
a direct reflection of the business it’s
suppose to promote.
Suggestion #40:
Develop new banners: consider
“Ocean Lake District.” Downtown
Ocean Lake sounds like it’s a different city than Lincoln City. Where is
its downtown?
Narrow this promoted area down to
one or two blocks, then make it a
showcase.
31 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
The rules of retail signage
• Promote what you’re selling not
the name of the business.
• Promote the best lure that will
pull customers in the door.
• The quality of the signage is a
direct reflection on the retailer.
• Use perpendicular (blade) signs,
like those shown to the left.
Suggestion #42
Consider offering technical assistance to local retailers to help them
raise the bar considerably. What is
your impression of the shops and
signs showcased below? Effective
signage can dramatically increase
sales. These say “stay away.”
32 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Suggestion #42
Consider developing a merchantdriven signage, sandwich board,
and exterior display program. Offer
technical assistance and retail training for downtown merchants. Most
of the Lincoln City businesses do a
very poor job of exterior displays,
signage, and curb appeal making
Lincoln City seem like a second-class
citizen in an age where quality accounts for 80% of all visitor spending.
33 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Technical assistance to local businesses
The examples above, show the benefit of quality exterior displays (above)
and attractive signage, including sandwich boards (top right).
Note
The casino looks good - very clean
and well-maintained, and a primary
draw to the city.
34 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Suggestion #44:
This hotel looks nice - does it have
a name? Where do you go to check
in? Is there a phone number? A sign
stating the name of the hotel and
other information would be very
helpful, including a sign that tells
visitors where the entrance is.
Consider using a couple of different
colors. The photo (below) was taken
in Whistler Resort, but the lodging facilities there use two or three
complementary colors.
Note
The Odysius, Looking Glass Inn,
and Salishan seemed to be the
primary upscale lodging properties
in Lincoln City. The Landmark Inn
also looks like a nice place to stay.
Congrats on doing an excellent job
with the landscaping and overall
curb appeal.
Of the more than 50 lodging establishments in Lincoln City, 90% seem
dated, tired, and of an overall poor
quality.
35 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Notes
Most of the lodging properties seem
tired and present a poor first impression, bringing the whole town
down in overall appeal as a seaside
destination.
First appearances may be deceiving,
though. Some of these properties
may be nice. Consider beautification
to make the first impressions more
favorable: hanging baskets, new
paint, landscaping, new signage, etc.
The new construction (below) - Hotels? Condos? Timeshares? Fractional
shares?
36 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Notes (continued)
Most of the lodging facilities have
little curb appeal, but could be
charming. 80% of all lodging expenditures are spent in the highest quality establishments (20% of
all properties.) The Sandcastle, for
instance, could be charming with
some hanging baskets, planters, garden areas - anything to break up the
barrier between concrete and building. Like most of the other hotels, it
looks dated.
Note
The cabins near the lake look terrific. This is a nice RV/resort park.
(Below left)
From a curb-appeal standpoint, the
Italian Riviera looks like one of the
best restaurants in the area. Is it
worth a special trip? It looks like it.
In fact, local residents gave it a two
thumbs up. (Below)
37 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Suggestion #45:
The Taft District (top left) has tremendous potential as the primary
attraction to Lincoln City. Consider
developing a better, more substantial gateway along the lines of the
examples shown here.
Gateways are a wonderful means to
enhance a location, creating a special destination.
38 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Suggestion #46:
(Above) Move all the rules and
regulations inside the parking area.
Where people can get out of their
vehicles and read them without
walking back out to the street.
Java Eats is cute and funky. A little
like Pismo Beach, CA. or other surfing destinations.
The Taft District
There’s not enough critical mass
here to make it a shopping, dining,
or entertainment district. It does
have tremendous potential, if the
right retail mix can be recruited, and
the properties were made available.
The rule for critical mass: 10+10+10.
While this may be the primary beach
access site in Lincoln City, it could
be a hub for entertainment, shows,
fairs, and for retail sales.
39 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
The Taft District (continued)
Could some of the homes be zoned
and converted to commercial uses?
This district has tremendous potential for being a major Oregon coast
attraction. The buildings are very
quaint, the setting is charming. But
to succeed, the district needs the
critical mass.
Most of the homes here would be
outstanding artists in action workshops and galleries, little coffee
shops, bistros, wine stores, etc.
Suggestion #47:
Once you decide on a pedestrianfriendly shopping/dining district, recruit like businesses to that location.
The surf shop (below) would be a
great fit along with Java Eats (previous page).
40 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Suggestion #48:
It’s difficult to tell if the museum
(left) is still in operation. Add exterior displays, an open neon sign,
signage stating hours, etc. If it’s
closed for the season, put up a sign
stating when it will be open again.
Is it, in fact, and operating museum?
It’s certainly a nice facility. What’s
its focus? Maritime? Fishing? Native
American? “Historical Museum” is
pretty bland. Make sure the museum
concentrates on stories rather than
the display of artifacts. Stories captivate visitors and bring them back.
Artifacts don’t.
Suggestion #49:
This could be a major attraction, but
has very poor curb appeal, poor
signage, etc. (Middle and lower left)
A glass float theme has tremendous
appeal, so the potential for this business is great.
Suggestion #50:
Consider exterior pieces of art, decorative signage, curb appeal enhancements, etc.
This type of business has great
potential, and curb appeal and
adequate signage would do a lot to
help it attract customers.
When is it open? Is it seasonal?
41 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Idea
In downtown Appleton, Wisconsin, they have placed rotating wind sculptures (left)
in front of one of the commercial buildings. Imagine
placing wind-driven sculptures throughout Lincoln
City to add motion, vibrancy,
fun, and to develop a brand
around the ocean breezes.
Sculptures like this, in front
of the glass blowing studio,
would pull visitors in.
Suggestion #51:
Consider creating a variety of
“districts” along Highway 101 so
that visitors don’t judge the entire
town by a few less-than-attractive
locations. There is too much of this
along the highway, which gives a
poor impression of the entire town.
The city needs to aggressively work
with local land owners regarding
signage, fallen fencing, abandoned
sign posts, trash barrels, weed abatement, facade improvements, etc.
The general impression is that Lincoln City has fallen on hard times
and is still falling.
42 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Note
Some areas of town show a lot of
promise - like the entrance to this
parking area. We never have figured
out what the design is between the
words “Public” and “Parking” (left).
Is it an arrow pointing into the parking lot?
Suggestion #52:
The theater has potential, but little
curb appeal. When is it open? What
is the season?
More information posted would be
helpful including a brochure rack
so visitors can pick up a guide to an
upcoming season, if there is one.
Note
Develop perpendicular (blade)
signage. Add landscaping. These two
additions would do a lot to increase
the ambiance of this part of town.
43 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Note
The Tanger Outlet Center is nice and
seems to be the major attraction in
Lincoln City. It’s the one thing that
sets the community apart from the
other beach towns.
Note
This is a charming little retail mall,
that with some curb appeal and
landscape improvements, could be
a real showcase. This should be one
of the many districts in Lincoln City.
Suggestion #53:
Consider using two colors on shops,
making the sign much simpler and
easy to read. “Quilts” “Gifts” “Gallery” Barber Shop” (Bottom left)
If each shop were painted a different color, it might have more appeal
and look less like another strip mall.
The building(s) are in bad need
of paint and curb appeal improvements.
44 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Note
The Espresso bar (left) is perhaps
one of the best looking businesses
in Lincoln City in terms of curb and
architectural appeal.
Note
This is a great restaurant. Don’t be
afraid to promote specifics! Have a
travel writer or someone come from
the outside and develop itineraries
that include specific places to eat,
things to do, and places to visit.
The Blackfish Cafe is an outstanding
restaurant, that is worth a drive from
other communities.
IN A NUTSHELL
• Create a Tourism Branding, Development & Marketing Action Plan. Have
it include a downtown plan.
Consider this: If we were to mention to friends that when they visit
the Oregon coast, they need to have
dinner at the Blackfish Cafe in
Lincoln City. Most people visit communities, stay in certain hotels and
eat in certain restaurants, and even
frequent specific shops based on
recommendations.
• Develop a brand, a new identity, and key messages.
• Develop a pedestrian-friendly shopping district. Create a plan for
redevelopment, business recruitment.
• Have a Signage & Wayfinding System developed.
• Create various downtown districts and appropriate pole banners for each
along with other treatments.
• Create a technical assistance program for local businesses. Perhaps a Main
Street Program.
45 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
If we were to mention to friends
that Lincoln City has a number of
good restaurants, would this really
close the sale? Probably not since
every town has a number of good
restaurants. Promote specific businesses that have raised the bar. Then
as other reach that plateau, promote
them so they can succeed. Success
breeds more success.
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
The following pages contain “Marketing effectiveness assessments” done
by Destination Development staff members. These will give you an idea of
what impressions people have of the area, and whether or not they would
visit and/or stay in Lincoln City. Enjoy.
Assessment #1
If I were going to the Oregon Coast, I would plan to go to Cannon Beach.
This is because of reputation and past experience rather than a look at current marketing materials - I know that Cannon Beach has a beautiful beach,
quality accommodations and dining, and a charming downtown with lots of
shopping. My impression is that Cannon Beach is more of a high-end beach
destination than most, which appeals to me.
However, I know that the entire Oregon Coast is fabulous, so if I had time,
I would want to drive the entire coastline, staying for a few nights at several
locations along the route. I would begin in Astoria; I understand they have
revitalized their downtown in recent years, and its history is a real draw.
I would travel on down to Cannon Beach, probably staying there the longest, making day trips to neighboring communities, such as Seaside, Lincoln
City, and Newport, but spending most of the time in Cannon Beach The one
draw I can see to Lincoln City is their glass float event, and the glass blowing factory and stores. Newport’s aquarium is a must-see.
I’d probably pass through the Coos Bay area, but stop in Florence (visit the
Sand Dunes) and head on down to the southern tip of the Oregon Coast. I’d
probably stay in Brookings for a couple days before heading back home.
My favorite place along the Oregon Coast is Cannon Beach because of its
natural beauty and the charm of the town.
If I were to take kids with me, I would probably follow the same itinerary,
maybe spending more time in Seaside at their fun family activities.
My thoughts on the following communities:
• Astoria - historic seaside town - I think it would be fun to explore this
town for its own charms
• Seaside - family beach town - fun, carnival atmosphere
• Cannon Beach - beautiful beach, charming town - higher end beach destination than most
• Newport - Oregon aquarium, and fun town to visit - the old fishing town
atmosphere along the river-front is great
• Lincoln City - long spread-out town overlooking the ocean - mostly just a
town you drive through as you go along the coast. Glass-blowing, glass float
event.
46 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
• Coos Bay - logging.
In doing research, I compared several of the towns’ websites, and found that
Lincoln City’s site does have quite a bit going for it. The drawbacks are that
there are not enough photos, and the text is invariably too long. But, I like
how it is organized - it’s easy to find information, and the Welcome page is
very good - the photo of the glass floats on the beach is absolutely fantastic!
Other good things: I like how the “Things to Do” page is organized into
the different categories; it is very helpful to have the photos of the lodging
facilities; and the descriptions of the restaurants in the Dining section are
very good. The shopping section was weak.
In comparison, even though Cannon Beach would be my choice of where
to go, I found their website to be very boring. Hardly any photos, no real
attempt to “sell” a potential visitor on why they should visit. They used
lists, rather than descriptions. If I were unfamiliar with the Oregon Coast, I
wouldn’t choose Cannon Beach based on their website.
The Astoria website had way too much text, and the font should be different
- the one they used is difficult to read on a web-page.
Seaside’s visitor information website only has lodging and dining information, but doesn’t tell about the town itself or what it has to offer visitors.
Coos Bay’s website needs more photos, but I was surprised by all they have
to do there. If I were planning the trip I talked about above, I would decide
to spend some time in Coos Bay after all because of the activities they show
on their website.
Lincoln City needs to develop a niche or a specific identity - it could be
the glass blowing and the glass floats - that appeals to me a lot. Without a
major attraction, such as the aquarium, or a fantastic natural feature, such
as Haystack Rock, Lincoln City has a greater challenge. It needs to MAKE its
own niche.
Assessment #2
• Heading down to the Oregon coast, where would you go and why?
• What’s your favorite place on the Oregon Coast and why?
Heading down the Oregon Coast, I really like the Cannon Beach area, particularly because of its proximity. Going to points further south can be such
a long drive, but Cannon Beach isn’t too bad. It’s a nice getaway with cool
beaches. As far as my favorite place, I honestly can’t say I have a favorite.
Believe it or not, I haven’t spent a lot of time there.
• Where would you go with friends and family?
• With kids?
• As a couple?
Again, Cannon Beach would be a good choice for a vacation with friends
and family. I could also see going further south to perhaps the Central
Coast area. With kids, again because of the proximity, I like Cannon Beach.
But Newport also comes to mind because of attractions like the aquarium.
47 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
As a couple, I’d pick a smaller town and stay at a cool B&B.
When you think of the following communities, what do you think of each?
What’s the first thing that comes to mind?
Astoria – I haven’t been through Astoria in a while, but I think of it as being
charming. Honestly, I don’t know if I’m right, but the picture I have in my
head is of a cute little coastal town.
Seaside – Beaches… Seaside makes me think of beaches. Again, it’s a place
I haven’t been to in a long while, but what stands out for me is just the idea
of a beach town.
Cannon Beach – I always think of the big rock formations on the beach. I
think of Cannon Beach as a good vacation spot; someplace I’d definitely
choose to go.
Lincoln City and Newport – I tend to lump these two together when I think
about that area. I think of these as some of the larger cities on the Oregon
Coast. They have more amenities, and possibly a longer list of attractions,
but less small coastal town charm than other areas.
Coos Bay – I honestly don’t know much about Coos Bay, so nothing particularly comes to mind. I believe it’s located in the south coast area, but
that’s about all I know.
Any other Oregon Coast communities that you like or know about?
I’ve been to Florence and the surrounding area. I’ve also been to Depoe
Bay, which is between Newport and Lincoln City. I’ve heard of Yachats as
well, but I don’t know that I’ve ever been there, other than perhaps driving
through.
Assessment #3
First on my radar is always Cannon Beach, followed by Seaside. They are
the places that my grandparents took us when we visited them in Longview,
WA. The locations are just tried and true safe bets for a one or multi-day
family outing.
We visited friends in Oregon quite a few years ago and it was destination
Seaside. We had the kids and it was a fun, family friendly place to visit.
I have always enjoyed Astoria--even before the revitalization. Now with the
revitalization I am really curious and have wanted to visit. Astoria would
be fun as a couple’s getaway or with the kids. We loved looking at all of
the old homes, while the kids begged to go back to the beach! The Astoria
Riverfront Trolley sounds fun.
Next pick is Long Beach, not on your list below, but again it is a known
place and we are comfortable going there.
Seaside brings to mind fun in the sun, family activities.
48 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
Astoria brings to mind a fishing town--reminds me of my Alaskan home. I
love its location on the river, the downtown, and it’s close to the beaches. I
also love the easy connection to WA via the bridge.
Cannon Beach is always great. The big rocks, miles of shore--rain or shine
a great location. I’ve enjoyed wandering around there in the evening too.
The town is not too big, and I remember it as quiet, but not boring.
I decided to research the Oregon Coast. I typed that into Yahoo! and the
Oregon Coast Visitor Association’s website www.visittheoregoncoast.com
was first on the list.
Coos Bay looks like fun--of course I always like commercial fishing towns,
but I also like the sound of the antique shops, galleries, etc. Because of
Coos Bay’s size, I expect it will have plenty of amenities, i.e. shopping and
dining.
Newport looks beautiful to me--I love the lighthouses and the sound of all
that fresh seafood. I also really like watching boats and commercial fishing
activity, so this would be a top pick for me. And I know I would enjoy the
aquarium.
Lincoln City--The Kite Capital of The World sounds fun, but this alone
would not compel me to go. The Lincoln City description on the OCVA site
did little to persuade my visit. Other than the kites, it had this to say about
Lincoln City. (I cut and pasted this from that site.)
Recreation
You’ll find the usual Oregon recreational activities available in Lincoln City
including beachcombing, hiking, camping, fishing, whale watching charters,
kite flying, shopping and great dining in many fine restaurants.
Attractions
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Chinook Winds Casino Resort
Connie Hansen Garden
Tanger Outlet Center
Chinook Winds Golf Resort
North Lincoln County Historical Museum
Kites at D River Wayside
Blue Heron Landing
It then goes on to list annual events. Since this really did not pull me in
and tell me I had to go to Lincoln City, I clicked on the Lincoln City Visitors
and Convention Bureau’s site at www.oregoncoast.org and I’m glad I did! I
really like the picture of the glass balls, and would recommend moving the
info on the left of that page somewhere else, because the picture is pretty
and good as a stand alone. I like it! I really like the sound of Finders Keepers: Sand Fire Glass. This is a fun idea and I would go there for that -- it is
a good launching pad to other activities in the area. The idea is unique and
I know my whole family would have fun with this activity. Who doesn’t like
a treasure hunt? The kite competitions would be fun to view too. I would
49 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
also want to visit the Connie Hansen Gardens, one of Lincoln City’s “jewels”.
Kids would enjoy the skate park, “one of the ‘gnarliest’ parks in the United
States”.
It looks like there are plenty of dining and shopping options in Lincoln City,
which is good.
I feel that there is probably plenty to do in Lincoln City and that it is worthy
of a visit, now that I know more about it, but I am surprised that I hadn’t
heard about it before now.
I called my husband and asked him where he would go if visiting the Oregon Coast. I did not mention any towns at all. Here are his top picks and
why:
Newport--he likes the atmosphere and the central location
Cannon Beach-because of scenery
Lincoln City- Fun, nice place to stay--good hotels, dining, activities. He
especially likes the hiking.
I then asked about Seaside and Astoria. Neither of these would be among
his picks for lodging, but both were worthy of a side trip from one of the
other locales.
50 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006
TOURISM ASSESSMENT & SUGGESTIONS
This visitor assessment was prepared by the team at:
510 Custer Way Suite 301
Olympia, WA 98501
(360) 754-7920 Voice
(360) 754-7622 Fax
[email protected]
www.dditeam.com
51 • Lincoln City, Oregon • March 2006