Local Spotlight: Visit Greeley
While tourism may not be the first industry that comes to mind when you think of Greeley, there are a plethora of businesses, events and attractions that draw visitors to our city every year!
Working in tandem with the Greeley Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Greeley, the folks at Visit Greeley are spreading the word about all that Greeley has to offer.
The Importance of Tourism
Afterall, tourism is a business—the second largest economic driver in Colorado in fact. It infuses new capital into communities—visitors spend money on food, lodging and entertainment which stimulates growth (more income for businesses, higher wages and new jobs) and ripples out into increased tax revenues and benefits for local government and schools.
Historically tourism organizations have had a pretty narrow approach to tourism—it’s been all about getting “heads in beads” or attracting travelers who pay for overnight stays. Since funding for these organizations has come largely from local lodging taxes it makes sense.
Visit Greeley’s Approach
However today, as a Destination Marketing Operation (DMO), Visit Greeley’s focus has shifted and broadened. They work to share information, to offer resources and to serve a wider variety of travelers, including but not limited to:
Independent Travelers who come from far or near, maybe elsewhere on the Front Range for just an afternoon, to shop, dine or find entertainment (this includes family and friends visiting Greeley residents)
Professionals, tradesmen or organizational groups who need a venue, lodging or a central place to gather for conventions or meetings
Athletes and their fans who come for tournaments, matches or games
Groups brought by tour companies that charter trips to Greeley or through Greeley on route to other destinations
Visit Greeley also directs some of its messaging to the local community, working to spread the word about Greeley’s attractions so that locals can enjoy them and take part in the work of drawing visitors to our city. Instead of sending our friends or colleagues to Ft. Collins for fine dining wouldn’t it be great if we knew about the fabulous fare in our backyard so that we can recommend it?!
Reimagine Destination
This past year Visit Greeley was selected for a 12-month grant program offered by Colorado’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade and Colorado Tourism Office to bolster their efforts. The additional funds allowed Visit Greeley to host focus groups with community stakeholders (local business and organizational leaders affected by tourism) to generate ideas which seeded a full day in person workshop with an even broader group of community members. This “Reimagine Destination” workshop sparked community conversation, helped us begin to formulate a shared view about what our community has to offer and instilled the importance of a collective narrative/unified approach to tourism. With the input gathered during the day, Visit Greeley will work closely with the consulting firm who facilitated the workshop to determine actionable next steps that continue to engage and align the community.
Hopes For the Future
As Visit Greeley continues to hone their strategy through the consulting process there are a few ongoing questions that Director, Heather Anderson hopes to explore:
How can we make Visit Greeley more physically visible? Currently, Visit Greeley is housed in the historic train depot downtown alongside the Chamber of Commerce—a fairly accessible location from highway 85 but not an obvious stop for traffic coming from highway 34. Perhaps way-finding signage or a mobile visitor center could help make the organization more physically visible.
Likewise, how can we help the organization become more recognizable and distinct as an entity? While Visit Greeley’s mission is very aligned with the work of the Greeley Area Chamber of Commerce, it is a separate organization that functions differently. For example, Visit Greeley does not require membership or have a “pay to play” structure—meaning that their promotion is not constrained or restricted in the same ways. Any business or community member can submit tourism related events or happenings to Visit Greeley’s events calendar to be shared on their website.
What can be done to celebrate our diversity rather than segment the economic and cultural differences that coexist in Greeley? How can we help bridge the gap between east and west Greeley as our city continues to expand? Are there ways to increase accessibility? How can we help visitors see this aspect of our city’s identity as unique and special?
Learn More
Do you have friends or family coming to town? Is your organization hosting a meeting or conference? Are you a business owner curious about how Visit Greeley can help with promotion? Check out Visit Greeley’s website to learn more about their resources and services or stop by their office today!
by: Dana Buckingham