By Ed Klim
President, International Snowmobile Manufacturer's
Association
Winter is rapidly approaching and your local tourism bureau
is eager to promote business activity and tourism opportunities in their local
area.
I managed a number of large chambers of commerce years ago
and can tell you from firsthand knowledge that when the cold, snowy weather
arrives, the sidewalk sales stop, the street carnivals diminish and all tourism
groups are actively looking for activities that will draw in visitors and
generate cash flow for their member companies.
The snowmobile clubs and associations located in the
snowbelt are natural partners to join together with the tourism association to
promote snowmobiling and winter tourism collectively.
The members of your local tourism groups and your provincial
and state tourism organizations are now available to meet with you and partner
on promotional events. You should
consider taking the executive directors of the organizations and maybe a few of
their board members for a snowmobile ride.
The Go Snowmobiling campaign is a perfect vehicle for you to use when
you invite tourism folks to "Go
Snowmobiling."
Most people will jump at the chance and join you to go
snowmobiling. We all know they will have a good time and their smiles will be
long-lasting. In addition, you will make new friends and partners who have the
ability, the skill and often the financing available to help promote the local snowmobile
clubs, the associations/federations and related businesses in the area.
Short, well-planned, simple rides will also be supported by
the local news media and/or radio and TV stations, since they are connected to
the chamber of commerce or the visitors bureau.
The snowmobile clubs and associations have some very
important assets (club houses, trails, association members and the fun of
simply snowmobiling and enjoying the great outdoors) that should be introduced
to the tourism groups.
We have recently contacted CVBs and chambers of commerce and
tourism bureaus in North America, introducing
them to the Go Snowmobiling campaign as well as our Safe Riders! Safety
campaign. We are receiving many inquiries in this office for campaign material
and support material for the Go Snowmobiling effort. A contact with your
chamber will prove to benefit your clubs and associations.
The Take a Friend Snowmobiling Guidebook is conveniently
located on the www.GoSnowmobiling.org
website, as well as photos and other support material you can use in promoting
the activity with your tourism partners. We have a great product to offer and
we encourage you to make that phone call and/or stop in the office to say hello
and ask them to Go Snowmobiling.
Statistics contained in many economic impact studies are
well known to those of us in the business, but they are not that well-known to
the directors of the local tourism bureaus.
Snowmobiling now generates well more than $30 billion of economic
activity and recent economic impact studies are showing that snowmobiling
tourism is outperforming all other forms of tourism activity. The snow is
coming and now is the time to grow your club and association and attract some
new partners.