Sharing with guests the land's pulse is always a sure way to increase their engagement level with our home place.
"Bonjourquebec.com", the official tourist site of the Government of Quebec taps into this concept most effectively with the "Fall Foliage" report it publishes and updates regularly on the Web.
The report is contextualized in the seasonal transformations that Quebec's tourism products assume throughout the year. While Fall is a distinct season in itself, the face it shows visitors and inhabitants varies greatly as the colour of leaves changes from green, to yellow, orange and red.
The index is organized by region and provides a quick reference guide as to which regions are able to deliver the most vivid impression of a land getting ready for the annual big chill. Viewers are informed that: "the visual impact is already outstanding as soon as the percentage reaches 25% and the yellow, orange and red become dominant colours."
This initiative is indicative of the level of sophistication marketers can achieve when highlighting products that have very specific experiential aspects attached to them. Fall colours are like a new wardrobe for the landscape. Travelers who may have visited a destination in the summer, might wish to go back to dine, stay overnight and bike around in bucolic surroundings; or to simply experience the smells of Fall as one walks along designated trails in the forest.
Is there a lesson for us here on the Plains? Though our Fall colours don't generally assume the bright reds of eastern Canadian and American locales. Colours do change nicely here as well, more subtly perhaps. Here are some other suggested indices that might illustrate the rhythms of life on the Plains and be used down the road to make more accessible to visitors the transitions associated with Fall, in an organized region by region format:
Migratory Bird Update: we all know that when Fall comes, the skies become alive with them. Different staging areas welcome different species. A regular report on which birds are where might entice birders or potential visitors in search for a new weekend activity to hop on to the ornithological bandwagon and have a meal or stay in a town nearby to really take in the whole experience.
Harvest reports: agriculture-focused government bodies crank out "Crop Reports". It wouldn't take much to produce a region by region harvest report with visitors to rural destinations in mind. Is there anything sweeter than the smell of freshly cut wheat on a sunny Fall morning? I experienced this again recently. Golden fields animated by farmers bringing in the crops are always a charming sight. I know -- the price of grain being what it is these days -- the rewards are not as good for those sitting behind the wheel in the tractor's cab. But the harvest is a timeless ritual endowed with an inherent dignity that can inspire anyone to support farming as a way of life forever.
Fowl/Fall suppers report: if events rooted in this season are all fantastic in my mind at some level, none of them provide the satisfaction of an old-fashion meal cooked and served by rural folks in a community hall. Fowl suppers may be fundraisers for local projects, such as keeping the lights on in the hall in question. Their significance is much greater as a celebration of the harvest; as the Fall homecoming of relatives and friends from other towns and cities. They are truly authentic with the turkey, stuffing, pumpkin and berry pies that we stuff down our bellies, but also in the friendliness of the improvised car park attendant or waiters who will fill up your coffee cup between sips as if you were just part of the family. That is priceless!
Lastly perhaps, I shall lump in all the indoor rodeos, crafts fairs, livestock sales and threshing days events into authentic experiences that need to be promoted more effectively. For they show a bit of the essence of life on the Great Plains, a sliver of the prairie dweller's soul. Each of these events is a window to the community spirit garden out of which our towns and cities have evolved. They are pivotal in the way our collective identity should be reflected in the tourism images we generate for the Plains region.
"Bonjourquebec.com", the official tourist site of the Government of Quebec taps into this concept most effectively with the "Fall Foliage" report it publishes and updates regularly on the Web.
The report is contextualized in the seasonal transformations that Quebec's tourism products assume throughout the year. While Fall is a distinct season in itself, the face it shows visitors and inhabitants varies greatly as the colour of leaves changes from green, to yellow, orange and red.
The index is organized by region and provides a quick reference guide as to which regions are able to deliver the most vivid impression of a land getting ready for the annual big chill. Viewers are informed that: "the visual impact is already outstanding as soon as the percentage reaches 25% and the yellow, orange and red become dominant colours."
This initiative is indicative of the level of sophistication marketers can achieve when highlighting products that have very specific experiential aspects attached to them. Fall colours are like a new wardrobe for the landscape. Travelers who may have visited a destination in the summer, might wish to go back to dine, stay overnight and bike around in bucolic surroundings; or to simply experience the smells of Fall as one walks along designated trails in the forest.
Is there a lesson for us here on the Plains? Though our Fall colours don't generally assume the bright reds of eastern Canadian and American locales. Colours do change nicely here as well, more subtly perhaps. Here are some other suggested indices that might illustrate the rhythms of life on the Plains and be used down the road to make more accessible to visitors the transitions associated with Fall, in an organized region by region format:
Migratory Bird Update: we all know that when Fall comes, the skies become alive with them. Different staging areas welcome different species. A regular report on which birds are where might entice birders or potential visitors in search for a new weekend activity to hop on to the ornithological bandwagon and have a meal or stay in a town nearby to really take in the whole experience.
Harvest reports: agriculture-focused government bodies crank out "Crop Reports". It wouldn't take much to produce a region by region harvest report with visitors to rural destinations in mind. Is there anything sweeter than the smell of freshly cut wheat on a sunny Fall morning? I experienced this again recently. Golden fields animated by farmers bringing in the crops are always a charming sight. I know -- the price of grain being what it is these days -- the rewards are not as good for those sitting behind the wheel in the tractor's cab. But the harvest is a timeless ritual endowed with an inherent dignity that can inspire anyone to support farming as a way of life forever.
Fowl/Fall suppers report: if events rooted in this season are all fantastic in my mind at some level, none of them provide the satisfaction of an old-fashion meal cooked and served by rural folks in a community hall. Fowl suppers may be fundraisers for local projects, such as keeping the lights on in the hall in question. Their significance is much greater as a celebration of the harvest; as the Fall homecoming of relatives and friends from other towns and cities. They are truly authentic with the turkey, stuffing, pumpkin and berry pies that we stuff down our bellies, but also in the friendliness of the improvised car park attendant or waiters who will fill up your coffee cup between sips as if you were just part of the family. That is priceless!
Lastly perhaps, I shall lump in all the indoor rodeos, crafts fairs, livestock sales and threshing days events into authentic experiences that need to be promoted more effectively. For they show a bit of the essence of life on the Great Plains, a sliver of the prairie dweller's soul. Each of these events is a window to the community spirit garden out of which our towns and cities have evolved. They are pivotal in the way our collective identity should be reflected in the tourism images we generate for the Plains region.
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