>The question I have to the museum-folks is the extent to which their
>local tourism marketing authority (convention & Visitors Bureau,
>Destination Marketing Organization [DMO], Chamber of Commerce, etc) is
>either: 1. aware of your institution    2. Considers it a resource for
>visitors to enjoy       3. Includes your institution in marketing
>activities (printed materials, on press tour itineraries, etc)
>4. Includes you as part of the tourism "industry".
 
In British Columbia a number of museums (including my own) either run
Travel Infocentres or have them located in the same building.
 
I have found that this combination works well for both operations: it
increases visitation, extends stays, combines staffing resources, raises
profile and much more. As both community museums and infocentres are
trying to tell people about the local region, these combination are logical.
 
Can tourism and museum work better together? Yes! More does need to be done
to explain the possiblity of joint marketing, etc.
 
--
Lee Boyko Sooke Region Museum [log in to unmask]
Opinions expressed are not necessarily admitted to.