Tourist gripe

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Morticia

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I'm playing tourist. A couple of my guests mentioned an 'odd' tourist-y thing they wanted to see and wondered if I had been there. Nope. It's something I've missed mostly because I wasn't sure how interesting it might be to me or anyone else.
Apparently everyone associated with the place feels the same way.
I tried a general search and got a state website for parks (I thought this was good as if it's a park it's easier to find and has some place to park the car.) They referred me to another organization for more information (like WHERE the heck the thing is!) Other organization's webpage is informative but has hidden the place I want to see somewhere on its site and I gave up.
Tried again and found directions on another state parks page which told me the place I was looking for was 'just north of the arts center.' OK, then! I go off to the art center's webpage to find out where they are. They give a street address which is helpful, but why not directions? Why not say, 'We are 1.5 miles from the intersection of Main and Church'?
I don't trust Google directions anymore, so I'm going to have to call and ask someone. 4 different websites and not a one had directions that were helpful. I still don't know where to park or if there will be an obvious entrance to the place, altho I do know that once I find it, there are interpretive signs along the trail.
Directions people! Distances, landmarks, where's the parking, help me give you money! Help me send money your way. Take me there, turn by turn.
 
You are right Mort...directions a big key in getting people to walk through the door. I have battled this with several places lately.
But it is not just directions that bug me, it astounds me to see ads anywhere - on the web, in the paper and even TV where they do not give the address or the phone number etc. in the ad or it is in the most tiny print somewhere. These people have just blown their advertising dollar. Where you are is just as important as what you are selling! Front and center folks.
 
You are right Mort...directions a big key in getting people to walk through the door. I have battled this with several places lately.
But it is not just directions that bug me, it astounds me to see ads anywhere - on the web, in the paper and even TV where they do not give the address or the phone number etc. in the ad or it is in the most tiny print somewhere. These people have just blown their advertising dollar. Where you are is just as important as what you are selling! Front and center folks..
OK, let's just gripe about all the silliness we see in tourism...my local marketing group (NOT my innkeeping group) put an ad in a magazine. No website. No one is going to call them. That was a total waste of the $$$ they spent. $$$, BTW, they got from me and the other businesses in town!
 
You are right Mort...directions a big key in getting people to walk through the door. I have battled this with several places lately.
But it is not just directions that bug me, it astounds me to see ads anywhere - on the web, in the paper and even TV where they do not give the address or the phone number etc. in the ad or it is in the most tiny print somewhere. These people have just blown their advertising dollar. Where you are is just as important as what you are selling! Front and center folks..
OK, let's just gripe about all the silliness we see in tourism...my local marketing group (NOT my innkeeping group) put an ad in a magazine. No website. No one is going to call them. That was a total waste of the $$$ they spent. $$$, BTW, they got from me and the other businesses in town!
.
OK, another one. I emailed the BIG national park group here a few weeks ago to ask how to buy a pass. Have I heard back from them? No. This is not the national parks org I emailed but the local folks who sell the passes to this park.
I want to buy a lot of passes. Do you think they could let me know how?
 
From the other side: I give turn by turn directions to the winery. I have had guests tell me they were not sure these were right - surely it could not be here, but suddenly - there it was!
Well, DUH! As if I am going to give guests incorrect directions to something that I have on my computer and just print out! I could see it if I had "customized" it and sent a left instead of a right (but give street names and landmarks as a safety).
Good directions are a MUST!! And any ad without a web address is a total waste. Mort - did they think people were going to Google to find them? That is explanation enough for why one would want to disassociate from that group.
 
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