Project Details

The plan will tackle predictable and unpredictable variables that can create instability in local economies if not assessed and addressed proactively. Examples of these variables include:

• Visitor safety
• Overuse of recreation resources
• Employee shortages
• Loss of revenue due to changes in traveler behavior
• Overcrowding in some areas, and lack of visitation in others
• Dynamic weather patterns that have led to fishing restrictions, record wildfires, floods, unpredictable snowfall levels and more

Statewide buy-in and stakeholder collaboration are important to the project’s success. In addition to the directors and staff of the 6 established tourism regions, plus the Department of Commerce, this process will involve:

• Convention and visitor bureau staff
• Tribal stakeholders
• Economic development organizations
• Local government
• State parks
• Tourism businesses and non-profit industry groups (i.e., guides and outfitters, national park foundations, outdoor recreation groups, etc.)

Through interviews, surveys, town hall summits, and additional exercises, Coraggio Group will address resiliency in a variety of categories, including:

• Booms and busts in visitation to diversify local economies for sustainability (e.g., employment levels and revenue streams)
• Pressure on outdoor resources and overuse
• Preparing for and mitigating impacts of a changing climate (e.g., fire seasons, drought) to sustain local economies
• Assessing and mitigating shortages in travel/tourism/hospitality workforce (e.g., housing, international visas, safety, pay, etc.)
• Fluctuations and inconsistencies across geographies in seasonal visitation. This includes identifying marketing and tourism development needs to attract and/or distribute pressure
• Exploration of emerging or alternative tourism experiences
• Revitalization of traditional sectors that had been previously underemphasized or overlooked, especially those in geographic areas outside the primary tourist visitation areas