University of Wisconsin - Extension

Editor's Note: This is the second in a series of four articles featuring the 2000 Community Development Symposium presentations.

Throughout Wisconsin many smaller communities trying to maintain a healthy retail economy are turning their sights to tourism.

"Major changes have occurred in recent years in how and where local residents shop," said Bill Ryan, Cooperative Extension business development specialist. "One strategy that's helped some retailers is targeting tourist dollars, as shopping and tourism often go hand in hand."

Half of Wisconsin's estimated $7.7 billion traveler expenditures are retail- or food- service-related. Successful retailing in many small and rural communities is often rooted in the growth of innovative businesses that serve both local residents and visitors.

To help Wisconsin and other Midwestern small and rural communities attract tourists to local businesses, Ryan worked with a team of UW-Extension Community, Natural Resources and Economic Development agents interviewing people in 10 communities and 100 businesses.

The team compiled 10 case studies as prime examples of how to capitalize on tourism niches. The intent was to come up with practical tips on retailing and tourism that could be used by entrepreneurs and local tourism and economic development leaders, Ryan said.

"We learned that selling to tourists is not simply offering them knick knacks and T-shirts," he said. "Successful retailers are offering a wide variety of products useful to both visitors and residents."

"We also learned that not just specialty retail shops benefit from tourism dollars. A smaller community that can't support a hardware store, for example, might have a hardware store because tourists help boost sales."

Information gathered in the interviews was used to create the publication, Tourism and Retail Development: Attracting Tourists to Local Businesses. By using the publication, current and prospective small-community retailers can learn how tourism is tied to retailing, how to analyze the market and how to build on successful strategies used by others.

Ryan said that the project results offer opportunities for UWEX faculty and staff to better serve the educational needs of communities and their businesses, and to work more closely with UWEX partners at the Wisconsin Departments of Tourism and Commerce.

The results are also being shared statewide by the Department of Tourism and UW-Extension Community, Natural Resources and Economic Development faculty.

Working with Ryan on the project as the lead field researcher was Jim Bloms, now the Burnett County community resource development agent. Gerry Braatz, Calumet County community resource development agent, helped develop presentation materials and other UW-Extension Community, Natural Resources and Economic Development staff provided additional assistance.

Coauthors of the publication included Jim Hovland, Fond du Lac County community resource development agent, and David Scheler of the Tourism Department.

The guidebook can also be found at the Cooperative Extension Publishing Web site, http://www.uwex.edu/ces/pubs, and a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation is available to educators for delivering local and customized workshops on the topic of tourism and retail development. Project materials are also being used this fall by three Small Business Development Centers throughout the state.

We learned that selling to tourists is not simply offering them knick knacks and T-shirts. Successful retailers are offering a wide variety of products useful to both visitors and residents. -- Bill Ryan, Cooperative Extension business development specialist