Selected Articles on Tourism Marketing

Tourist marketing practiced by even the smallest towns and counties rarely benefits from what is known about effective marketing. For copies of any articles ($4 each for S/H), please call or fax toll-free (800) 762-4266.

John L. Gann, Jr., "Illinois Can Be the Ultimate African American Travel Destination,"South Shore Current, August, 2018, p. 12.

Memorials to two U.S. presidents of greatest significance to America's African American population give Illinois a tourism marketing opportunity no other state has or has ever had.

John L. Gann, Jr., "Time Travel Tourism,"Illinois Municipal Review, November, 2017, p. 18.

Research suggests going back to earlier periods in our lives can help us stay younger. The article describes five ways localities seeking tourists can take people back.

John L. Gann, Jr., "Marketing to Tourists: Good Examples from Ohio Communities,"Cities & Villages, September-October, 2017, p. 22.

Four cities and counties demonstrate better practices for winning tourist revenue, while other places hurt their own marketing efforts.

John L. Gann, Jr., "Tourism Marketing: Are You Hitting the Target?"Illinois Municipal Review, May, 2017, p. 16.

Four smaller Illinois cities make themselves special with distinctive tourist marketing. "Mystery sites" and "missing persons" photos used by other places miss opportunities to sell destinations.

 John L. Gann, Jr., "Good Signs: Billboards, Local Businesses and Marketing," Syracuse (NY) Post-Standard, December 11, 2016, p. E1.

Highway signs erected by New York State were faulted by Washington as too distracting to motorists and were ordered to be removed. But marketing suggests they were not distracting enough and could better be kept but with better messages.

John L. Gann, Jr., "The Out-of-Towners," Pennsylvanian, (Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs), June, 1999, p. 30.

This article presents seven ways to better market localities to tourists and a 29-question checklist for brochure covers, copy, graphics, layout, and response generation.

John L. Gann, Jr., "7 Ways to Market Your Commmunity to Tourists,"New Jersey Municipalities, May, 1998, p. 6.

Article discusses with examples why it pays to market communities and not just attractions and how special interest tourism can help even the smallest towns compete.

For more articles on tourism, click here.