JANUARY 28, 2010 ISSUE
Conference on Marketing High Country as Birding Destination February 4
The Audubon Society offers weekly bird walks at the Valle Crucis Community Park. Photo by Curtis Smalling
Bird hikes are a very popular part of the Grandfather Mountain Naturalist Weekend each spring. Photo by Monty Combs
Thirty-five percent of Americans say they spend time observing, studying, photographing or identifying wild birds, which is why the North Carolina Birding Trail was developed to link birders and tourists with great birding sites across the state. In an effort to leverage the resources of the North Carolina Birding Trail to help market the High Country as a destination for birders, High Country Audubon and the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation have organized a workshop designed to help local business people examine the benefits of marketing to birders.
The conference on marketing the High Country as a birding destination will take place on Thursday, February 4, from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. at LaQuinta Inn, located on Highway 105 Extension in Boone. Welcoming business professionals from all sectors of the local economy, the workshop is designed to give a clear picture of the potential return from marketing to birders before opening the floor to participants to brainstorm on the most cost effective ways to attract the birding tourist to the area.
Birders are a valuable market for the tourism industry because they spend money pursuing their interest in wildlife. A 2006 survey conducted by the N.C. Bird Trail reported that 72 percent of the birders in North Carolina travel away from their homes to view birds at least 10 days per year, spending more than $80 per day on travel expenses.
“This is a win-win,” said Grandfather Mountain Marketing Director Catherine Morton. “One of the most desirable times to visit the High Country for birding is a shoulder season for most of our businesses. Mid-April to mid-May is when the spring migration brings the greatest numbers of different bird species through our area, which means there is huge potential to bring more birders with them.”
The program includes three authorities on tourism and birding. Dr. Stacy Tomas from the Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management at N.C. State University will speak on the economic impact of birding and why the High Country should market to birders. Audubon North Carolina Mountain Program Manager Curtis Smalling will educate the group about the spring bird migration in the High Country, and High Country Audubon President Jesse Pope will discuss the needs of the traveling birder, outlining specific action that can be taken to cater to the birding public.
“Reaching this niche audience with our message should be relatively inexpensive,” explained Morton. “Most bird clubs will run announcements and news releases about the activities and packages we put together that make it more attractive for their members to visit our area for birding. I think there is potential for any interested business to see a measurable return from marketing to birders.”
The conference is free to attend and participants will have the opportunity to purchase the Mountain Region edition of the N.C. Birding Trail Guide at a discount. To reserve a space at the meeting, call 828-733-2013 on weekdays. For the complete program schedule, click to www.grandfather.com/birding_workshop.
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