What does a tourism marketer do when there is no tourism to market? It’s not a tree-falling-in-the-woods question. There is an answer, and as destinations around the world are discovering, the answer appears to be: Virtually everything, and everything virtually.
Visit Tacoma-Pierce County – Mt. Rainier Tourism and Sports just launched its We’ll Take a Raincheck package of virtual content to entertain, educate, inform people stuck at home, and to inspire future travel to Pierce County. It includes:
- Tacoma and Pierce County Arts & Culture Home Edition page, with hand-picked online content submitted by more than two dozen Pierce County arts and culture organizations. These include recorded performances, screenings, activities, and downloadable content.
- A list of virtual tours available in Pierce County, including live guided tours, recorded video tours, and 360-degree photo tours. Some are educational, some are just fascinating.
- Activities for kids and families from local arts, culture, and tourism organizations.
- A list of movies featuring Pierce County locations, with links to where you can stream them online.
- Carefully curated Zen-inspiring videos of Pierce County’s Mountain, City, Sea.
- Links to where future visitors can purchase gift cards from local businesses for future experiences.
One of the most innovative and delicious ideas coming out of Tacoma right now is Pretty Gritty Tours’ Virtual Beer tour (round two!). The tour, featuring Dunagan Brewing Company, crosses the border between virtual and in-person, by delivering beer (or allowing safe pick-up) in advance of a live virtual tour on April 25.
