• Survey of Rural Challenges
  • Small Town Speaker Becky McCray
  • Shop Local video
  • SaveYour.Town

Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource

A row of small town shops
  • Front Page
  • Latest stories
  • About
  • Guided Tour
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • RSS

Travel: going to SEE, is now going to DO, and next is going to MAKE

By Becky McCray

Travel has gone from going to SEE things to going to DO things. Next, I predict, is going to MAKE things.

— Robert Reid (@reidontravel) December 30, 2013

 

Here’s another travel trend that small towns can excel at: the shift to more active, even productive, tourism.

Right now, you have a chance to suck visitors in to participate and be part of your events. In a small town, it’s easy to let visitors be part of the action. Maybe they can’t ride a bull in the rodeo, but they can scoot a boot at the street dance. You can teach them to rope, too, and to make apple dumplings in a dutch oven for the dinner.

This is much easier in a small town. We’re friendly, to start out with. Our events are on a smaller scale, so we can work in visitors much more easily.

At Bradt’s Menagerie near Alva, Oklahoma, you will learn all about how pioneer farming families kept chickens and turkeys back in the 1900’s. But you’ll do it while holding a chicken in your hands and feeding sweet treats to a baby sheep. You’ll be part of the experience first, then you’ll learn. Who cares about driving somewhere just to see some farm animals? But who can resist the warmth of a real live chicken in hand?

So start including your visitors in the action. Do you already have ways for visitors to get in on the DOING and the MAKING? Tell us about it!
 
New to SmallBizSurvival.com? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Get our updates.

 

  • About the Author
  • Latest Posts

About Becky McCray

Becky started Small Biz Survival in 2006 to share rural business and community building stories and ideas with other small town business people. She and her husband have a small cattle ranch and are lifelong entrepreneurs. Becky is an international speaker on small business and rural topics.
  • Move Your Money and Bank Local - March 22, 2023
  • Using a building as a warehouse or storage in a small town? Put up a sign - March 13, 2023
  • How to get customers in the door of small town and rural retail stores - February 19, 2023
  • Check your small business website for outdated pandemic changes, missing info - January 31, 2023
  • Rural Tourism Trend: electric vehicle chargers can drive visitors - January 15, 2023
  • 2023 trends for rural and small town businesses - December 26, 2022
  • Local reviews on Google Maps drive enduring value - December 17, 2022
  • Extra agritourism revenue from camping, cabins and RVs with HipCamp - December 12, 2022
  • Harvest Hosts attract vanlifers and RV tourists, Boondockers Welcome - December 2, 2022
  • Holiday 2022 marketing: Tell your founding story - December 1, 2022

January 7, 2014 Filed Under: rural, tourism

Wondering what is and is not allowed in the comments?
Or how to get a nifty photo beside your name?
Check our commenting policy.
Use your real name, not a business name.


Don't see the comment form?
Comments are automatically closed on older posts, but you can send me your comment via this contact form and I'll add it manually for you. Thanks!

Howdy!

Glad you dropped in to the rural and small town business blog, established in 2006.

We want you to feel at home, so please take our guided tour.

Meet our authors on the About page.

Have something to say? You can give us a holler on the contact form.

If you would like permission to re-use an article you've read here, please make a Reprint Request.

Want to search our past articles? Catch up with the latest stories? Browse through the categories? All the good stuff is on the Front Page.

Shop Local

Buy local buttonReady to set up a shop local campaign in your small town? You'll need a guide who understands how we're different and what really works: Shop Local Campaigns for Small Towns.

Best of Small Biz Survival

What is holding us back? Why does every project take so long in small towns?

How any business can be part of downtown events by going mobile

Concert-goers talking and enjoying the evening in downtown Webster City, Iowa.

Why do people say there’s nothing to do here then not come to our concerts?

Retailers: Fill all empty space, floor to ceiling

More of the best of Small Biz Survival

Copyright © 2023 Becky McCray
Front Page · Log in