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Home About Us B2B Club Breaking News Contact Donate Events / Programs Feedback Ideas Incubator Industry Clusters Links / Resources Progess Funds Progress Teams Public Art / Murals Publications		Breaking News September 8, 2005 - Tourism begins at home Karin Mast, for the Daily Tribune Editor's note: The Daily Tribune will regularly run columns updating Community Progress Initiative activities in local communities. Tourism, according to Webster's dictionary, is the practice of traveling for recreation. This is probably what most people imagine as their family heads off to the beach for spring break. But tourism as defined by tourism organizations is much more than that. It's the short-term movement of people to destinations outside the places where they normally live and work. It's their activities during their stay at these destinations. It's the day trips from Nekoosa to Vesper to attend the farmer's market. It's the auto tour on the Cranberry Highway during the harvest season. It's the afternoon walk along the Wisconsin River banks. Tourism is all around us. You are, and will forever be, a tourist in your own community. As the Tourism Cluster works to increase visitors to our area, a common question arises: What is there to do? Our question to them is: What do you want to do? What do area community members want for themselves? As our own best tourists, we have an obligation to fulfill our own needs in the community, and by doing so we fulfill our guests' needs. If we want a bike trail and create a bike trail, then our guests and visitors will use that bike trail. If we want more community events and create events, then our guests and visitors will attend those events. How do you, our best tourists, help support tourism in the community? Do you attend events? Do you support our area restaurants and attractions? The Tourism Cluster wants to support tourism in our area. And we believe our community residents, who already support tourism and may not realize it, want to do more as well. Join us at our next Tourism Cluster meeting to help! Visit http:progressinitiative.com for upcoming Cluster meeting dates. Karin Mast is a member of the Tourism Cluster.
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