Visit Quad Cities Releases Tourism Master Plan for the Regional Destination
June 10, 2020
Quad Cities (June 10, 2020) – Visit Quad Cities, the region’s official destination marketing and management organization (DMMO), released today the completed Tourism Master Plan for the Quad Cities regional destination. Resonance Consultancy, a leading advisor in tourism, place strategy and branding, economic and real estate development, was engaged to develop the Destination Vision and Strategic Plan for the region.
The comprehensive process included engagement and collaboration with industry stakeholders, Quad Citizens, visitors, and the community-at-large to realize the vision for the Quad Cities long-term tourism direction. This new plan is a strategic blueprint for an overarching regional vision as a destination which is critical for the Quad Cities future.
“On behalf of the Visit Quad Cities Board of Directors, we are thrilled that our Tourism Master Plan is finalized, said Mo Hyder, Chairman, Visit Quad Cities. “The master plan is our organization’s number one priority and we are extremely grateful for the support and engagement of our stakeholders throughout this process. And we look forward to next steps as we begin sharing it with the community and working on implementation.”
The Tourism Master Plan recommendations are divided into six areas of focus: Destination Promotion, Destination Development, Destination Programming, Destination Stewardship, Governance, and Implementation.
Some of the recommendations in the new plan include:
- Engage Quad Citizens to build resident pride and activate destination advocates
- Develop a shared riverfront vision and development plan
- Develop a cultural tourism plan to enhance the vibrancy of both the tourism and creative economies
- Prioritize diversity and inclusiveness in tourism development and promotion
- Prioritize investment in the visitor economy to remain competitive
Tourism will be an integral force for the short- and long-term economic recovery in the Quad Cities due to the significant non-resident revenues it drives along with the community branding, promotion, and business development platform it provides.
“Charting our regional destination’s long-range course is vitally important to the Quad Cities visitor economy, driving tourism, and community positioning” said Dave Herrell, President and CEO, Visit Quad Cities. “Our region’s new Tourism Master Plan sets the stage for our collective approach as we come together to shift culture by prioritizing tourism and the Quad Cities brand as a guiding force for good and as a shared common value for all Quad Citizens.”
A Vision into the Future
In 2030, the Quad Cities is a proud, forward-thinking, visitor-centric region connected by the storied Mississippi River and a shared love of local, independent arts, culture, and creativity. This family of communities attracts young explorers and dreamers, investors and entrepreneurs because it offers homegrown imagination and innovation—an eclectic music, art, culinary, sports, and entertainment scene, an original and authentic experience of one of the world’s great rivers, and an open-minded midwestern spirit that brings success within reach for all. People love the Quad Cities because they want to be part of its growing, blooming, welcoming and evolving energy, and get closer to a place that’s as genuine as it is quirky, as unexpected as it is energizing, as deeply rooted as it is forever current.
“Resonance was thrilled to assist Visit Quad Cities in its pioneering effort to create a Tourism Master Plan that reflects the engagement, contributions and feedback of Quad Citizens,” said Richard Cutting-Miller, EVP, Resonance Consultancy. “The Master Plan is a testament to the region’s forward looking perspective and sets forth a vision for the future with strategies, recommendations and plans for the collective region to build its economy, tourism experiences/activities and quality of life for residents.”
Community stakeholders identified and prioritized the following strategic goals for the destination vision and strategic plan:
- Brand Identity
- Growth
- Visitor Experience
- Economic Impact
- Investment
- Collaboration
- Quality of Life
- Sustainability
Foundational Research
As part of the plan’s research phase, thousands of Quad Citizens and visitors completed a survey, developed by Resonance, to provide their valuable input on the destination. The research is available on VisitQuadCities.com. A few highlights include:
- 93% of Quad Citizens feel that tourism has a positive impact on the Quad Cities region.
- 83% of residents are likely to encourage friends and family to visit the region.
- Roughly half (48%) of residents agree that they brag about living in the Quad Cities. And 49% of residents believe the Quad Cities is a destination that visitors want to visit. These data points have been identified as key focused improvement opportunities.
- 53% of residents underestimate the number of jobs created by tourism in the Quad Cities region.
- Roughly half of previous visitors said they had an “excellent” or “very good” perception of the Quad Cities prior to their visit. This number grew to nearly 70% for previous visitors following their visit.
Resonance met with community stakeholders to identify future priorities for the Quad Cities as a destination for visitors and a place for residents to live, work, invest, connect, and experience. They also conducted a quantitative assessment of the Quad Cities’ destination assets and experiences.
During the workshops and sessions, Quad Citizens shared thoughts and perceptions about what makes the Quad Cities a destination for visitors. Using this information, Resonance developed brand elements which are concepts and language to inform and inspire communications about the Quad Cities. The Brand Attributes offer tangible characteristics of the QC to explain the ‘facts’ of the place; the Brand Attitudes capture the emotional connections that showcase the local personality.
The brand development, management, and tourism promotion of the Quad Cities regional destination is for the benefit and wellbeing of every Quad Citizen. It is an essential investment to grow economic opportunities and build quality of life and quality of place for the good of the region.
About Resonance
With offices located in New York and Vancouver, Resonance is a global leader in tourism, economic development, place strategy, place branding and real estate development. Resonance has successfully produced Tourism Strategy work for Travel Portland; Tourism Vancouver; Visit Tulsa; Tourism Montreal; Tourism Calgary; Destination Cleveland; Cincinnati USA; Bellevue, Washington; Snohomish County, Washington; and many others. Resonance is currently engaged in work with Los Angeles, Calif., Metro Tucson, Ariz., Richmond, Va., and San Luis Obispo County, Calif.
About Visit Quad Cities
Founded in 1990, Visit Quad Cities is the official Destination Management and Marketing Organization (DMMO) for the region. Visit Quad Cities is a private 501(c)(6) non-profit engine charged with driving economic opportunity through tourism, building our authentic brand, telling & selling the Quad Cities story, and enhancing Quad Citizens’ quality of life.
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Media Contact: Charlotte Doehler-Morrison, VP Marketing & Communications, Visit Quad Cities, 309-736-6821