LT-2019-026-Thorp Mill Town - Laserfiche WebLink

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Response 1: The Thorp Mill is identified as a key Heritage Tourism resource for Kittitas County Project/Event in the 2016 Tourism Plan. However, attendance to the Mill has dropped off Description* markedly since we ceased our broad-based advertising in 2014 and instead spent those funds on advertisements that focused on the Antiques Market. Our intention is to use Kittitas County Lodging Tax funding in order to enhance our audience engagement, via our website, social media, and email marketing. We have chosen to focus on digital marketing because --despite an overall decrease in attendance --there have been significant increases in event attendance correlated with "boosting" Facebook ads. TABLE 1: Mill Visitors by Type and Year TYPE OF VISIT/YEAR 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Docent -guided visits 1449 1901 1667 839 835 1261 -- Self-guided visits 3648 4964 4522 2766 2181 1165 -- Special Events 400 450 432 401 456 487 -- ANNUAL TOTAL 5098 7315 6621 4006 3472 2913 -- * Partial total through Sept. 1, 2018 is 695 docent -guided visits Target Audience: The Thorp Mill is a "Gateway" tourist attraction, because of WSDOT Brown Historic Interest signage on 1-90 that pulls travelers from east and west off the highway. We want to use digital marketing in order to target 1-90 travelers before they leave for their trip to Kittitas County. We have drawn family visitors from around the state and region for our major solo and cooperative events: Thorp Days, Mountain -to Sound Greenway Visit, Fall Festival, and Summer Music at the Mill. We also regularly schedule group visits and/or overnights from John Wayne Trail Riders, special interest groups, and educational groups. Our facility is open with docent -guided tours from May through September, and for self -guided tours during the remainder of the year. TABLE 2: Home of Origin of Visitors Origin of Visitors % of Total Visitors Local: Less than 50 miles 19% Regional: More than 50 miles 55% Out of State or Country 26% Total 100% 2500 character limit List of Intended Use of Funds* $1,500.00 Email marketing $1,420 Website development and hosting $1,560 Social media engagement $1,800 Website maintenance 21 Projections of Increased Tourism Please provide the following estimates of how any money received will result in increases in the number of people traveling for business or pleasure on a trip: 1. Away from their place of residence or business and staying overnight in paid accommodations; 2. To a place fifty miles or more away from their place of residence or business for the day or staying overnight; 3. or from another country or state outside of their place of residence or business.