Porter County Destination Audit and Product Positioning Analysis

Porter County




Destination Audit




and Product




Positioning Analysis



Executive Summary
April 2005



Nichols
Tourism
Group

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E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y


Similar to destinations around the country, Porter County faces a tourism
environment with rapidly escalating competition and an increasingly
demanding consumer marketplace. Given this environment, the Porter County
Convention, Recreation & Visitor Commission (PCCRVC) retained Phoenix-based
Nichols Tourism Group and its alliance partner The National Laboratory of Tourism
and eCommerce at Temple University to develop a Destination Audit and
Product Positioning Analysis. The planning effort was crafted in a manner which
included both private and public sector entities to ensure the ultimate plan
would be embraced as an industry-wide plan.

The planning effort incorporated a process used by NTG around the county and
includes five primary topic areas. These study elements and key findings are
summarized below.

Why it is critical for Porter County to place a focus on its tourism
industry and future development opportunities?

♦ Many states and destinations are placing additional efforts in
building tourism as a key “base” industry. They recognize the
industry brings new spending and tax generation to their
communities, generates direct and indirect jobs, expands the
range of quality of life features for their residents and plays an
important facilitator role in other economic development efforts.
♦ Iowa, Illinois, Michigan and Kentucky all have programs which go
beyond just marketing tourism and work towards developing the
right new products within their borders.
♦ These examples illustrate how more are moving towards a
proactive versus reactive mode of new tourism product
development.
♦ Porter County already possesses major visitor attractions in the
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and State Park. However, as the
study points out, it is not fully capitalizing on these economic
“engines” and proactive efforts to expand the role of tourism have
strong potential within the County.

How do visitors currently perceive the Porter County visitor
environment?

♦ The Indiana Dunes region of Indiana is a well regarded destination
with publications like Mobile Travel Guide characterizing it with the
following: “Just as Californians head for the sand and surf of Malibu
and Easterners flock to sandy expanses of the Jersey shore,
Midwesterners journey to the rolling sand dunes and hidden
beaches of northwestern Indiana.”

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E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y


♦ Further insights to perceptions were gained by a sample of 421
prospective Porter County visitors from Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and
Michigan. Additional clarity was developed as to key opportunities
for the County.
♦ While more than 3 million visitors come annually to visit and
recreate in Porter County, more than 2/3rds see the destination
solely as a day trip option, thus limiting the economic contribution
of much of this visitor base to the County.
♦ The strong recognition of the Indiana Dunes region was evident
when respondents were asked which places first come to mind
when thinking of pleasure travel and vacations of one day or
longer. The Indiana Dunes region was the fourth most frequently
noted destination, behind Mackinac Island, Brown County, and
Wisconsin Dells.
♦ Respondents were asked what activities they participated in during
their trip to the Dunes region and as expected, beaches and state
parks were the key activities that are truly driving most visitors to
decide on the Dunes region. Outlet and mall shopping, visiting
quaint downtowns and family activities were also important
activities. While Porter County’s strongest asset is a National
Lakeshore positioned near a dense metropolitan area hiking,
biking, birding and ecological activities all fell into the lowest
activity categories.
♦ The Dunes’ region highest competitive strengths were its beach,
relaxing outdoor environments and shopping experiences. Its
convenient access, good value and range of festivals and events
were also very highly recognized strengths of the region.
♦ While possessing these strengths, other destinations were perceived
significantly stronger in their range of food offerings and in their
quality of accommodations – important features in a visitor’s
decision to extend their length of stay.
♦ A final element of the survey questioned those respondents who
had received travel information by contacting the tourism office,
responding to advertising or visiting their website within the past
year. These questions were used to develop a better
understanding of how these contacts were influencing prospective
traveler’s actions.
♦ Most of these recipients found the travel information very helpful,
with all ratings being above average. The provision of maps and
understanding what to see and do were the most highly regarded
elements of these materials. In addition to helping in these roles, 15
percent of respondents noted they extended the length of their trip
because of these materials, adding an average of 1.9 days to their
trip.
♦ Respondents were also asked if they decided where to stay or visit
as the result of the advertising or travel information obtained before

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E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y


or during the trip. More than one-half noted their decision on what
shop or attraction they chose was influenced by these materials.

What tourism product strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and
threats are currently possessed by Porter County?

♦ To facilitate this SWOT analysis, Porter County’s tourism products
were categorized in one of five key product categories; Nature
and Adventure, Culture and Heritage, Sports and Outdoor
Recreation, Entertainment and Attractions, and Lodging and
Conference. The major tourism products within each of these
segments were inventoried and the associated SWOT factors were
then considered.
♦ A wide range of SWOT issues were identified in the analysis and
based on those factors, the following critical issues were prioritized
within each of the categories.
♦ Nature and Adventure
♦ The linkages and integration of natural resource products
must be expanded.
♦ Approaches to educating existing and potential visitor bases
to these nature based experiences must be expanded.
♦ Culture and Heritage
♦ Thinking “Geotourism” and integrating existing
cultural/heritage products with the region’s natural
resources hold the greatest potential to leverage this
segment.
♦ Porter County must recognize its strongest areas of cultural
and heritage differentiation and work to develop them in
new and different ways.
♦ Sports and Outdoor Recreation and Entertainment and Attractions
♦ Coordination and assistance in marketing to targeted visitor
segments is the greatest opportunity to build this segment.
♦ Provide assistance and advocacy to the right new products.
♦ Lodging and Conference
♦ Expansion and enhancement of lodging stock can best be
influenced by extending the length of visitor’s stay.

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E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y




What steps should Porter County undertake to capitalize on
future opportunities?

♦ In order to act on the findings of this analysis effort three primary
initiatives were develop. They include:

Initiative 1
Build on Porter County’s nature based competitive advantage and use to evolve
visitation to a longer stay option.

♦ Porter County should take a lesson from other regions of the U.S.
which have developed linkages and trails around common themes
and implement this type of thinking using the strong brand identity
of Indiana Dunes to develop the “Indiana Dunes Nature and
Heritage Trail.”
♦ These nature based trails can integrate green pathways and
thorough fare development to help both visitors and residents
understand how to experience these assets and facilitate their
movement through the county.
♦ In addition to enhanced collateral materials, web site integration
and signage, the new PCCRVC Visitor Center will have a strong
opportunity to educate a much broader range of visitors in regards
to this new trail and should serve as a centerpiece for trail system
presentations.
♦ The opportunity to reach and educate visitors about the nature
and heritage trail, while enhancing Porter County natural
environments should also be considered within the Indiana Dunes
State Park. Reuse alternatives of the Pavilion are being considered
and should include some form of enhanced food and beverage
facilities, along with an interpretive element for not only the Dunes
themselves, but for the broader Porter County visitor experience.
♦ In order to move forward on this initiative a variety of steps should
be taken including:
1. Boundaries for the trail system should be determined – will they
include only Porter County or should elements in adjoining
counties be considered.
2. Inventory of both natural resource and heritage elements
should be undertaken, with an associated grading of the
quality and potential interest potential.
3. Identify a minimum of five themes in which the trails would be
developed (Birding, Great Lake Heritage, Ecology etc).
4. Develop integrated trails which link the identified elements
around the chosen themes and consider ways in which green

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E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y


pathways and thorough fare development can be





incorporated.
5. Create marketing and collateral materials, using the new
visitor center as a central staging area.

Initiative 2
Integrate unique heritage elements of Porter County which can further
differentiate the region and reinforce the area as a visitor destination.

♦ A unique opportunity exists for Porter County in which steel and its
history on the Great Lakes is presented. Importantly, this steel and
port attraction would not have to stimulate fundamental visitation
to the region, but would only need to engage the 3 million plus
visitors who already chose the Indiana Dunes region on an annual
basis.
♦ While a range of names could be chosen, a working title could be
“Indiana’s Steel Fortress.” The attraction would tell the story of steel
both within America and on the Great Lakes. The attraction could
be separate from operating plants, but still use today’s
technologies to allow visitors to experience the manufacturing
process and the evolution of the industry.
♦ In order to move forward on this initiative a variety of steps should
be taken including:
1. Discussions should commence with ISG, Port authorities and
other related entities as to the concept and interest level.
2. Potential integration should be considered with state heritage
groups like the Indiana Heritage and Culture Council, as well as
ways to integrate concept within the Marquette Plan.
3. Based on input from the various entities, preliminary concepts
should be developed that provide a preliminary understanding
of the attraction size, acreage requirements and potential
ownership/operating structures.
4. Using the preliminary conceptual concepts, initial funding
requirements and prospective sources would be identified.


Initiative 3
Facilitate the expansion or enhancement of family oriented visitor products.

♦ Existing family entertainment related products possess limited
linkages and cross promotions and most are not powerful enough
to stimulate a visitor’s travel decision. The PCCRVC can play an
important coordinator role in developing cross marketing materials
that help sell and promote these family attractions.
♦ An Indiana Dunes Attraction Passport could be developed which
integrated a broad range of family oriented attractions in a single

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E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y


booklet, with many offering some form of value element in the
passport. The passport would be offered through the web, as well
as in the individual attractions and hotels, broadening the
understanding of visitors as to the range of experiences and
attractions available.
♦ The destination itself should also play a critical role in advocating
and assisting in new development or enhancement efforts by
developing a Tourism Product Development Council in which they
review plans, provide advice and if they meet certain criteria,
advocate on a developer’s behalf.
♦ In order to move forward on this initiative a variety of steps should
be taken including:
1. The range of family oriented attractions should be integrated
in a session in which the Passport concept is presented and
discussions on value oriented offers and cross-selling
approaches held.
2. Based on these discussions, the PCCRVC should develop a
mock up of a Passport and coordinate prospective
production and distribution approaches.
3. The PCCRVC should begin discussions with its Board and
associated entities (County Planning and Zoning, Economic
Development etc) regarding the development of a Porter
County Tourism Product Development Council. Council
makeup and key criteria they would consider in order to play
an advocacy role would be determined.

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