Much noise has been made of the mess that has become airport security.
The recent introduction of TSA’s high resolution body scanners and the “pat downs” (formerly known as “getting to second base”) have stirred up a hornet’s nest of grass roots discontent.
As you might expect, there has been much hand-wringing in political circles over the issue.
Attempts have been made to position the changes as part of one party’s political agenda, but anyone with a brain has watched these changes develop during the domain of at least two parties.
Students of history such as Flathead Beacon editor Kellyn Brown noted a recent New Yorker blog post revealing editorial cartoons dating back to the 1930’s that predict this sort of thing.
In political circles, you’ll find people on both sides of the aisle that aren’t too happy about the situation…but today’s message isn’t about politics.
It’s about opportunity.
Opportunity? What opportunity?
It’s a chance to say “look at me!” for the thousands of communities that you can visit and have a great time in with your family and/or friends – without the scan and grope.
Specifically, I’m talking about every town whose hub airport doesn’t have the full body scanners and therefore doesn’t (currently) have the “pat down”.
It’s a silly little thing in some ways, but it’s at the top of the news these days – which is why I bring it up as a tool for your use.
Whether we’re talking about parents with young kids and/or teenagers, or those who aren’t so sure about the conflicting claims of doctors and Federal agencies regarding the radiation the scanners utilize, it’s a sticking point for a lot of folks.
If you want your beds filled, your restaurant tables turning twice as often, or your attraction filled to the gills, how you feel about the scanners and pat downs isn’t nearly as important as how your potential customers feel about them.
Yes, that goes for most things, but in this case, it’s an angle that big city tourism cannot use.
Getting started
So…open a map and a browser and a few airline and train schedules and make a list of the communities that can get to and from your place without encountering the latex glove – and without umpteen changes of planes and airlines.
Just because they can get there with planes, trains and automobiles doesn’t mean they want that kind of hassle.
Next, and this is the critical part a lot of folks will skip, look at your existing visitor history. I hope you already know this, but if you don’t, you should still have the data.
What are the top three, five, ten (whatever) most-visitors-from cities in your visitor history that are *also* on the list of “no-scan, no-grope” communities?
Do unto others
It’s becoming obvious now: Some cooperative advertising is in the cards.
Can your small town (or not) Chamber and/or tourism board contact theirs? You could do it on your own.
Trade out some tit-for-tat advertising.
For example, their chamber can send an email blast to their members and include an insert in their print newsletter about the fun stuff that you can do in your beautiful area. Your chamber can return the favor.
I hear the objections already. But they won’t cooperate. Or they have fewer members than we do so it isn’t fair.
Horse biscuits.
Chase down those dozen communities, even if you have to approach similar competition in those areas. Each of you have something to gain from adventures such as these.
Who knows, you might even find some synergy that outlasts the TSA ridiculousness and allows you to create an annual program for cross promotion.
It isn’t about egos. It’s about visitors.
Money loves speed
It’s also about speed. You can’t wait 90 days to make this happen.
TSA is top of the news now and on people’s mind now, so you must grab the train as it goes by and climb aboard.
Next month or next week, there might be something else you can latch onto. Perhaps what you learn from this exercise will make that effort even more successful.
Finally, you don’t need to wait for someone to make news. You can create your own.
Want to learn more about Mark or ask him to write about a business, operations or marketing problem? See Mark’s site or contact him via email at mriffey at flatheadbeacon.com.