Blog #1

Websites Reviewed:
-www.tempecvb.com
-www.charlottesgotalot.com
-www.travelportland.com
-www.visitsanantonio.com
-www.visitgrandrapids.com
-www.washington.org
-www.sixflags.com/magicmountain
-www.visitlasvegas.com
-www.nps.gov/moru
-www.nps.gov/yell
-www.arizonasnowbowl.com


1. Tempe Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (www.tempecvb.com)
-Strengths
· Moving picture slideshow on homepage is very attractive to visual people.
· Broad subject headings so that you don’t have to look through a long list of categories.
· Each corresponding page has contact information at the top of the page so that you can get more information from the CVB.
· Caters to individuals with disabilities and LGBT travelers.
· You are able to contact them through various social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
· There is an events calendar and search bar, with popular Tempe searches, on every page
· When you go into one of the subheadings, not only do they list various activities that you can do, but also provide the link to the activity/attraction website.
-Weaknesses
· Every page has the exact same color scheme and layout.
· Not very much in-depth information about activities/attractions.
· Difficult to stay intrigued and engaged in the website, unless you know already what you are looking for.
· Very large emphasis on what the college is doing and not the other activities outside of the college.
-Opportunities
· Change the website layout to make the subheading sections more unique and eye-catching to the specific target market.
· Add more information so that potential visitors can learn about the activity/attraction from your website rather than going to another one.
· Attract more students from the university to other events and activities outside of the university so that they can stay close to campus yet still feel like they are getting away.
· Use of the light rail can bring people from neighboring cities down to Tempe.
-Threats
· The economic state has made it very difficult for people out of state to travel to Tempe.
· It is the school year so many people try to avoid college towns outside of game day.
· Construction of the light rail has removed various businesses away from Tempe.

2. Charlotte Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (www.charlottesgotalot.com)

-Strengths
· Very creative marketing scheme with saying that “Charlotte’s Got A Lot.”
· Interactive videos make it seem like you are actually there.
· Ability to make reservations on their website for air/hotel/car.
· Broad categories to look up attractions/activities/amenities.
· Rankings of various accommodations, restaurants, etc.
· Clever sayings for what the visitor will be doing when for example they go experience sports and recreation they will be experiencing “Thrill A Lot.”
· Links to other attraction/accommodations websites.
-Weaknesses
· Too many links to other sources and ads on the side of the various pages.
· Small print for the information is not very useful for various users.
· Too many subheadings under the broad sections on the homepage can make users get lost in the website.
· Links to various articles which might not make the destination attractive to the visitor anymore.
-Opportunities
· Target local people to visit various destinations around the town or events for a “staycation.”
· Focus on culture and art attractions in the area along with the various accommodations and activities that are already advertised.
· Update information and offer discounts on social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook.
· Print on the pages needs to be larger so that users can read the information.
-Threats
· Visitors to the site will get distracted by the various ads and they will not spend much time on the website.
· The economic state will make travelers in the area travel to other east coast destinations that have more to offer than Charlotte.
· During summer hurricane season, people will not want to travel to destinations that may be prone to natural disasters.

3. Portland Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (www.travelportland.com)

-Strengths
· Special offers are made to visitors as soon as they enter the website.
· An E-Newsletter is available to interested visitors to tell them more about Portland.
· Hotel packages are offered along with information about various hotels and car rental companies.
· Emphasized the multicultural, eco-friendly, and diverse society that is present in Portland.
· Blog links about various activities that go on in the city.
-Weaknesses
· Very out of date website.
· Plain, boring, and unexciting webpage.
· Very limited information about the area.
· Limited visual attractiveness in showing people participating in activities or pictures in general.
-Opportunities
· Update the website and make it more intriguing so that Google will value your CVB.
· Offer incentives and discounts to people that are outside of the LGBT community.
· Emphasize natural beauty of the area alongside the eco-friendly ideals of the area.
-Threats
· Google emphasized Portland, Maine over Portland, Oregon because of the needed updates of the website.
· Various people that would want to travel to Portland for vacation purposes might not be as accepting of the LGBT lifestyle as Portland and therefore not travel to the destination.
· The economic status of the country makes it very difficult to attract out of state visitors to the area.



4. San Antonio Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (www.visitsanantonio.com)

-Strengths
· Very engaging and colorful website.
· Emphasizes not only the recreational and tourist activities, but also the cultural events and history of the area.
· Offers a travel guide to potential visitors so that they can thoroughly plan their trip.
· Involved in social networks such as Twitter.
· New intriguing pictures and topics under each subheading.
-Weaknesses
· Pictures do not have people in them to show how visitors would enjoy participating in activities.
· Too much information and text that visitors would have to sift through in order to find something that they liked.
· Very cluttered webpage that makes it difficult to concentrate on the information that you are trying to read.
· Links to various activities and attractions are difficult to access and find.
-Opportunities
· Create more free events that the public can take part in so that visitors with limited disposable income can be excited about your city.
· Focus more on the cultural heritage of the area as it is a huge attraction for visitors.
· Since most of the population in the surrounding area is Hispanic, create a link to another version of the webpage that is in Spanish.
-Threats
· Outbreak of the Swine Flu might make travelers choose other destinations that are further away from the Mexico border.
· Neighboring cities such as Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston have more to offer travelers then the San Antonio area.
· The poor economic state reduces the amount of out-of-state travelers that would travel to see various historical sites such as the Alamo and the various missions in the San Antonio area.

5. Grand Rapids Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (www.visitgrandrapids.org)

-Strengths
· Colorful website that showcases the colors of the area.
· Interactive picture slideshow emphasizes various contradicting aspects of the area that are appealing to the area.
· Involved in social networks like Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr.
· Provides information on all appealing aspects of the area.
· There are pictures of people participating in activities during all seasons.
· There is an event’s calendar full of various cultural, social, and recreational events.
-Weaknesses
· Limited information under each subheading.
· Some pages are almost too colorful.
· Little emphasis on the culture of the area.
-Opportunities
· Market to the young generation of people that live in the area in order to show free, active, outdoor activities that are going on in the area.
· Use the surrounding nature as well as urban setting to compliment various activities that people could take part in.
· Attract more families by advertising family-oriented activities so that local families can participate in various activities.
-Threats
· Having only minor league and college sports teams make it difficult to attract sports enthusiasts.
· The close proximity to surrounding areas such as Chicago makes Grand Rapids less attractive to visitors.
· The high prices in the area make the economic hard times even more difficult for the area.

After reviewing these five various convention and visitors’ bureaus from around the country, the website that has the most potential for increasing tourism spending is for the city of Tempe. The city of Tempe has made strong efforts to keep their website updated and intriguing to the user along with connecting to other potential visitors through social networking. Due to the large surrounding metropolitan area as well as close proximity to one of the nation’s busiest airports, Tempe has the ability to attract various types of visitors including: sports enthusiasts, business travelers, college students and parents, golf players, and people that are interested in the arts and culture. Since Tempe is a “college” town, they are able to provide intriguing and new forms of adventure that people will want to take part in within various fields such as nightlife, entertainment, and recreation. Although the culture of the area is fairly new, the college flavor of the area allows for the area to have an evolving culture to it that is always on the cutting edge. The nightlife and fine dining of the area make Tempe a very unique attraction to out-of-state visitors and locals. One of the many attractions of Tempe is the famous Mill Ave. which has various eateries, bars, and cultural shops that tourists can revel in. Tempe is also home to many breweries like the Four Peaks Brewing Company which distributes, “one of the finest ales available.” Such breweries are able to attract beer drinkers from around the state as well as around the country who want to sample the various unique beers. Overall, Tempe is a very well-rounded, cultured, and exciting destination for visitors to travel to and the friendly welcoming atmosphere of the website allows for Tempe to have the largest economic impact within the tourism market.

Currer, Bob. “Celebrate Beer: Four Peaks Microbrewery.” Glendale Restaurant Examiner. Published
September 5, 2009. Retrieved September 7, 2009 from: http://www.examiner.com/x-17840
Glendale-Restaurant-Examiner~y2009m9d5-Celebrate-Beer-Four-Peaks-Microbrewery.