{"id":14829,"date":"2023-03-27T10:11:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-27T15:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/?p=14829"},"modified":"2023-03-23T10:12:05","modified_gmt":"2023-03-23T15:12:05","slug":"rural-tourism-trends-say-small-towns-are-still-cool","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/2023\/03\/rural-tourism-trends-say-small-towns-are-still-cool.html","title":{"rendered":"Rural tourism trends say small towns are still cool"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>But you already knew that<\/h1>\n<div id=\"attachment_14833\" style=\"width: 778px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14833\" class=\"size-full wp-image-14833\" src=\"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Some-travel-trends-via-Longwoods-Intl-at-IITA-San-Diego-2023-2-768x519-1.jpg\" alt=\"Slide text: Times are changing. Putting new destinations on the map: rural towns, countryside, and back to cities. A domestic rediscovery. Blended travel creates longer stays and workcations. Brighter light on wellness. \" width=\"768\" height=\"519\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Some-travel-trends-via-Longwoods-Intl-at-IITA-San-Diego-2023-2-768x519-1.jpg 768w, https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Some-travel-trends-via-Longwoods-Intl-at-IITA-San-Diego-2023-2-768x519-1-300x203.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-14833\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Some possible travel trends to blog about via Longwoods International, on a slide during the IITA (International Inbound Travel Association) annual conference in San Diego, California. Photo by Sheila Scarborough.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tourismcurrents.com\/about\/\">Tourism Currents<\/a>, experts on social media for tourism, wrote about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tourismcurrents.com\/5-travel-trends-to-blog-about-right-now\/\">5 travel trends to blog about right now<\/a>, and there&#8217;s a lot for rural communities to latch onto there.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mc-toc-title\">1) Wellness Travel<\/h2>\n<p>Sheila says, &#8220;where people can go to relax, detox, relieve stress, get a massage and spa treatments, eat healthy food, be more mindful, get some exercise, etc.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>You can promote your clean air and water, and even your small town slow pace of life is part of wellness.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mc-toc-title\">2) Sustainable, Eco-Friendly Travel<\/h2>\n<p>Some of the keyword trends include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Greener, more local getaways<\/li>\n<li>Environmentally-friendly travel ideas<\/li>\n<li>Eco-friendly, eco-conscious vacations<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"mc-toc-title\">3) Multigenerational and Family Travel<\/h2>\n<p>Sheila said there has been a spike in searches for &#8220;where to plan a family reunion.&#8221; This is a great chance to feature how safe your town is for kids, how many activities are open to everyone in the family.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_14698\" style=\"width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14698\" class=\"size-large wp-image-14698\" src=\"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/HipCamp-cabin-CC-by-Myles-Tan-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A rustic wooden cabin on a platform stands on a gentle hillside surrounded by green trees. Photo CC by Myles Tan\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/HipCamp-cabin-CC-by-Myles-Tan-800x533.jpg 800w, https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/HipCamp-cabin-CC-by-Myles-Tan-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/HipCamp-cabin-CC-by-Myles-Tan-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/HipCamp-cabin-CC-by-Myles-Tan.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-14698\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A rural cabin rented via HipCamp. Photo CC by Myles Tan<\/p><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"mc-toc-title\">4) An Appreciation for Nature &amp; The Outdoors<\/h2>\n<p><strong>&#8220;Smaller towns, rural areas, scenic byways \u2013 they all have an advantage right now,<\/strong> in that travelers still very much want the natural beauty they can offer,&#8221; Sheila said.<\/p>\n<p>Hello, nature! See our pair of articles on <a href=\"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/2022\/12\/harvest-hosts-attract-vanlifers-and-rv-tourists-boondockers-welcome.html\">Harvest Host, Boondockers Welcome<\/a> and also <a href=\"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/2022\/12\/extra-agritourism-revenue-from-camping-cabins-and-rvs-with-hipcamp.html\">HipCamp<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mc-toc-title\">5) Unique, Local Experiences<\/h2>\n<p>Sheila said travelers want to &#8220;Learn about and support local culture. Do something hands-on, like a cooking or craft class, that teaches you about that local culture.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Look to your local artists, crafters, musicians, makers and other fun creatives. Do they offer short term or one-day classes? Are there longer retreats in your area? All these are smart things to share about your community.<\/p>\n<h1>Is this just a fad? No.<\/h1>\n<p>\u201cThere has been a big uprise in traveling to smaller towns that have some quirky and regional appeal,\u201d said Arabella Bowen, executive editorial director of Fodor\u2019s Travel. \u201cThere is a want for a local, authentic, mom-and-pop experience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s from 2013. And it could just as well be from 2023.<\/p>\n<p>All the themes from 2013&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/2013\/10\/changing-travel-motivations-favor-small-towns.html\">Changing travel motivations favor small towns<\/a> are still true. People want to explore, visit local artists, and get off the beaten path.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_14866\" style=\"width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14866\" class=\"size-large wp-image-14866\" src=\"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/What-to-do-in-Crowsnest-Pass-Alberta-Pinterest-2023-800x600.png\" alt=\"A Pinterest board showing local businesses and attractions in Crows Nest Pass, Alberta, Canada.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/What-to-do-in-Crowsnest-Pass-Alberta-Pinterest-2023-800x600.png 800w, https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/What-to-do-in-Crowsnest-Pass-Alberta-Pinterest-2023-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/What-to-do-in-Crowsnest-Pass-Alberta-Pinterest-2023-768x576.png 768w, https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/What-to-do-in-Crowsnest-Pass-Alberta-Pinterest-2023.png 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-14866\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Make your &#8220;What to do in&#8230;&#8221; Pinterest Board today!<\/p><\/div>\n<h1>What to do: action steps<\/h1>\n<p>Of course <strong>blog<\/strong> about any of these topics, as Sheila suggests.<\/p>\n<p>Share anything from your town that fits into these trends on your <strong>social channels.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Promote these destinations on your <strong>&#8220;What to do in [town]&#8221; Pinterest board.<\/strong> We&#8217;ve said it before, but this is still a great tip!<\/p>\n<h3>Play up your quirky businesses, mention your local characters, and share the things that some folks find embarrassing but that make your town unique.<\/h3>\n<p>Full disclosure: I helped co-found Tourism Currents along with Sheila Scarborough.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/get-updates.html\">Subscribe to SmallBizSurvival<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>But you already knew that Tourism Currents, experts on social media for tourism, wrote about 5 travel trends to blog about right now, and there&#8217;s a lot for rural communities to latch onto there. 1) Wellness Travel Sheila says, &#8220;where people can go to relax, detox, relieve stress, get a massage and spa treatments, eat [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":14833,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,3,8,2,36],"tags":[649,529,469,499,468],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Some-travel-trends-via-Longwoods-Intl-at-IITA-San-Diego-2023-2-768x519-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14829"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14829"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14829\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14869,"href":"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14829\/revisions\/14869"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14833"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14829"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14829"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14829"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}