Hopefully,
the idea for a tour has come about due to some unique feature(s)/event(s)
that are already in place and that there has been interest expressed in
the development of a tour.
That
will help greatly as the basic elements are in place. If the
desire for tour development is based on the idea that it will help the
community by increasing tourism - you will need to be careful and
cautious. The reason is that you will need to create the market
and appeal for the public to want to attend.
Tour
development should be based on a topic and/or asset that is unique to
your region or is a first time tour, in the region, on a more general
subject. Brainstorming with community leaders to determine your
most marketable tour potential is the best way to explore the
opportunities. Do an objective evaluation by prioritizing the list
with the group or a larger body. In addition you may want to test
the idea with focus groups in your market area (see the section on
research).
Don’t
overlook the obvious. Many times a community is too close to the
subject to see the potential. If you have a church with a unique
organ - exploring an organ tour with other sites having unique or
special organs could appeal to a certain audience. If your region
has some special sculptural items in its cemeteries, that may also be a
tour potential. The topics can range from art to architecture to
mill sites, music and museums.