Nature is Everywhere: Why You Don’t Need a National Park to Promote the Outdoors
When we hear the word “nature,” our minds often drift to the sublime landscape of the Grand Canyon, or to the stunning views of Sequoia National Park or Niagara Falls. Without a doubt, national parks and monuments have become staples of outdoor experiences. But what if your destination doesn’t have one of these “spectacular” landscapes to offer? Too often, city-based destinations are overlooked for the simple reason that they lack the sparkling bodies of water or grandiose mountains that have become synonymous with the term “the outdoors.”
But you don’t have to have a national park in your backyard in order to promote the unique outdoor space that your destination offers visitors. In fact, as the most popular parks and monuments scramble to deal with the damaging effects of overtourism, it is more important than ever to market lesser-known natural spaces in order to divert traffic from these well-trodden areas.
Take a look at some of the ways that your destination can promote its unique outdoor offerings:
Indigenous Lands
Photo by Stéphane Paul
By visiting tourism-friendly indigenous land, travelers have the incredible opportunity to support local indigenous communities while also learning about the rich history and cultural traditions of various Native American groups. Promoting reservations not only supports job creation, but also supports Native communities and tribes themselves. Many of the hospitality businesses are owned by the tribes themselves, so profits flow directly into the indigenous community. Visitation to Native reservations can also help inform the public on the realities of colonization and environmental injustice, and the ways that these issues still impact indigenous communities today.
However, it is important to note that if your destination is going to promote indigenous lands, then Indigenous voices need to be an integral part of all destination marketing plans. Rather than promoting knowledge that may appropriate or exploit indigenous traditions, tourism profits must be directed towards the communities themselves.
Boardwalks & Waterfronts
Photo by GLP
Coastal communities can tap into the natural beauty of the water and help highlight local businesses with boardwalk systems. On Prince Edwards Island, Canada, a 435 mile boardwalk was constructed for exactly this reason–the boardwalk features sights around the island and different local seafood restaurants. This is also a way to promote accessibility in tourism by allowing for people of all bodies and abilities to experience the outdoors.
Similarly, waterfronts are spectacular spaces to promote, especially during the warmer months. Destinations can capitalize on the myriad of outdoor activities that waterfronts offer, ranging from walkable lakeside parks to kayaking and paddleboarding. Just take a look at Ocala, Florida–the Central Florida town offers opportunities for biking, tubing, hiking, canoeing, and boating all by their natural spring waterways. Check out GLP’s article on blue tourism, which further discusses how to incorporate sustainability into water focused destinations.
Botanical Gardens
Photo by Annie Spratt
Another option for promoting unique outdoor landscapes is through local botanical gardens. Botanical gardens allow for destinations to feature local botany as well as plants from around the world. Botanical gardens are also often located in downtown areas and can help support local businesses nearby. For example, the Queens Botanical Gardens is located right in downtown Flushing, New York City, , attracting visitors to neighboring shops and restaurants.
Street Art
Photo by GLP
While art museums and galleries offer an extensive range of pieces for visitors, nothing can visually tell the stories of a place like street art. Street artists can help bring cities to life with pops of color against traditional brick and mortar buildings. Street artwork has the power to captivate audiences with large murals of historically significant people and places or brighten an alleyway with a series of images highlighting important social, political, local or global issues.
Outdoor Venues
Photo by Ruby Doan
Event centers do not have to be limited to the indoors. Streets can be temporarily closed off to create room for events, farmers markets, festivals, or outdoor seating. In Lewiston, New York the event space Art Park has an outdoor theater for concerts and park space for art installations. By designating a space in nature for the community, visitors can enjoy the outdoors while participating in a variety of events that contribute to local tourism.
Branching out to other types of unique outdoor spots has a variety of benefits: community engagement, diversifying a portfolio for destination marketing, broadening visiting seasons, and economic benefits. Every location has a story to tell–whether they have national parks or other local gems to showcase. Destination marketing does not have to start with what we think is considered nature, it can start with the first step we take into the outdoors.