“Tourism is the front door. It sells quality of life better than anything.”
~ Roger Brooks, April 19, 2022
After a global pandemic twice delayed Arizona-based marketer Roger Brooks’ visit to Huron County, he finally delivered his three-hour Destinations Recovery workshop to an audience of entrepreneurs, economic developers and politicians today. He used more than 500 photos taken in his secret shopper tour of Goderich, Clinton, Brussels, Blyth and Zurich, along with points in between, to demonstrate changes we can make to help tourists find and experience our gems, and invite them back.
Just a few suggestions included: wider sidewalks and narrower streets, welcoming facades with benches and planters, hours posted at entrances to sites, improved wayfinding and blade signs.
In the afternoon, he led a roundtable of community leaders to discuss next steps.
Funding for this initiative comes from Community Futures Huron, through the FedDev Ontario’s Regional Relief and Recovery Fund. It is co-ordinated by the Huron Chamber of Commerce – Goderich, Central and North Huron.
His presentation and the video will be available on the Chamber’s website in a few weeks.
