Evaluating and Renewing Heritage Tourism 7 th in the Heritage Tourism series Evaluation and Renewal are part of an ongoing cycle of development. We evaluate.

Evaluating and Renewing Heritage Tourism7th in the Heritage Tourism series

Evaluation and Renewal are part of an ongoing cycle of development. We evaluate to ensure that what we have done has contributes to

improving our community’s future.

Presented by Dr. Eric Thompson, College of Business Administration, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 402-472-3318, [email protected]

Evaluating and Renewing Heritage Tourism

Evaluating and Renewing Heritage Tourism

• Why Evaluate?It is a critical in the life cycle of an initiative!1. Address shortcomings2. Building on strengths3. Incorporate lessons learned Into the next phase4. Consider whether the project has worked well enough to continue

into the future

Evaluating and Renewing Heritage Tourism

• Two Approaches to Evaluation:1. Formative evaluation is a tool to use as you are planning. It can

help to refine and “test-drive” approaches and products. Formative evaluation can assist you in knowing which approach among many options to take.

2. Summative evaluation is used to discover whether you have accomplished what you set out to do. Summative evaluation looks at the effects of your work for the intended purpose. Summative also looks at the individuals who have been involved in your services or products and the impact or results on your visitors or users.

Evaluating and Renewing Heritage Tourism

• Factors to be Considered1. Are you meeting your intended goals?2. Is your initiative functioning?3. Logic Models – are the underlying assumptions correct?4. Outcomes – Did the expected outcomes occur?

Evaluating and Renewing Heritage Tourism

• Form An Evaluation Group1. An evaluation group or task force that reflects the diverse

perspectives of the community, and a share commitment to evaluation

2. Shared commitment to evaluation includes organizational development, schedule commitment, and agreement on goals and priority

3. Start early – must identify the data that needs to be gathered so that it can be gathered along the way

Evaluating and Renewing Heritage Tourism

• Methodology – Getting Started1. Consider who is interested in the evaluation2. Consider obtaining an outside expert to help with the

evaluation, perhaps from State extension or the broader university system

3. Develop a plan for cross-checking results

Evaluating and Renewing Heritage Tourism

• Benchmarking1. Did the Initiative achieve what was planned?2. Were the events of high quality – comparison with other

events considered to be of high quality

Evaluating and Renewing Heritage Tourism

• Economic Impact Study1. A variety of potential metrics – visitors, sales, employment2. Choice of comparison communities is key – how much did

heritage activity change relative to comparison community?3. A formal economic impact model – with calculated multipliers

– may be necessary in cases where there is a key external patron of the project

Evaluating and Renewing Heritage Tourism

• Economic Impact Study1. Economic Impact Worksheets and Example Surveys are

provided2. Examples also provided:

• The Effect of a Smoke-Free Ordinance on Easting and Drinking Places in Lincoln, Nebraska. McGarvey, Thompson, Dority and Sainath. A Bureau of Business Research Report, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 2006.

• Big Box Stores: Their Impacts on the Economy and Tips for Competing. Golden, Jeutang, Pattaik, Rosenbaum and Thompson. A Bureau of Business Research Report, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 2006

Economic Impact Worksheet

Evaluating and Renewing Heritage Tourism

• When the initiative fell short, test the assumptions of the Logic Model

1. Were the underlying assumptions correct?2. Two sources:

• W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Logic Model Development Guide. 2004. • University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension's Program

Development and Evaluation unit has materials, especially the guidebook: Developing a Logic Model: Teaching and Training Guide (2008).

Evaluating and Renewing Heritage Tourism

• Renewal1. “Products, brands and tourism sites and programs go through

different life cycles or stages” 2. “Consider it as a part of your communications, marketing and

planning” 3. “It is important that each site make an honest assessment of their

place in the brand life cycle and decide what can improve their marketing presence in the tourism field. Heritage sites may not literally die, like a brand or products, but they can become economic liabilities”

quotes from Francis Boggus, Community Planning & Development, Des Moines, Iowa

Evaluating and Renewing Heritage Tourism

• Life Cycle 1. Development2. Introduction3. Growth4. Maturity5. Decline and Renewal

Evaluating and Renewing Heritage Tourism

• Strategies for Renewal1. For existing sites

a. Maintain the attraction with hope that interest will recover, but scale down cost

b. Harvest the brand and cost with an internet presence onlyc. Discontinue the heritage site and close itd. Renew the attraction appeal to tourists

2. Develop additional sites or events as part of heritage initiative

Check out our networking & planning resources!

Website of planning resourceshttp://museum.msu.edu/heritagetourism • let us know what you think • identify & share resources

Heritage Tourism Initiative

Eric ThompsonDepartment of Economics and Bureau of Business ResearchCollege of Business AdministrationUniversity of Nebraska-LincolnLincoln, [email protected]

Contact

Comments & QuestionsThank you!