Our Services

How RTP Helps Communities

Community Planning Facilitation

What is it? Residents, business owners and community service people come together with a goal of creating common ground on what they want to see happen in their community. Through a series of three-to-four workshops, it becomes evident very soon in the process that attendees have many of the same ideas for improving livability and adding improvements to their towns. The result is a solid plan with prioritized projects, volunteers to lead each project, and suggested resources for funding. It’s an effective way of bringing your town together in a common vision.

Developing Local Experiences

What does your town or county have that makes it a desirable place to visit? Or for locals to discover? Experience programs uncover the uniqueness of your area, and surprisingly, many things that towns often take for granted, but that visitors find enriching. Experiences may include local foods, outdoor recreation, stewardship projects, arts and cultural heritage, water trails, agritourism and accessibility. When packaged as a niche experience, it will not only attract visitors, but can attract new businesses. Add wayfinding to these experience trails to help direct visitors to their next adventure.

Strategic Marketing Development

Need help in creating a vision and plan for marketing your destination? Don’t have the time or staff to create a strategic plan, let alone follow through on it? That’s a good reason to consider contracting with a “fractional chief marketing officer,” or fCMO. This offers strategic planning with tourism sector input, targeted campaign initiatives with implementation, and oversight and reporting of activities and results. All at a fraction of the cost of hiring a full-time staff person. It’s also a way to prevent being talked into advertising campaigns that you don’t really want or need, which can be a very expensive situation.

Grant Development and Management

Want to invest in the community tourism sector? Wondering how to do that? Develop a grant program, and manage it right. Many towns that collect lodging tax struggle with ways to use it. By creating a grant program, with specific eligibility for who can apply and for what, you can remain within laws about how lodging tax is spent, while investing in tourism sector businesses and community amenities that both residents and visitors will enjoy.

What Clients Are Saying

  • “I've been searching for a destination that is committed to community-based tourism. I finally found it under the guidance of Nan Devlin."

    —Cevat Tosun, PhD
    The George Washington University

  • “Every destination needs a ‘Nan.’ She not only has the vision, she gets things done.”

    —Kristin Monahan
    CEO, Kelly Nonprofit Consulting

  • "Nan was the artist that painted the canvas of our community plan, and guided us toward getting several projects completed."

    —Oceanside Action Partnership

  • “You've set a standard for tourism grant investments in the community."

    —Michelle Woodard
    Director of Stewardship Investments, Travel Oregon

  • “The more strategic tourism we bring to this county, the more we can keep our own dollars in the county."

    — Derrick Josi
    Wilsonview Dairy Farm, TDF Honest Farming

  • "Nan's leadership is exceptional. She has a unique ability to bring diverse voices together, communicate with clarity, and turn community input into meaningful action."

    —Bruce Jaeger, OAP

Addressing the crowd at the opening of the newly redesigned Cape Kiwanda parking lot and restroom

Ready to turn your community into a thriving tourism destination?

Learn how Rural Tourism Partners can help you with community-based tourism, experiences development, strategic marketing or grant management.

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