Maintaining state tourism funding and supporting HB 2056 needs your action. Contacting your elected state officials directly is the only way to ensure they know how critical this issue to the health of our local economies. You’ll also want to share this story with the news media.
Figures in these documents are sourced from D.K. Shifflet & Associates, Ltd., IHS Global Insight, Inc., and Smith Travel Research. Write a letter or E-mail to your state senators and representatives Find your General Assembly representatives The attached Excel workbook has three separate spreadsheets. The first is the listing of all TPAs, with corresponding legislators. The second and third tabs have each legislator’s contact information. Download a sample letter to a legislator Here is a sample letter highlighting the key issues of tourism funding. Please download and localize it, to send to your own area legislators. Download a sample letter in .doc format Create a postcard campaign for your stakeholders At your next public event involving your members and/or stakeholders, create generic postcards (see linked examples below). The idea is to ask each person to fill out the front of the postcard by hand, simply asking their legislator to support the restoration of increased tourism funding. Have them also fill out their home address. Collect the postcards, and have your staff use the website http://www.legis.state.pa.us to match each individual with his/her legislator. Fill in the information for them, and send the postcards yourself on their behalf as soon as possible; our intention is to have the postcards arrive when legislators are working on the budget. Postcard Front - PDF File The native Photoshop files are included above in case you wish to make any changes to the actual piece as well as the PDF. The PDFs are the files to send directly to the printer for production. Size: 6” (w) x 4.25” (h) (this is the largest a postcard can be to receive the lower postcard mailing rate). As for printing, we are using an 80# cover stock which is a little thicker and better for mailing. Postcard 2 Front Download state tourism funding talking points Stay abreast of the important facts and figures concerning this issue with these talking points. Download talking points document in .doc format Working with the media, including a sample press release As long as you remember the fundamental principle that in interacting with the press, each party has a job to do, then all else flows from there. Media interviews are not a conversation, but rather an exchange. Your CVB wants to get its message(s) across, the journalist wants to report the news. End of story. Remember also that you should consider your comments “on the record” at all times. In addition to utilizing the sample release below, you’ll want to craft a Media Advisory if you decide to hold a press event/conference. The advisory briefly lists the who, what, when, where, and why of your event, and contact details. Send the advisory to media three or four days in advance, and then follow up with phone calls to key outlets either the afternoon before or the morning of your event. Two other informational items that you might consider providing the media as you talk with them about this issue: (1) a one-page Backgrounder on your organization & general tourism facts in your area, and (2) one or two good examples of prior press coverage of the issue – locally, statewide, or nationally. Lastly, make sure full contact details are included on any material you provide to the media. Please download and localize the release, to send to your own area media. Download the sample press release in .doc format Download the Tourism FAQ The Tourism FAQ answers, “Don’t visitors just show up anyway?” and, “Don’t local hotel taxes provide sufficient funding to accomplish everything?” among other common questions. Download the Tourism FAQ document in .doc format Download the PA Tourism = Jobs logo |
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Special thanks to Spencer | Advertising | Marketing for their continued support of PA Tourism with their pro bono work in creating the branding for this initiative. © Copyright 2009 PA Tourism Equals Jobs |
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