Combining efforts in tourism marketing

DC's a little different of a market because the major attractions: the U.S. Capitol, Supreme Court, White House, and the museums on the National Mall--Smithsonian Institution as well as the National Gallery of Art--are free.

In Brooklyn and Atlanta, new efforts are launching that provide visitors with one pass providing discounts at a number of top attractions. See "Brooklyn a stop for city tourists? Fuhgeddaboutit" from MetroNY and "Attractions embrace one-pass concept: Pair of projects to target tourists as well as locals" from the Atlanta Journal-Constituion (registration required).

Still the idea of working and marketing together makes a lot of sense. For example, the for-profit and non-profit theaters in Downtown DC could jointly market their offerings, since they aren't really competing, except on the basis of a specific night, but it is to their advantage to work together to build the market of people willing to come to Downtown DC to take in culture.

It may be worth it for the Corcoran and Phillips to consider joint marketing efforts, along with admissions-entry historic sites such as the Woodrow Wilson House, the Brewmasters' Castle (Heurich Mansion), Decatur House (donation requested) , etc.

Union Station, National Airport, and Dulles Airport are key places where DC visitor information kiosks should be located, and could be used as one place to market one-pass concept.

Also see the CityPass website for information on similar programs in other cities.

Index Keywords: tourism; arts-culture