It is important to know what the competition in surrounding destinations offers to visitors so that plans can include strategies to deal with their efforts. As a part of the progress, plan to get into the car and explore all of the small cities, small towns, rural communities and urban areas within a 50-mile radius. You want to gain as clear an understanding of the experiences they are offering, the attractions they are promoting and so on.  When you visit, participate in the experiences, visit the attractions, stay in the accommodations, eat in the restaurants and shop in the stores, in a roll up the sleeves, hands on, digging in every possible corner, totally engaged approach.

At the end of the assessment, you will be able answer:

• What makes a visitor choose another location over yours? Another region? Another town?
• Why would visitors go to another location further away, instead of enjoying what is offered closer to home?
• Why have visitor numbers at surrounding destinations increased?
• Which of the results discovered seem out of whack when comparing all regional offerings?
• How can, or should, our own actions be evaluated and re-aligned to achieve the same or a higher level of success?

Understanding not only what other locations are currently offering, but also what they are likely going to do in the future, will greatly assist in competing in the future. Thorough analysis will produce true insights and will, at the same time, point out your area’s own competitive advantage, and reveal even small changes that can make a huge difference in overall future results.