Marketing Plan for Adventure Tourism in Knott County (continued)
For the complete Knott County Marketing Plan in Adobe PDF format, click here.
WERE THE EFFORTS SUCCESSFUL?
The Knott County Annual Fall Trail Ride featured on the newly created knottcountyadventure.com website, the web-based calendar of events, and in both brochures and posters was recognized as one of the top 10 events in the state. This year, the event grew drawing over 4,000 people and 2,500 horses from twelve states including Texas, Utah and South Carolina. It has notably become one of the largest (if not the largest) trail ride event in the state.
From a survey conducted by Berea College during the event, the average spent per person was $92.83 per day. With the length of stay averaging 3.5 days in the area, average expenditures came to $324.91.
With an estimated 4,000 people attending this year’s event (which some say is too conservative a number), the total economic impact on the region came to just over
$1 million dollars.
The Knott County Fall Trail Ride three-day event alone increased tourism dollars spent in the area by nearly 30% from what the state estimates was spent in 2006.
(See Appendix G: Survey Results).
By Friday afternoon, the entire ridge was lined with campers, trailers and tents.
Another view of the campground nearly filled to capacity.
“ELK IN KENTUCKY” AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
Another marketing goal was to create a greater awareness of elk in southeast Kentucky and truly establish Knott County as the “Elk Capital of the East. A marketing campaign was initiated which included the development of a video called “Elk Tours and More”, a 4-color companion brochure, and posters. A website was also created and can be found at trailsrus.com/elk.
See below for a few of the marketing pieces used in the “awareness campaign” on
elk in Kentucky.
Please Note:“The Elk Tours and More!” video, brochure and website were paid for through a partnership with Kentucky Coal Association, Friends of Coal, KY Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources, Lt Governor’s office and Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet. Knott County is noted as the “Elk Capital of the East” in the brochure. Saddle Up Elk Tours, an entrepreneurial business that recently started offering elk tours by horseback, Knott County’s elk viewing station, and the proposed Elk View Scenic Byway route are also featured in the brochure and on the brochure’s map. Both video and brochures are featured at three state parks offering elk tours and at all the state welcome centers.
