New Market Research Identifies Need for More Family-Friendly Activities and Better Dining and Nightlife in Cherokee

CHEROKEE, NC, May 28, 2009 -- The result of new research aimed at increasing the effectiveness of tourism marketing efforts on the Qualla Boundary and seven westernmost North Carolina counties was announced this week to travel officials and business owners, and recommendations to improve visitation rates in the region included more family friendly activities on the Qualla Boundary, as well as better dining and nightlife in Cherokee.

The research by The Marketing Workshop (MWI) of Norcross, GA, was commissioned by the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area and Smoky Mountain Host, and was funded by Cherokee Preservation Foundation (CPFdn).  EBCI Travel and Promotion, Cherokee Chamber of Commerce, Western Carolina University and the Goss Agency were partners in the effort.  Findings were presented at a meeting in at the Holiday Inn in Cherokee on May 26.

Based on 600 online interviews with adults who have inquired about the North Carolina Smoky Mountains within the past four years, online interviews with 600 residents within a 300 mile radius outside western North Carolina who may or may not have visited the area, and 50 telephone interviews with Cherokee Chamber members whose businesses deal with tourists, MWI reached the following key findings about Cherokee and the surrounding region:

• For Cherokee, improving the quality of restaurants and dining, nightlife and a variety of things to do on the Qualla Boundary are what would impact overall perceptions.  Families are looking for more family-friendly activities, and adults desire more nightlife and other activities besides the casino.
• In Cherokee and throughout the North Carolina Smoky Mountain area, improving the perception of value for the money would have a significant impact on travelers the region seeks to draw.  Most travelers at present are over 55 and couples, but the region seeks to draw more families with children.
• Providing visitors and prospective visitors with example itineraries and more education about activities in the area, along with package deals and/or a discount pass for the region, would help motivate more people to visit.

“Cherokee Preservation Foundation is pleased to have supported research that identifies opportunities to increase family visitation by providing more family activities and then making the presence of such activities known,” said Susan Jenkins, executive director of Cherokee Preservation Foundation.  “The Foundation has sponsored previous research about heritage tourism efforts undertaken by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and we are committed to helping the members of the Tribe market Cherokee and continuously improve what the Qualla Boundary has to offer visitors.”

Further research will be conducted in the future to measure the success of marketing efforts undertaken as a result of the research announced this week.

About Cherokee Preservation Foundation

Cherokee Preservation Foundation (www.cpfdn.org) was established in 2000 as part of the Second Amendment to the Tribal-State Compact between the EBCI and the State of North Carolina. It is an independent nonprofit foundation funded by the EBCI from gaming revenues generated by the Tribe. CPFdn is not part of or associated with any for-profit gaming entity. Since the Foundation’s inception, it has made 512 grants totaling nearly $43 million to EBCI and regional projects and programs that address cultural preservation, economic development and job creation, and environmental sustainability. Every dollar of CPFdn support has been matched by $1.83 in secured grants or other funding or in-kind resources, making CPFdn’s total contribution to the region more than $121 million.