Out-of-Class #2: A Typical Example

July 18, 2016

OUT OF CLASS 2

The National Cherry Festival brings over 500,000 people, millions OF WHAT? of revenue, a “sense of community pride”, PUNCTUATION GOES INSIDE OF QUOTE MARKS LIKE THIS,” and traffic annually to Traverse City, Michigan, according to Michael Norton, a media relations manager at Traverse Coty Tourism.

Norton said, “There is certainly no doubt that the Cherry Festival fills our local businesses, but that is not the main value of this event. The greatest contribution the Cherry Festival makes to our local tourism industry is not what it does, but what it is: a symbol of community pride, volunteerism, friendliness, and fun that helps define Traverse City to the world.”

Norton also said, “It provides us with something that marketing gurus and Public Relations professionals struggle endlessly to invent: a powerful branding tool that shapes public perceptions of our community for both residents and potential visitors—not just for a single week in the summer, but for all 12 months of the year.”

According to an exhaustive study by Traverse City Tourism in 2012, over 3.3 million trips were made to the Traverse City area. These trips resulted in an estimated $1.18 billion in direct spending.

“The National Cherry Festival itself works with an annual budget of roughly $2.3 million which has a huge impact on the city,” said Trevor Tkach, the director of the Cherry Festival.

The impact of the festival is evident on hotels, restaurants, and businesses all over the community.

Justin Mortier, a managing partner at the Grand Beach & Sugar Beach Resorts said the busiest time of the year at his resorts is July through mid HYPHEN HERE August.

Mortier also said, “We are sold out most nights. The Cherry Festival provides awareness and tourism all summer long.”

Michelle Stockman, an associate manager at Panera Bread in Traverse City, says the National Cherry Festival and summer tourism brings many people into the restaurant.

Stockman said, “Our Panera Bread is in a central location that makes it an easy target for tourists. We are perfectly located where citizens from nearby townships and tourists from downtown alike all have an equally easy commute. Our great location comes into play during the summer season, in particular the Cherry Festival.”

“Panera Bread fed more than 750 customers on Friday, July 8, 2016 (the second Friday of the Cherry Festival). This ranked among the top 5 busiest days we’ve had thus far.”

Some locals, though, emphasize that there are a few downsides of festival on Traverse City.

A Traverse City resident of 17 years, Jessie Black said, “Many tourists don’t respect this city during the Cherry Festival. It makes me upset that when I go to the beaches or downtown, there is trash everywhere on the ground. Not cool.”

Black also said, “I work in downtown Traverse City so finding parking everyday and traffic is a big issue for me. The overcrowding during the Cherry Festival is expected every year.”

Jodi Brady, a Traverse City resident for 27 years, said traffic is a huge problem during the festival. 

“My normal 15-minute drive to work, turns into a 30 to 40-minute drive,” said Brady, who admits to becoming frustrated with this large amount of tourists.

Brady said, “Although, it’s nice to see the festival bring in tourists from all over, I do look forward to the winter months.”

Howard Rose, a Traverse City resident for 10 years, does not feel this way, though. He said he is a waiter at Red Mesa Grill and the tourists attending the Cherry Festival help put money in his pocket.

Black, Rose, and Brady all said they attend the Cherry Festival annually.

Rose says he enjoys the fireworks, carnivals rides, and parades, while Black says she likes to talk to the tourists.

Black said, “It's fun to talk to some of the “fudgies” QUOTES INSIDE OF QUOTES USE SINGLE QUOTE MARKS, LIKE 'THIS'to hear where they come from and why they wanted to visit our beautiful city. “Fudgies” QUOTES INSIDE OF QUOTES USE SINGLE QUOTE MARKS, LIKE 'THIS'  is a slang term for tourists, because they are known to buy fudge. We all sometimes take for granted that this is our beautiful home. The large abundance of tourists reminds me how lucky we are to live here.”

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REFERENCE LIST

Jessie Black, resident of Traverse City, (231)313-7592

Jodi Brady, resident of Traverse City, (231)590-2039

Justin Mortier, Managing Partner at Grand Beach & Sugar Beach Resorts, (231)939-0100

Michael Norton, media relations manager at Traverse Coty Tourism, mike@traversecity.com

Howard Rose, resident of Traverse City, (231)499-4302

Michelle Stockman, Associate manager at Panera Bread, (231)932-0446

Trevor Tkach, director of the National Cherry Festival, trevor@cherryfestival.org

ASSIGNMENT GRADE: (REDACTED)

INSTRUCTOR COMMENTS: A VERY NICE JOB WITH WHAT WE HAD HERE, BUT WE WERE MISSING TWO BIG SOURCE GROUPS: FIRST; TOURISTS THEMSELVES. I MEAN, THE STORY IS ABOUT TOURISM, SO DON’T WE HAVE TO TALK TO TOURISTS? LET’S NEVER FORGET TO TALK TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE THE POINT OF OUR STORY. SECOND, WE NEEDED A NEUTRAL EXPERT LIKE AN URBAN PLANNING PROFESSOR OR A TOURISM PROFESSOR (YES, THERE ARE SUCH PEOPLE OUT THERE) WHO COULD CONTEXTUALIZE WHAT IS HAPPENING IN TRAVERSE CITY AND SEE IF WHAT IS GOING ON THERE SPECIAL OR NOT OR TYPICAL OR NOT OR BETTER OR WORSE THAN OTHER PLACES AND PROVIDE A NEUTRAL CASE AS TO THE PROS AND CONS OF TOURISM.