Title of Paper
The Role of Tourism and the Visitor Economy in Main Street Recovery and Revitalization
Abstract (150 Words)
Main streets are economic and cultural hubs of communities, acting as local destinations which often attract visitors. Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) represent main streets and are associations of property owners and tenants who work to create successful business environments and attract people to them. In many ways BIAs are involved in destination management and marketing practices at the main street level and are important actors in local tourism and visitor economy development, yet few studies have explored this relationship. Therefore, this exploratory study involved a thematic analysis of interviews held with 36 Canadian BIA representatives to understand the role of tourism and the visitor economy in main street recovery and revitalization. Findings show that the visitor economy plays a significant role in the work and function of BIAs, but that its benefits could be greater capitalized on through further attention at the main street level, with implications for practitioners and academics.
The Role of Tourism and the Visitor Economy in Main Street Recovery and Revitalization
Main streets are economic and cultural hubs of communities, acting as local destinations which often attract visitors. Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) represent main streets and are associations of property owners and tenants who work to create successful business environments and attract people to them. In many ways BIAs are involved in destination management and marketing practices at the main street level and are important actors in local tourism and visitor economy development, yet few studies have explored this relationship. Therefore, this exploratory study involved a thematic analysis of interviews held with 36 Canadian BIA representatives to understand the role of tourism and the visitor economy in main street recovery and revitalization. Findings show that the visitor economy plays a significant role in the work and function of BIAs, but that its benefits could be greater capitalized on through further attention at the main street level, with implications for practitioners and academics.