Using Parks to Promote Tourism

The American Planning Association has a briefing paper called How Cities Use Parks to Promote Tourism. The paper lists four key points:

1. Parks provide sites for special events and festivals that attract tourists.
2. Parks provide sites for sports tournaments, which can be major sources of tourism and economic benefits, especially for smaller cities.
3. Large urban parks with zoos, memorials, museums, cultural and heritage artifacts, and historical sites can attract tourists.
4. Parks with landscape planting and design that are recognized as “living works of art” can be tourist attractions.

The article is short – and a worthwhile read – with some great ideas for Dearborn on how to use their parks to drive tourism in the City.