TELEPHONE TECHNOLOGY AND RURAL TOURISM DEVELOPMENT: ROMANCING THE METRO TOURIST

NATIONAL ATTENTION HAS REFOCUSED ON FINDING NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES TO HELP RURAL ECONOMIES. RURAL TOURISM CAN REVITALIZE THESE ECONOMIES BUT IS HINDERED BY POOR RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE, ISOLATION, POOR ACCESS TO RESOURCE INFORMATION, AND INSUFFICIENT PROMOTION FUNDS. TELESONIC PROPOSES TO DEVELOP AND TEST THE FEASIBILITY OF INTRODUCING A UNIQUE MULTIMEDIA TELEPHONE TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM TO HELP OVERCOME THESE CHALLENGES BY SUPPORTING RURAL TOURISM DEVELOPMENT. OUR HYPOTHESIS: SUCH A PROGRAM CAN FIND ACCEPTANCE AS A USEFUL TOURISM DEVELOPMENT TOOL IF USER-FRIENDLY, COST EFFECTIVE, AND TAILORED TO LOCAL NEEDS. TECHNICAL INNOVATION COMES FROM APPLYING AND COMBING NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN NEW WAYS. OBJECTIVES INCLUDE IDENTIFYING A RURAL TOURISM PROGRAM AND A METRO AREA IN WHICH TO PROMOTE THE PROGRAM; BUILDING A TEAM FROM DIVERSE RESOURCES; AND CREATING, TESTING, AND EVALUATING THE PROTOTYPE. THE OUTCOME WILL BE AN AUTOMATED TELEPHONE PROGRAM THAT HELPS RURAL COMMUNITIES DEVELOP TOURISM AND GIVES METRO TOURISTS A ONE-STOP SHOP FOR PLANNING TRIPS TO RURAL DESTINATIONS. COMMERCIALIZATION INCLUDES SELLING THE "PACKAGE" TO RURAL GOVERNMENTS, COMMUNITY GROUPS AND CONSORTIA, STATE TOURISM ASSOCIATIONS, AND PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS. THE PACKAGE ALSO CAN SUPPORT NATIONAL RURAL TOURISM PROGRAMS BY PROVIDING EASY, INEXPENSIVE ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND RESOURCES.