Cordova Community Tourism Plan

Lead: Chris Beck
Client: Copper River Watershed Project/Chamber of Commerce
Location: Cordova, Alaska

Cordova is a fishing community of 2,500 people and the gateway to the Copper River Delta and eastern Prince William Sound. Over the last several years, the Copper River Watershed Project, a non-profit, community based organization, has led an effort to promote forms of tourism that would diversify the local economy without sacrificing the qualities that make the town attractive to residents and visitors.

Chris Beck has assisted the Watershed Project over the course of this effort. Major results of this work include the creation of a formally recognized community tourism committee that brings together the City of Cordova, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Copper River Watershed Project. In addition, a plan was developed for tourism activity on US Forest Service land surrounding the town. A community tourism plan was drafted, and work is underway to adopt the plan. Specific marketing projects have included:

• a new tourism brochure
• improvements to the community web site
• a shoppers guide to art, crafts & other locally produced products
• a self-guided community walking tour with interpretive signs
• low cost advertisements aimed at select markets, including small group tours, members of conservation groups, and university alumni

The draft Cordova Community Tourism Plan uses the protection of community character as a basis for attracting modest numbers of higher-spending travelers. This project marks what is probably the first serious attempt by an Alaskan town to develop a marketing strategy with a focus on the supply side of the marketing picture - that is, the protection and improvement of the quality of the community.