The job of Southern Delaware Tourism (SDT) is to support and encourage the identification, development and promotion of sustainable, year-round tourism in Southern Delaware. Over the years this column has outlined many of the methods our office employs to do that. To kick off 2023, we’d like to highlight perhaps our organization’s most important asset – our tourism partners and the support, assistance and enthusiasm they bring to helping us fulfill our mission.
SDT tourism partners include Southern Delaware businesses and organizations that are vital in creating, preserving and enhancing the welcoming atmosphere and visitor experiences that make Sussex County such a popular destination for travelers.
Some of the ways our tourism partners participate and collaborate with us in our mission include:
• Providing accommodations and experiences to visiting travel media, who subsequently write about Southern Delaware in print and digital consumer and trade publications including newspapers, magazines, blogs, etc.
• Liking and/or following Southern Delaware Tourism on our social media channels and sharing our social media posts with their own followers to spread the word far and wide about area events and attractions to keep Southern Delaware top-of-mind for visitors and potential visitors
• Generously providing photographs and editorial content for use in our media galleries, consumer newsletter, blog, social media posts, etc.
• Sharing their events with us in advance so our website calendar is the up-to-date, go-to resource for our visitors and potential visitors (and for locals, too!)
• Participating on our niche committees and brainstorming with each other and with our office about current and future tourism-related initiatives and exploring partnerships with us and each other to further enhance visitor experiences. Niche committees include our hotel committee, history and heritage, outdoor, arts and entertainment, and agritourism. Additionally, for culinary businesses, actively participating in our Culinary Coast™ initiative helps us spread the word that Southern Delaware’s Culinary Coast™ is a fabulous destination in itself.
• Letting us know when they are offering a brand new service or visitor experience
• Participating with our office and each other in cooperative advertising opportunities
• Actively supporting our efforts and each other’s businesses and organizations, creating the sense of community that makes this such a great place to live which contributes significantly to the uniquely friendly Southern Delaware vibe our visitors love.
SDT welcomes the opportunity to work with new partners and encourages any tourism related business or organization to contact us, introduce themselves, ask questions and request our Partner Packet which outlines all the ways we are available to collaborate in their success. Additionally, we keep our tourism partners informed of news and opportunities via our quarterly Connections newsletter.
To receive a Partner Packet or to be added to our Connections subscriber list, send your name, the name of your business or organization and your email address to
ti***@vi*******************.com
.
We at Southern Delaware Tourism are excited about working with all of our partners, old and new, in 2023.
