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Dunedin Wants To Be Vacation Must See

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By Mark  Schantz | The Suncoast News

Published: May 24, 2008

DUNEDIN - These days it takes a village to market a city.

Earlier this year a task force comprised of representatives from the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce, the city's Community Redevelopment Agency, Toronto Blue Jays and Downtown Merchants Association, plus hospitality entrepreneur Peter Kreuziger, met to consider how to better market the city.

The Chamber of Commerce's marketing task force quickly sprang into action. Its members chipped in $5,000 each to pay for 100,000 brochures marketing Dunedin to visitors at 775 travel locations along the Suncoast.

It's a wonderful brochure reminding everyone that during their trip they must check out Dunedin, said Lynn Wargo, Chamber of Commerce president and chief operating officer.

The grassroots campaign has already paid off, mainly because the group quickly got down to business, Wargo said. The group also worked diligently to remind travel and tourism industry professionals of all Dunedin has to offer, she said.

That effort also paid off, Wargo said. A few weeks ago the Clearwater Area Convention and Visitors Bureau asked if Dunedin could arrange tours of the city for 27 of the top British travel agents. The bureau is Pinellas County's main tourism promotion agency.

Along with chamber and city officials, Cafe Alfresco, Casa Tina's Mexican Restaurant, Flanagan's Irish Pub, Sea Sea Riders and Kelly's quickly extended a warm Dunedin welcome to the group from the United Kingdom, she said.

The successful effort recently inspired many more merchants and business owners to get on the bandwagon and promote the city in a diverse and unified effort. The meeting room at the chamber was filled with interested business people at the task force's last meeting, Wargo said.

Sparked by this early success, the next round of marketing will get the word out about visiting the city on a wider variety of fronts. Everyone from reporters to travel writers, concierges of hotels to travel agents around the world will hear about all the great things Dunedin has to offer.

Along with businesses, the city's natural offerings, like its downtown, will be touted. Areas to be spotlighted include Honeymoon Island State Park and Dunedin Causeway, the local arts community and the local segment of the Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail.

In addition, the declaration of Dunedin as the country's "Most Walkable Small City" will also be stressed. The city won the honor in a survey conducted by the Web site RunThePlanet.com.

The task force is now working on a more unified effort to better publicize city's popular calendar of events to more members of the media, Wargo said.

Another task force group is preparing a regional media blitz that will include advertisements on cable TV channels and other media, Wargo said.

There are also plans being formulated to woo visitors to next season's NFL championship game to this side of Tampa Bay, she said. Super Bowl XLIII will be played Feb. 1, 2009, at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium.

Mark Schantz can be reached at 727-815-1075 or mschantz@suncoastnews.com.

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