When it comes to travel information, tourists no longer are restricted to brochures.
Cassette tapes, radio broadcasts, state travel counselors and even promotional videos have been added to the repertoire of services available.
Tourism officials in the Midwest say such services are becoming more popular as tourists look for ways to get information faster and more conveniently.
In Minnesota, for example, travel counselors take calls from prospective travelers from 8 a.m. to 4:50 p.m. weekdays. They answer questions, provide travel tips and assist tourists with planning vacations and finding attractions and accommodations in the state.
”With prospective travelers, we take the time to try to find out what their interests are, what they might want to do and where they might like to go,” said Steve Markuson, of the Minnesota Office of Tourism. ”Then we`ll help them find the place to do it. We go out of our way to answer specific questions; we don`t just tell people to come to Minnesota to fish.”
After business hours, a new voice-mail system installed in December allows callers to order any of the office`s more than 100 publications. That includes the current issue of the Minnesota Explorer newspaper, a tabloid featuring travel articles, stories and a state-wide calendar of events.
Outside the area call 800-657-3700.
In Wisconsin, low-power radio broadcasts speak to motorists passing. Gary Knowles, of the Wisconsin Bureau of Tourism, said that 98 million vehicles pass by the state`s seven transmitters each year.
”We don`t know how many of those vehicles we reach, but for those we do, we`re providing information about events, local history and phone numbers for them to call,” Knowles said. ”We`re using the broadcasts to encourage motorists to stop at our travel information centers.”
The broadcasts, which are updated twice a month, can be picked up at about 1600 on the AM radio dial within a few miles of a transmitter. The transmitters are located near major entrances to the state.
Wisconsin also publishes a vacation packet, which consists of a recreation guide, Auto Tours, a color magazine with suggested trips, descriptions of attractions along the way and a calendar of events. Call toll- free, 24 hours a day, 800-432-TRIP.
Visitors to Iowa can take advantage of that state`s new take-along travel cassette tape service. Available at all of Iowa`s 18 welcome centers-information rest areas, the tapes provide narrative accounts about history, Iowa folklore, scenery and attractions along major routes.
”Say you`re traveling on I-80 near Elk Horn; the tape for that route would tell you about the Danish windmill located there,” said Kathy Bowermaster, of the Iowa Division of Tourism.
”The tapes give you more information beyond what you see while driving down the road. There`s history and many interesting sites well off the freeway, and the tapes encourage people to pull off and visit them. People seem to like them so far.”
A deposit of $20 is required to rent the tapes, $15 of which is refunded when the tapes are mailed back. Travel information also is available by calling 800-345-IOWA.
Tourism officials in the Midwest say that they expect their services will be in high demand this year, especially from residents of the area, because more people are forgoing long vacations and staying near home.
”People are looking for two- and three-day vacations because they can`t manage longer ones anymore,” Bowermaster said. ”Consequently, people are looking for places where they can take a scenic drive or enjoy a rural vacation, and they`re looking to stay closer to home.”
The close-to-home vacation trend and the desire for a stress-free atmosphere may explain why requests for travel literature are up across the Midwest this year. –
