INPUT ARTICLE: Article: One way to do this is to make a list of all the activities and attractions currently available in the town. Often, tourist are interested in the things they can do and see in your town or city, more than the location of the town or city itself. They will search online for an activity first and then a location. For example: rock climbing Bend, Oregon, or fly fishing Missoula, Montana. Focus on activities or attractions that are specific to your town. Even a small or strange attraction could attract visitors and bring attention to the town, from the world's largest paper clip to a man made wave in a river. Ask yourself: What makes the town worth a special trip? What do you have that a tourist can't get or do somewhere else? Work with a tourism planning committee and narrow your focus on the top three things your town has to offer. The more specific, rather than generic, you can be, the more likely your town will be of interest to tourists. A survey is a valuable tool during tourism planning as it helps you collect information on the town and ensures the community can agree on the branding and marketing for the town. Do face to face interviews or phone surveys. Ask questions such as: What do you think attracts a visitor to the community? What type of visitor do you see coming to our community? How can we do to improve the visitor's experience? You can conduct face to face interviews at the local shopping mall. You can also ask visitors to sign up to a mailing list and email them a survey. Ask questions such as: Where does the visitor live? What attracted the visitor to the community? How did the visitor find out about the tourist attractions? What type of businesses or facilities did the visitor use? What kinds of accommodations or services are needed? A third party endorsement from previous visitors to the town or current visitors is a good way to determine how to better serve future tourists. A good way to do this is to determine target marketing segments. Define market areas that will draw the most visitors, like a well known hiking trail, an important historical site, or a museum. Then, divide these areas into trip length categories, and define the clientele that will be attracted to the community. Create a chart broken into categories such as: Geographic market areas, with a section for day trips, overnight trips, and extended visits. Outdoor recreation activities, if any, such as camping, hiking, fishing, and picnicking. Entertainment, such as historic sites, fairs or festivals, shopping, and dining. Other travel purposes, such as business trips and family visits. If you come up with a slogan, but its possible to remove your town's name and plug in another town's name, it is not a unique slogan. Avoid common buzzwords like "explore" "discover" "center of it all" "something for everyone" "best kept secret", etc. Think about successful slogans, like Las Vegas' "What happens here, stays here", New York's "The City That Never Sleeps" or Calgary, Alberta's "Heart of the New West". They work because they are unique and avoid generic terms or phrases. This will be a to do list to make the market plan a reality. It should include: The overall recommendation from the tourism planning committee, including the proposed slogan and branding. The budget of the marketing plan, including the costs of all promotional materials. The source of the funds to put the marketing plan into action. The responsible parties of putting the marketing plan into action. A timeline for the completion and launch of the marketing plan.

SUMMARY: Consider what makes your town or city unique. Conduct a survey of the members of the community. Do a survey of visitors to the town. Create a marketing plan. Create a unique slogan. Make an action plan.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Some stores have a range of gift cards available to purchase from many different retailers. This is common at supermarkets and department stores. Alternatively, other stores will only sell gift cards that can be used for that particular retailer. This is typical of clothing stores, food outlets, and smaller, local businesses. There are often many different designs and patterns available for the same gift card, so look at the full selection before you decide. A gift card is the equivalent of cash that can be used with a particular merchant. There is usually a minimum and maximum amount that can be loaded onto the card, which typically ranges from $10 and up to $500. Decide the amount that you want to be loaded onto the gift card once you have purchased it. Many gift cards have the option of you choosing the exact amount to load. However, some gift cards are only sold with set balances such as $25, $50, or $100. In this scenario, pick a gift card with a set balance that is closest to the amount that you want to spend. Take the gift card to the cashier and say the amount that you want to load onto the card if it doesn't have a set amount specified. The cashier will load and activate the gift card as you purchase it. If you have any questions about the terms and conditions, or the expiry date of the gift card, ask the cashier. If you are concerned about the activation of the gift card, check with the cashier that it is properly activated and ready to use. The cashier may provide you with a receipt confirming that the card has been activated. The receipt will provide proof of purchase and activation of the gift card. Keep the receipt for as long as you have the gift card, just in case it doesn't work as it should. The receipt will be useful if you have any problems with the gift card at a later stage. It can also be a good idea to give the recipient of the gift card the receipt in case they encounter any problems with the card.

SUMMARY:
Pick the gift card that you want to purchase. Choose the amount you want to load onto the card. Purchase the gift card to get it activated. Keep the gift card and the receipt in a safe place.