The group tour industry has a perpetual question for destinations: What’s new to see? The CVB in Green Bay, Wisc., changed see to do and then delivered almost a dozen answers. None of its attractions had to raise huge amounts of money to build new facilities – they just had to get visitors involved with assets they already had.

Through a new program called Green Bay Signature Experiences, groups can get inside the local zoo’s nutrition center and animal hospital, become an 1830s soldier just transferred to the frontier, sashay in a musical production’s chorus line in front of a real audience, learn the inner workings of a locomotive at a railroad museum and much more. None of the activities existed previously.

“The travel trends tell us you can’t sit back on your laurels and wait for groups to come through the doors,” CVB marketing director Brenda Krainik told The Green Bay Gazette , explaining that the CVB retained a consultant (STS Marketing College Professor Joe Veneto) to examine the destination, work with various non-profit attractions and create totally new experiences just for groups. That means traditional motorcoach groups along with family reunions, church groups, even bachelorette parties.

The goal, Krainik said, is to drive attendance by making visitors “part of the show.” Krainik said the process proved more complicated than it might sound and that she’s happy to discuss the process with CVB peers. (Zoo photo by the Green Bay CVB)

Is it possible to promote an airline without ever showing an airplane? SAS (Scandinavian Airlines) did exactly that with this effort and in the process prompts this question for creative tourism marketers: Is it possible to promote a destination without ever showing the destination? Hmmmmm.