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Oakland County to Work on New Strategic Tourism and Attraction Plan

Oakland County is developing a new strategic plan to boost tourism and is collaborating with several community partners to achieve its objectives. The Oakland County Department of Economic Development is…

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Oakland County is developing a new strategic plan to boost tourism and is collaborating with several community partners to achieve its objectives.

The Oakland County Department of Economic Development is steering the county's new Tourism and Attraction Strategic Plan. 

Members of the steering committee working with the department on the plan include downtown managers, recreation property managers, lodging and hospitality operators, cultural and historical attraction operators, entertainment arts venue operators, a county commissioner, small businesses, local government officials, and destination marketing organizations. Tourism Economics, BLKDOG, and Think Place Agency are part of the project's consulting team. 

The Birmingham Shopping District (BSD) is one of the partners for the plan. BSD Executive Director Erika Bassett told the Birmingham-Bloomfield Eagle about the county's new approach to tourism.

“The county is working to develop a comprehensive tourism and attraction strategic plan that will quantify the value and impact of tourism in the county, determine sustainable models for tourism development and management, identify options for cohesive branding and chart actionable strategies to attract visitors, businesses, and employees and extend visitor stays by enhancing experiences, mobility, and marketing,” she explained.

Given the diversity among Oakland County's 62 communities, the challenge is putting together a strategic plan that will capture the essence of these places now and their future growth and development, said Ryan Dividock, Oakland County supervisor of planning, zoning, and land use.

After conducting sites visits to Oakland County in May and June, the consulting team is now working on a destination assessment report. Following the delivery of this report, the group will turn its attention to new branding and strategy development, along with creating an action plan before the new tourism brand for Oakland County is released. 

Dividock told the Birmingham-Bloomfield Eagle that the plan would launch in September or October.

For more information on the Tourism and Attraction Strategic Plan, visit visitoaklandcounty.com/strategic-plan.