It All Fits Together

---

Have you ever wondered what real estate has to do with tourism, or where a bank might fit in, or even your local insurance agent?

For this edition of Trip Talk we’re going to explore the nuts and bolts for any good adventure. Whether you’re getting ready for a roadtrip, weekend away, day outing, or taking a break from the daily grind, you’ll want your ducks in a row to get you on the move and ready to roll.

Let’s talk about those ducks.

We’re starting to see this question pop up a lot. What do banks have to do with tourism? Seems like an unlikely match, don’t you think? Though really, it’s not. Banks, insurance agents, gas stations, grocery stores, mechanics, doctors, and even real estate brokers are the backbone for tourism – they are the back end foundation, the gotta have them, practicalities of what’s going to make or break your trip. These services are what make your trip possible, real, and memorable.

And, they are vital when it comes to tourism and thriving communities.

Think about it. If you are traveling somewhere to unwind for the weekend – say a weekend to a little country inn tucked away in the Ozarks, off to a local festival devoted to something rather unique, cycling through a small town, visiting local vineyards for some award winning wine, tasting your way around a farm tour, or chasing waterfalls.  What do you need to make your trip memorable? Money from the bank, current insurance for the car or trip insurance for something bigger, gas to get you where you’re going, ice… munchies… and maybe a magazine from the grocery store, mechanics (and, doctors) for when things go awry, and real estate brokers for when you decide you might want to make a move… because the locale left an impression.

You may not need the real estate broker to make the perfect trip, but if that perfect trip spoke to you... and you fell in love with the area... you'll want to have a good one available. They will give you the best bird's eye view to what's going on and what's available, so you can start to think realistically about future possibilities. They will help you explore investments, vacation rental properties, maybe a new home, second home, deer lease, recreational property, place to park the RV and watch the sunset, start a business, or maybe you've dreamed of having a hobby farm.

This venture all started from taking that trip to that fun festival... or exploring the Ozarks on that tasting tour to local farms... or that little country inn with the vineyard nearby. 

On the front-end, services like these may seem like unlikely ties to tourism. When we think about tourism, we may think more about where we're going and what we'll be doing. The vision we have is the vacation, the time off, the unwinding, the activities we'll be doing, and the memories we'll be making. We're focused on the hotel we'll stay at, the restaurant we'll eat at, the amusement park we'll go to, the mountain trails we may hike, and the adventures we'll go do. We think about the back end services, because we need them, but we don't connect the two sides together. But... it all ties together. These necessary services are the unsung heroes of tourism, they are the practical nuts and bolts, and the foundation for any good trip.

​They are the foundation for a thriving community. 

---