Otte-Coleman - City Magazine

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| COVER STORY Sara-Otte Coleman Luring Visitors to the State “We needed a statement about the whole state that we could live up to and deliver on.” – Sara Otte-Coleman If you want to feel reinvigorated about living in N.D., just talk to Bismarck-native Sara Otte-Coleman, the state’s director of tourism. Her unbridled enthusiasm for the sights and sounds of N.D. can turn the most ambivalent resident into a diehard ambassador. The leader of one of the state’s primary industries since 2003, Otte-Coleman seems to have found her calling. Previous to her tourism job, Otte-Coleman spent 15 years in marketing with the Bismarck-Mandan Convention and Visitors Bureau. By Tom Regan Claiming a $3.96 billion piece of the state economic pie in 2007, and generating $12.7 million in taxes, tourism has grown by 16.8 percent since 2000. Otte-Coleman’s penchant for research, along with her focus on determining the best marketing strategies, has helped ensure that growth. Symptomatic of the passion she feels for N.D. as a travel destination, Otte- Coleman confesses a frustration with residents, including policymakers, who take for granted, and even downplay, the riches in their own backyard. She admits it’s the most challenging part of her job. “Bismarck, for example, has great city amenities including fabulous restaurants, great hotels and shopping,” Otte-Coleman says. “It is also located in a unique area— that’s a great combination!” The same sublime scenery and myriad of attractions that lure visitors to the state also add to the quality of life of all who dwell here. Let’s not take any of that for granted and, as Sara Otte-Coleman would have us to do, let’s talk N.D. up wherever and whenever we travel outside the state! –Staff 6 thecitymag.com
“State tourism” CM: has had a lot of good advertising themes and slogans over the years. Do you have a favorite? Otte-COleman: My favorite is “Legendary,” which was developed around research. We aren’t a place of landmarks. We needed a statement about the whole state that we could live up to and deliver on. When you start thinking about what people know us for, it’s the history and the legends. The slogan is based on the key legends: Theodore Roosevelt, Custer, Sakakawea, Lewis and Clark and Sitting Bull. The slogan is applicable to many different areas. We can have legendary golfing. We can have legendary sunsets. It works well. CM: Define tourism as an “industry.” Otte-COleman: People don’t think of tourism as an industry; they think of it as an activity. They forget about the infrastructure–the buildings and the services out there for people to use. Without that, you wouldn’t be able to travel. The obvious big players are hotels, gas stations, airports, restaurants and shopping outlets. But, it goes beyond that to the outdoor recreational opportunities we have here, including state and national parks and wildlife refuges. Then, there are all the service providers such as all the folks at the smaller resorts and all the businesses that feed into that. The tourism industry is not always visible. You don’t see us like you see SARA OTTE-COLEMAN Title: Director of Tourism, N.D. Department of Commerce DOB: July 17, 1963 High School: Century High School, Class of 1981 College: Minnesota State University Moorhead, bachelor’s degree in business administration with major in marketing, advertising and public relations Family: Husband, Clark, married 24 years; Chloe, 14; Clint and Cooper (twins), 10 Hobbies: Running, hiking, horseback riding, boating, water and snow skiing, cooking Most recently read book: “Unclutter Your Mind,” by Donna Smallin Favorite quote: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Jesus Christ.” -1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 What people would be surprised to learn about you: “I’m a farm wife.” the wind turbines and the oil rigs, but we’re there. We’re in every community and every county throughout the whole state. How has a “down” CM: economy affected tourism nationally and locally? Otte-COleman: N.D. has fared much better than the region, or nation, as a whole. One difference is the Canadian traffic—we’re down considerably this year. Last year, when the dollar was at par, we saw huge increases. But, if you look at the fiveyear average, we’re still good. We positioned ourselves as “AAA’s most affordable state” and really hit that hard. We also tried to overcome objections like gas prices. Nationally, researchers and economists say people didn’t quit traveling. The media talked about “stay-cations” and “nay-cations” but, when you look at it, people still travelled. They’re still taking as many trips as before, just not spending as much money in sectors like shopping and dining. Also, people are shopping for “deals” rather than “destinations.” CM: What makes an attractive tourism destination? Otte-COleman: Uniqueness. If you need people to drive there from a distance, it can’t be something they are able to find in their own backyard. Quality is really important, and being able to deliver on the service—giving the people what they expect. It’s also about partnering, and figuring out what else you can do in the region or the area, and combining those into packages because people don’t have a lot of time to plan. November 2009 7
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