ENTERTAINMENT . RECREATION . LAKE TAHOE . TRUCKEE

West Shore Transit GeoTrack 2013 Tahoe Expo: A showcase of how to use Bus, bike, hike, heritage tour and water shuttle to have a Fun, Meaning, Low-Carbon adventure on the West Shore! 9:00am – Take TART bus to Assembly Point Transit Center 64 Acres parking - Tahoe City 9:15am - Walk to Olympic Bike Shop for bikes 9:35 am – Guided bike ride to Eagle Rock with occasional stops at locations of interest 10:00am - Hike 1/2 mile up to Eagle Rock for incredible views 10:45pm - Bike to The Tahoe Maritime Museum for a "Roarin' Tahoe 20's" tour 11:30pm Lunch at historic Obexers (local sourced lunch) 12:53pm Water Shuttle with bikes back to Tahoe City Marina 1:30pm - Drop bikes and return to Transit Center

www.SustainTahoe.org 775 846-1715 PO 3206 Incline Village, NV 89450 1

Tahoe’s Prosperity Prescription 2008 MOU between National Geographic’s Center for Sustainable Destinations and the Department of the Interior endorsed and committed 10 years of support for all US destinations to develop and promote geotourism. The 2010 Prosperity Plan, also committed to:

1. Health and Wellness (recreation) 2. Environmental Innovation and Infrastructure (green building /energy) 3. Enhanced Visitor Experience (geotourism)

The Tahoe Expo is a one day tangible experience of a geotourism economy. Expo participants are spread out over 150 mile watershed to connect people to; native heritage and culture, wildlife, kayaking thru an eco-system at work, yoga on the water, a rare fish sanctuary, food grown in a dome, a fossil-free home, fly fishing, and wild mustang horses…activities motivating longer stays and quicker return visits!. Now scale this one-day experience of fun, educational and low-carbon guided adventures, to 350 days, with millions of visitors doing activities that sustain or enhance the unique assets of the region, supporting local wellbeing (jobs!). ROI that serves long term prosperity, civic pride, and the environment, realized through innovative collaboration that inspires visitor loyalty to hosts and sponsors.

Or.. Have one commercial entity (maybe local), import talent, to bring thousands of visitors to a single location, jamming highways and businesses within 1- 3 miles. Visitors may also drive around (#1 cause of diminished lake clarity), take pictures, and seek out other forms of recreation IF any other menu of options are provided. The event producer profits + (sort term) labor and those paid to clean up… Unless the damage created by the event

can only be mitigated thru the ongoing restoration efforts costing tax-payers $1 to $2Billion every 10 yrs! Long term ROI? Did the visitor learn anything significant at the event or driving around? Given a minimal understanding of the area, will they only return for another BIG event? Is a 2 season, auto-dependant menu of terrain-trampling activities providing the 4-season prosperity we desire and science requires? Can the Tahoe watershed afford visitors who do not become stewards (at some level)?

www.SustainTahoe.org 775 846-1715 PO 3206 Incline Village, NV 89450 2

Sustainable economy: “seed vs. sod” Elements native to an area do not require costly artificial amenities to maintain, nor do they degrade water or habitat. Rather, they serve the entire “eco-onomy”. geotourism is: tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place – its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents. The 12 geotourism principles provide clear criteria for tourism experiences used in promoting their destination. All Tahoe event producers should ask: 1) How does it highlight and interpret local assets that create a ‘sense of place’?

• Does it engage both visitors and hosts in learning about the place? • Encourage residents to show off the natural and cultural heritage of their communities, so that

tourists gain a richer experience and residents develop pride in their locales? 2) How does it conserve energy and resources critical to long term health and well being?

• Does it encourage activities to sustain natural habitats, heritage sites, aesthetic appeal, and local culture, and prevent degradation to the site?

3) How does it activate ‘Stewardship’ • Does it increase active enrollment into conservation efforts? • Does it highlight, support, motivate or reward using alternative transit?

4) Local well being • How is the community involved? How do they benefit? • Does the revenue generated cycle in the community 2.5 times? • Will local expertise welcome and host the visitor (vs. put ‘up with crowds’)

5) Collaboration • Does it provide critical collaboration between: .gov, .org, .com, so everyone wins?

6) The Story (brand) • Does it enrich and enlighten the visitors to experience more of our unique diversity? • Does it support a 4-season high-touch / low-impact brand? • Does provide insight to other activities that will increase visitor stays, return visits and stories

that inspire more visitors? • Do the visitors see one watershed of immense diversity vs. separate regions competing against

each other?

4 Steps to becoming a sustainable tourism (geotourism) destination: 1) Identify (geotourism assets throughout the region) 2) Develop (collaborative creation and hosting of geotourism assets= Geotours) 3) Sustain (the new menu of geotourism attractions, activities and adventures) 4) Promote (this as the brand of the region)

This is the mission of Sustainable Tahoe

www.SustainTahoe.org 775 846-1715 PO 3206 Incline Village, NV 89450 3

Geotourism (economic development) model

$70 Million hosting Wildlife!

Grizzly Bear hunting in British Columbia generates around $2 to $2.5 million in annual revenue. This is realized from: tag fees, gas, equipment, guides. $2.5 Million annual $ revenue to load guns.

however…. Grizzly Bear Photo Safaris generates around $70 million! People bring their families, stay longer, to eat, sleep and shop in the community! They book their trip around bear season, so this is the focal point of their travels!

The $7M annual= guide fees x 10 for the actual benefit that bear viewing provides to the British Columbia economy! $70Million annual $ to load cameras! Grizzly Tours.com does $3M a year in guide revenue (local jobs!) The additional benefit to the local economy is closer to $30 million from one guide company! Reference: CBVA(Commercial Bear Viewing Association)

Dean Wyatt President/Owner Knight Inlet Grizzly Tours Ltd. dean@grizzlytours.com 250 203-0353 cell 250 337-1953 office

www.SustainTahoe.org 775 846-1715 PO 3206 Incline Village, NV 89450 4

Geotourism (economic development) model

$19.6 Billion hosting Heritage!

Heritage Attracts Travelers Who Spend Money in Oregon Communities

Mandala Research LLC, shows how Oregon’s cultural heritage travelers spend nearly 60 percent more per person than they do nationally. These travelers contributed an estimated $19.6 billion to the state’s economy on their most recent trip to the state over the last 5 years, according to the study’s findings. A cultural traveler is defined as “a person who travels to experience the places, people, activities and things that authentically represent the past and present, including cultural, historic and natural resources.” This means they visit historic sites, arts venues, state and national parks, ocean beaches and other places also enjoyed by Oregonian.

The report concludes the importance for Oregon to capture the past sense of place, and to weave this iconic place into the present and future.

$1.9 billion Amount of dollars spent by heritage travelers on their most recent visit to Oregon

83% Percentage of leisure travelers in Oregon who consider themselves culture and heritage travelers

$47.5 million Number of people who are cultural and heritage travelers within Oregon and its feeder markets

$1,618 Average dollars spent by a cultural heritage traveler on a leisure trip to Oregon. This is nearly 60% higher than the amount spent nationally

45% Percentage of Oregonians who spend more on cultural heritage activities while they are visiting

39% Percentage of travelers willing to pay more for lodging that reflects the cultural and heritage destination they are visiting

1,200 Number of cultural heritage organizations in Oregon

www.SustainTahoe.org 775 846-1715 PO 3206 Incline Village, NV 89450 5

Geotour / GeoTrack (prosperity recipe)

Geotour = Fun, Meaningful, Low-Carbon life-changing adventure

Visitors…life changing adventures - more reasons to visit! "My husband and I really enjoyed the guides and all that we learned about the area. We are already thinking about taking our canoe down the river either this fall or in higher water in the spring to further explore the area." Sandy & Gus Hall

Non-Profit / .Org: Local experts guide Geotours to enrich understanding Agencies/ .Gov: provide grants & access to sensitive and remote areas Business/.Com: sponsor + ‘eat, sleep, shop’, gear & transit (reduced VMT’s ) .COM…realize a four season prosperity! “We learned about the catch and release program in the Tahoe Basin. Also the fundamentals of fly fishing. I had a fly rod and reel and now my wife is hooked – we’ll be back!” .ORG… enroll new champions, supporters and members! “Two of the seven people who participated in the Pipe Cruise have joined Pipe

Keepers with the League and are now helping to collect important information on storm water that is draining into Lake Tahoe!” Jesse Patterson, Geotour guide from League to Save Lake Tahoe .GOV… increase civic pride and tax saving environmental compliance! “The Geotour opened our eyes to birds we never encountered before and bear tracks we would never have spotted on our own, and it made us aware of the nature and importance of conservation efforts.” Jens and Jenny Happe, New Westminster, B.C.

TriNomics™ collaborative model

www.SustainTahoe.org 775 846-1715 PO 3206 Incline Village, NV 89450 6

Key: Region-wide Collaboration