Attracting international tourists to Eudora during the World Cup should include making event information easily accessible and connecting with Kansas City businesses, according to the state Commerce Department.
Laurie Pieper, assistant director for global resources, recently hosted a webinar for local businesses across the state wanting to increase international visitors related to the event and through general tourism.
Pieper said highlighting local events and communicating with businesses in the Kansas City metro to refer visitors could boost international visitors for events in communities outside of the city.
“Our tourism division is definitely working with communities across the state of Kansas, so I’d recommend connecting with our tourism division to find out what things are already happening and how to connect and promote because it is important when communities have interesting things going on to promote them,” Pieper said.
Algeria’s national team will stay in Lawrence at Rock Chalk Park for the tournament, local organizers announced last week. Argentina, England and the Netherlands teams selected base camps in Kansas City for the tournament.
Pieper said businesses and locals should learn about visiting cultures. Foreign cultures vary in terms of communication style, formality and body language. Pieper said locals should be respectful and professional to international visitors, and speak at an understandable pace. Locals should also avoid slang and be curious about visitors.
“A traveler from Argentina might be looking for an interaction that’s more conversational and relationship building, where a guest who’s from the Netherlands might be looking for a little more efficiency in the communication,” Pieper said. “Take an opportunity to learn about their country and where they’re from, and express genuine desire to learn instead of just assuming that our way is better.”
Pieper said one of the most important characteristics of international visitors is wanting an authentically American experience.
“They’re coming here to see a certain city or visit an attraction or have a certain experience, particularly if they haven’t been here before,” Pieper said.
City Manager Zack Daniel said the city plans to lean into its already-planned summer events, like the CPA Picnic and Fourth of July fireworks show, to provide this kind of experience for international fans.
He said the city had been planning for a base camp in Lawrence for a while, but knowing the specific team allows them to start more specific preparation.
He said staying connected with the broader metro will be important, particularly with transportation.
International sports tourists look for fan engagement and rely on public transit, shuttles or walking to locations. Pieper said she has been a sports tourist, visiting Dublin for a Kansas State University football game. She said locals engaged with her and made the visit a memorable experience.
“We saw lots of groups of people who were wearing the team attire and colors and were very enthusiastic and happy to be there,” Pieper said. “This is something to keep in mind: How, as a community and businesses, can you help create those great experiences for the visitors?”
International visitors can face challenges related to language barriers, food and diet, time zone shifts and transportation.
Businesses should clarify prices, taxes and tipping, have signs in multiple languages and simplify processes when possible.
“Being aware that these are some challenges for international travelers, and them getting some reassurance for where they’re traveling, can be helpful,” Pieper said. “Where’s a great local piece of history or culture, or what event is going on that I haven’t heard about? It’s really helpful for someone to be able to pull out a map and say, ‘We’re here.’”
City Commissioner Jason Musick, who owns Barbwire Barbecue, said the news about Algeria staying nearby means a chance to start exploring how to best serve those fans.
“I think part of it is, now that we know it’s Algeria, it’s just investigating, who is Algeria?” Musick said. “What are their needs? What are their dining preferences?”
Musick also said he was planning on translating some of the menu into other languages to help visiting fans. He said he wants to work on understanding what kind of purchasing power visitors from Algeria may have.
Businesses can consider offering accommodating options for visitors, Pieper said, like halal, kosher and gluten-free options for restaurants.
“Learn what you can about the cultures and anticipate what cultural differences you might encounter in terms of communication style, dietary preferences and what activities they’re looking for,” Pieper said.
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