Sandpoint Idaho, The Place To Be
Sandpoint, a small and tight knit community of seventy-five hundred, is situated within Bonner County, Idaho, in the northwest area of the United States of America. Bonner County forms part of the northern panhandle of Idaho, and the town of Sandpoint is a mere 45 miles south of the international border with Canada.
Sandpoint adjoins the northern edge of Lake Pend Oreille, which is the largest natural body of fresh water within Idaho, and one of the largest lakes in the western United States. Lake Pend Oreille is more than one thousand feet deep and includes over 160 kilometres of shoreline. The lake itself is a natural attraction for thousands of tourists.
Sandpoint is the principal town within Bonner County, and sits at the end of the Cabinet Mountains to the north and east, the Green Monarch Mountains to the east and south, and the Selkirk Mountains to the northwest. The town itself rests at an elevation of approximately 630 metres; however, nearby, the mountains, including Mount Schweitzer, rise above 2000 metres. The lake, mountains and northerly latitude create a four season climate within the Sandpoint area.
 Aerial view of Sandpoint. |
The first European to visit the Sandpoint area was David Thompson, the well known explorer and geographer. In 1809, Thompson established Kullspell House, the first trading post in Idaho.
Later, during the 1880s, construction of the Northern Pacific Railroad, brought permanent settlements to the Sandpoint area, including the small communities of Hope and Clark Fork on the northeastern edge of Lake Pend Oreille. Not much later, Sandpoint was founded, and grew slowly with the ongoing construction of the railroad.
The history of the Sandpoint area has always been closely aligned with the railroad and the timber industry. In fact, during the early 1900s, more than 225 people worked for the Humbird Sawmill, which at that early date operated two shifts. It was during this period that Sandpoint became known for production of long lasting, cedar poles used to string electricial and telegraph wires.
Population growth in the area was slow until the 1940s. At that time, “World War II” resulted in the construction of the Farragut Naval Training Base at the south end of Lake Pend Oreille. During this period the United States Navy operated a training program for more than 300,000 sailors. At the conclusion of the war, many of trainers and some who received the training, added to a rapidly expanding postwar population in the region.
 Summer at Lake Pend Oreille. |
The forest industry, particularly in the northwestern U.S., as well as western Canada, is highly cyclical and very competitive in nature. In general, the 1960s and 1970s were difficult, and by the early 1980s many communities, including Sandpoint, were actively looking for ways to diversify their economies. Tourism had obvious appeal, and for a community that included magnificent natural resources the potential seemed unlimited!
In 1981, The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce, comprised of local business people, joined forces with several major businesses that owned and operated attractions and properties in the area.. Together, this group formed a tourism marketing board with a mission to aggressively promote the greater Sandpoint area in winter, the shoulder seasons (fall and spring) and, to a lesser extent, summer. In time, the group assumed the name “Destination – Sandpoint!”
Initially, it was felt that Sandpoint as a summer destination did not need to be promoted since the campgrounds and motel properties were generally full from June through to early September, primarily with Canadian visitors. However, since the decline of the Canadian currency in the early 1990s the marketing of Sandpoint as a summer destination has taken on greater importance.
Destination Sandpoint! membership includes owners and operators of bed & breakfasts, motels, hotels, restaurants, local attractions, retail businesses, and community organizations who are Sandpoint Chamber members and who have agreed to provide additional support for marketing the community and area as a tourism destination. Beyond the economics associated with the resource industry, two key factors encouraged the development of this group. First was the realization that combined and synchronized efforts produced greater results than individual efforts. Second was the opportunity to apply for state funding to support tourism marketing efforts.
With 34 members, a majority of whom are women business managers and owners, Destination: Sandpoint! is led by a four person, volunteer Executive Committee and a full-time, paid manager. In addition, there are three subcommittees: marketing, finance, and fundraising and membership. The Executive Committee meets monthly, and the subcommittees come together on an "as needed" basis, usually once a month. Policy, mission statement and objectives are formulated by the Executive Committee with direction and approval from the membership. At Sandpoint, tourism is driven by the community for the community.
Each year the marketing subcommittee applies for a tourism marketing grant from the State’s Department of Commerce. This is the primary source for funding to renew and implement the Destination Sandpoint! marketing plan based on the evaluation of the previous year as well as external trends and opportunities. To date, Destination Sandpoint! has applied for and received a total of 14 tourism marketing grants. Without these grants the current marketing program would not be possible.
Although Sandpoint is a small community, its marketing program has engendered tremendous respect from larger chambers of commerce in surrounding areas, including Boise, Idaho, and Spokane, Washington.
 Hitting the trails with mountain bikes. |
Much of the success enjoyed by Sandpoint has resulted from thorough research and effective partnerships. For example, extensive marketing research was carried out during the early 1990s. Issues were to determine: (a) the attractors that draw visitors to Sandpoint; (b) how these relate to visitors’ arrival dates; and (c) what makes visitors extend their stay in the Sandpoint area. The results of this research activity allowed the town to streamline its promotion and enhance the effectiveness of its limited marketing budget.
The marketing research re-confirmed that people visit the Sandpoint areas in order to experience natural and recreational resources: hiking, mountain biking, snow skiing, fishing, water skiing, and camping. The beauty of wide scenic areas continues to be a powerful draw, and, interestingly, the developing and diverse arts program is encouraging new visitors and longer stays within the area.
Partnership development has been a specific goal for Destination Sandpoint! and the results have been very effective. From small to large partners, the power of working together has been demonstrated by Destination Sandpoint! again and again.
At one end of this spectrum is Schweitzer Mountain Resort, the largest focal winter destination in the area. By working cooperatively with this resort, Destination Sandpoint! has increased tourism numbers and their economic influence on surrounding businesses. Without Schweitzer, there would not be an effective winter tourism program in the area. However, with the combined efforts of Schweitzer and Destination Sandpoint!, increased numbers of visitors and expenditures per visitor accrue to both the resort and many other local attractions and businesses associated with the tourism industry.
Another partnership example involves a tripartite arrangement with Coldwater Creek Catalogue Company, Sandpoint Magazine and Destination Sandpoint!. In 1995, Destination Sandpoint! worked with the local owners of Sandpoint Magazine to develop an eight-page Visitors Guide insert. This is distributed with 20,000 copies of the magazine as well as via the Coldwater Creek catalogue to their customers who request information on the Sandpoint area. Additional inserts are distributed at ski and consumer shows. The Visitor Guide insert is now 16 pages in length, but more importantly it demonstrates the use of local expertise to develop and showcase the area’s full range of tourist attractions.
In fact, Destination Sandpoint! is responsible for a host of promotional programs that benefit a broad range of local attractions and businesses. Few of these could afford to develop and implement similar programs on their own. Included in this promotional program are businesses represented by the Downtown Sandpoint Business Association, the Festival at Sandpoint which produces on-the-lawn concerts each August, the Pend Oreille Arts Council (POAC) which hosts a variety of events each year including a summer Arts and Crafts Fair, the Hidden Lakes Golf Course, and Sandpoint’s locally owned community theater – the Panida Theater. It produces musicals, concerts and a three-day comedy film festival.
Recently, the expertise of Destination: Sandpoint! has been used further afield. Since 1997, the group has been instrumental in the development, organization and administration of a regional tourism marketing committee – the North Idaho Tourism Alliance (NITA). This followed a meeting with state and regional tourism leaders who asked the Sandpoint Chamber and Destination: Sandpoint! to create a similar organization that would represent five counties. The goal of the regional organization is to market more generally the five northern counties in Idaho, but would still allow each county and community to specifically promote its own attractions.
It is a testament to the strength of Destination: Sandpoint! that the committee was able to devote considerable time and effort to the development and success of a regional marketing program, while keeping its own program intact and growing.
 Schweitzer Mountain Lodge is a regional atraction. |
The effectiveness of Destination Sandpoint! is predicated on the belief that the development of tourism is an integrated economic activity. Increasingly, tourists are drawn by multiple destination activities, and their behavior is influenced by variety and quality. By supporting and encouraging the development of an expanding number of diverse tourism attractions, Destination Sandpoint! is effectively fueling the growth of tourism within the region.
Recent successes clearly demonstrate benefits that can be attributed to the efforts of Destination Sandpoint!, the willingness of entrepreneurs to work hard and behave creatively, and acceptance of the notion that tourism is not an isolated activity, but rather that the integrated development, operation and promotion of tourist attractions, brings inclusive and comprehensive results. Within the past few years:
- activities on Lake Pend Oreille have multiplied, including the development of new marinas, restaurants, resorts, campgrounds, bed & breakfast accommodation, and daily and seasonal rental businesses offering a variety of water craft;
- a variety of motel and guest accommodation properties have been constructed or renovated, including Hawthorn Inn and Suites, the Edgewater Resort, and Green Gables Lodge at Schweitzer Mountain;
- the growth of the Coldwater Creek catalogue business has been substantial, creating new jobs and attracting tourists;
- Sandpoint has been recognized as one of the best small communities by John Villani, in his book The 100 Best Small Art Towns In America, for all three editions;
- local business people constructed and marketed a convention facility capable of hosting 350 people, the result is an increase in the number of groups coming to Sandpoint for meetings and conventions;
- a “Lost in the 50s” classic automobile event now attracts more than 700 cars and several thousand visitors for a downtown parade, a weekend of automotive viewing, and two dances featuring 50s performers;
- the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce now hosts the Idaho State Chili Cook-off, an International Chili Society sanctioned event which takes places each fall;
- Sandpoint now sponsors the Pend Oreille International Fiddle Competition, which was recently moved to Sandpoint from Newport, Washington;
- attendance at the Idaho State Draft Horse International, held every October in Sandpoint, now attracts spectators who number in the thousands;
- Schweitzer Mountain Resort has completed a visioning process, and is now constructing a US$7.5 expansion of facilties including a complete re-modeling of the on-mountain lodge.
Timberfest, created by the Timber Information Program of the Chamber, is held each June. It celebrates the area's timber heritage, and includes a logging competition featuring axe throwing, choker setting, bucking, double bucking, horizontal chopping, spring board chopping, power sawing, speed climbing, and birling.
The Sandpoint Winter Carnival is a five-day winter event sponsored by the Chamber in January of each year. It features a variety of winter events by various groups in the community. One of the highlights is "Taste of Sandpoint," an event scheduled with the cooperation of many of fine dining establishments and held on the Coldwater Creek Cedar Street Bridge. Other events include a parade, concerts, dances, various winter competitions, and snow sculptures and ice skating when the weather cooperates.
Sports activities also attract visitors. Sandpoint Slam!, for example, is a weekend-long five person team basketball tournament. Each July it draws more than 300 teams that play on city streets in the downtown core. The Striker's Soccer Tournament is held every September, drawing soccer teams from across the Northwest and Canada for a weekend elimination tournament. Recently, North Idaho Bikeways, a non-profit organization, created a paved bike path that runs some eleven miles from Sagle to Sandpoint, crossing the Long Bridge into the city. The Long Bridge Swim brings hundreds of swimmers from across the Northwest each August to swim the 1.76 mile span across the outlet of Lake Pend Oreille into the Pend Oreille River.
Finally, fishing derbies held on Lake Pend Oreille in April and November attract fishing enthusiasts from far afield in search of rainbow trout, for which Lake Pend Oreille holds the world record.
Many of the Sandpoint events, such as the arts activities thatattract visitors in the hundreds of thousands, are a force in themselves. They create large revenue streams and significant employment opportunities. However, it is the small and medium-sized support businesses, including lodging establishments, restaurants, and transportation services, that have the greatest potential to benefit from the sum of the activities. Travel and tourism spending in Bonner County for 1997 was estimated at almost US$100 million, and growing.
The success of tourism in Sandpoint has been attributed to a number of factors. First has been the value of a coordinating committee, in this case Destination Sandpoint! This group created and implemented a shared, strategic promotional plan resulting in large dividends for small and medium-sized businesses. In turn, this group argues that the seed funding from the State, along with volunteer support from entrepreneurs and small business people, has been critical. Also important is the structure of Destination Sandpoint! with its committees and paid manager, and the benefits of having invested in marketing research. Worth noting is the fact that women entrepreneurs form the majority of members on Destination Sandpoint!
Most importantly, Sandpoint is a particularly successful example of a community where shared promotion and marketing has paid handsome benefits for the entire area. Linda Mitchell, Sandpoint entrepreneur and owner of TKE Vacation Rentals, expresses this idea.
As owner of TKE Vacation Rentals ... I have had an opportunity to be extremely involved in tourism over the years. ...although I pride myself on being an excelllent marketer, I know that a company of my size and budget can only go so far in marketing. Destination Sandpoint! has allowed me to expand my marketing budget by co-oping ... . Without Destination Sandpoint I could not reach many of the markets such as television, travel writers, tour operators and magazines.
In addition, I greatly benefit from the networking with other tourism-related businesses. ... by putting our funds and ideas together, we have managed to find a way to market Sandpoint as a whole, benefitting the entire community.
Destination Sandpoint! promotes Sandpoint in a way that no other entity can. With its combination of state funding through grants, cash match, and the energy and enthusiasm of a group of people working together for a common goal, I can find no finer way to market North Idaho and sustain tourism.
 Outdoor concert. |
Contact:
Carol Novak
Tourism Marketing Manager
Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce
100 Highway 95 North
P.O.Box 928
Sandpoint, Idaho, U.S.A., 83864
1 208 263-0887 (Phone)
1 208 26505289 (Fax)
chamber@netw.com
http://www.sandpoint.org/chamber/
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