The Heart Behind What We Do Part 3: Mendocino’s “Must See” Attraction
Mendo LEAP’s goal is to become a “must-see” tourist attraction to help boost our local economy…
When I started researching opening a recreation facility in Mendocino County, I’ll admit I was concerned with sustainability given the local economy. According to the US Census Bureau, median personal earnings in Mendocino County are $11,400 less than in the state overall. What really troubled me was the poverty rate, which is 16.74%--significantly higher than the national poverty rate of 11.5%.
I looked closely at all of the statistics and carefully considered the startup costs, the prices I'd have to charge for entry, and the community's ongoing ability to afford the entry price. I was initially discouraged with what I found because sustainability in this area was going to be extremely difficult to prove.
I spent months researching. What we needed was to bolster the local economy and the only way we could really do that ourselves was to bring funds from outside the region into the region.
So, I started researching the tourism climate in our region and was pleasantly surprised to find that the tourism economy was doing quite well and was not predicted to fall anytime soon. We have such a beautiful region; it was plain to see that the natural wonders of topography, conservation, history, people, and much more attracted people to Mendocino County.
I noticed, however, that our tourism promotions all catered to the adult crowds, which is understandable given our robust wine and marijuana industries. It seemed we were really lacking when it came to investing in families and children.
I knew exactly what Jonathan and I were going to do!!
Tourism was the missing puzzle piece for my growing business plan…
While Mendocino County has focused on promoting wine, marijuana, and coastal communities to attract tourists, there is a noticeable lack of family-friendly attractions. With an estimated 25% of the 1.8 million annual tourists bringing children, approximately 450,000 visitors are being overlooked. By collectively targeting and appealing to the "family tourism" segment, we can significantly boost the local economy.
Our aim would be to act as a “must see" attraction for families planning trips to Mendocino County. Better yet, we realized we could collaborate with other tourist destinations to enhance the overall experience. The long-term goal is to establish similar facilities in Lake County, Sonoma County, Humboldt County, and Del Norte County, fostering cultural and economic exchange to benefit the entire region. Mendocino County is poised for growth, and Mendo LEAP is dedicated to providing the necessary momentum for progress!
