Positively Apache Junction (2017)
A collaborative report of Arizona State University’s Project Cities and the city of Apache Junction
In fall 2017, Dr. Evan Jordan's TDM 372 Tourism Planning created a tourism plan for the community of Apache Junction through the Project Cities Initiative. The plan focused on the overall picture of tourism, from its present state to its promise, in Apache Junction. The students in this course evaluated Apache Junction’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats based on community engagement and literature-based research. Results included that its outdoor attractions (Superstition Mountains, Canyon Lake, Lost Dutchman State Park) and nearby events (Renaissance Festival, Lost Dutchman Days Rodeo) are some strengths. Weaknesses include lack of coherent brand, lack of funding dedicated to tourism and tourism-related infrastructure, and shortage of restaurants and lodging to support short-term visitors. Building upon these results, the students determined that Apache Junction needs a strong tourism brand, and should consider targeting the adventure tourism market. They presented three strategies, including increasing overall social media activity (as adventure tourists are largely a younger demographic), developing uniform marketing campaigns, and collaborating with other Arizona tourism organizations to cross-promote Apache Junction as an Arizona destination.
