A gift that keeps giving

In an effort to boost tourism in Kingman, Ariz., roadie Jim Hinckley and several city officials assembled a Route 66-themed gift basket worth $600 to be given away through 66: The Mother Road, an Internet-only magazine.

The Kingman Daily Miner reported:

Contents include a two-night stay at the El Trovatore Motel, gift certificates to local restaurants and cafés, three sets of tickets to Kingman museums, various pieces of memorabilia – including a framed Route 66 photo from the Miner’s own JC Amberlyn – a pound of coffee from Beale Street Brews and a necklace of Kingman turquoise. […]

There’s undeveloped tourist potential all along Route 66, Hinckley said. Herds of international travelers come through here, he said. The goal is to get them to stay for a bit when they pass through.

“Our community loves to share,” Hinckley said of the basket. “Whoever wins this gets to see Kingman through the eyes of the people.” […]

“Tourists come through here in droves,” (Councilwoman Carole Young) said. “Getting them to stop is another thing.”

John Springs, the publisher of 66: The Mother Road, told the Miner that the magazine also exists to give publicity to the Mother Road.

“If you’re a small business on Route 66, we’re going to make sure you get some exposure whether you can afford to pay for it or not,” he said. “Our goal is to help businesses out.”

In many ways, the couple has done that. The magazine is read in over 80 countries, he said, and it went from having 70 percent of advertisers getting exposure for free to 30 percent in its short lifespan. […]

The magazine is a one-stop shop for Route 66 enthusiasts to come together digitally and learn what’s out there, he said.

“We make it easy for everybody to get up and down the road and find these places,” Springs said.

More about The Big Palooza giveaway can be found on this page:

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The drawing will be Oct. 21-22 at the Wagon Wheel Motel during Cuba Fest in Cuba, Mo.

The gift basket is a terrific idea for businesses and towns seeking tourists and publicity. Kingman, in spite of a substantial population of about 30,000, tends to get overlooked by Route 66 travelers because of the ample attractions and colorful characters in tiny Seligman, Ariz. (pop. 450).

Still, Kingman is a far enough distance from Seligman, is a geographically natural overnight stop, and boasts a number of Route 66 attractions of its own. It ought to be doing better with Mother Road tourism. Perhaps the generous gift basket is a step in the right direction.

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