Kelley letter: National parks
Did you know that Southern Idaho has national parks?
Neither did I.
An ad from the Southern Idaho Tourism office recently appeared on a webpage I was reading. “Pull off the road and explore Southern Idaho’s four stunning national parks and monuments,” it said. Clicking through to the office’s website, I was asked, “Ready to cross these four national parks and monuments off your bucket list?”
Talk about a compelling pitch.
Only problem is, it’s not true. There are no national parks anywhere in Idaho (but for a small spillover sliver of Yellowstone).
The marketing campaign raises several problems. First, misrepresentation is not a good thing. Second, luring people to national parks that don’t exist ensures tourists who fall for the ruse will feel duped, and once word gets out about the bait-and-switch, Idaho’s tourism marketing will be seen as dishonest.
Third, the marketing ploy is cynical. In a state where elected officials spend considerable effort trying to eliminate federal land protections, national parks are OK because they’re a sure bet for bringing in dollars. In fact, some tourism officials find national parks so compelling they make them up out of thin air.
John Kelley, Sun Valley
This story was originally published May 18, 2017 at 8:29 PM with the headline "Kelley letter: National parks."