HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Larry Portzline, the founder of the grassroots "bookstore tourism" initiative, is creating a nonprofit organization to promote the concept -- the National Council on Bookstore Tourism.
Portzline says the goal of the organization will be to raise the visibility of independent bookstores by promoting them as a group travel niche.
A writer and college instructor in Harrisburg, Portzline has been leading day-long motorcoach excursions to bookshops in New York City and Washington, D.C., for the past two years. (See July 1, 2004 Bus & Motorcoach News.)
His sold-out "bookstore road trips" have become a model for other bibliophiles around the U.S., most notably the Southern California Booksellers Association, which has led literary trips of its own for booklovers in Los Angeles and San Diego.
Portzline launched a Web site -- www.bookstoretourism.com -- and wrote a how-to book to encourage others to follow suit: Bookstore Tourism: The Book Addict's Guide to Planning & Promoting Bookstore Road Trips for Bibliophiles & Other Bookshop Junkies. The book, from Bookshop Junkie Press, is available at bookshops or through various Web book sellers.
"The idea has turned into a grassroots movement, so we're taking it to the next level and creating a national organization to support it," says Portzline. "There's tremendous interest from a lot of folks, so the NCBT will coordinate the effort and provide assistance for those who want to start bookstore tourism programs in their own communities."
Portzline said the organization will develop partnerships with the bookselling and travel industries, libraries, educators, publishers, cultural tourism organizations, and economic development agencies at the national, state and local levels. He said the council also will offer different levels of membership and services, including marketing and promotional assistance, consulting, relationship building, newsletters, e-news and more.
Portzline is forming a board of directors, which will serve as a steering committee for the first year. To date, the board's membership includes representatives of the American Booksellers Association, the American Library Association, a major literary festival, a Southwest bookstore, and a firm that provides bookseller training for the industry. Portzline will serve as chairman and executive director.
The council also will support reading and literacy efforts; provide organizations of all sizes (including libraries, schools, reading groups and the like) with outreach opportunities; raise awareness about locally owned and operated businesses, and promote cultural and heritage tourism.
"The growth of cultural tourism in the U.S. over the past decade has been phenomenal," says Portzline. "More people are traveling for specific cultural purposes than ever before, and bookstore tourism is going to be a big part of that.
"Imagine busloads of booklovers from other towns pulling up in front of your community's bookstores, restaurants and other establishments every weekend. Multiply that by all the towns around the country with great indie bookstores, and this could be the next big thing in the book and travel industries."