After a two-year tourism master planning effort, in November of 2025, the City of Lancaster engaged Allium Development Group to develop an implementation strategy. The TMP identified a broad set of destination priorities; this Implementation Strategy advances those priorities through coordinated partner action, organized workstreams, and phased planning cycles. The Implementation Strategy was developed through a collaborative and iterative process designed to translate the TMP’s strategic priorities into a clear, usable framework for City staff and partners.
- Lancaster City Tourism Master Plan: A research-based strategy document that synthesizes broad public input, national tourism best practices, and market and trend data to define the City’s long-term vision and recommend what Lancaster City should do to strengthen its visitor economy.
- Lancaster City TMP Implementation Strategy: A companion document that translates the TMP’s recommendations into an organized framework by aligning them with City and partner capacity, cross-referencing other key local strategic plans, prioritizing actions, and outlining how work will be organized and advanced over the 10-year planning period.
Based on partner input, Tourism Master Plan Tasks were reorganized into a structured Implementation Framework (see page 10) organized by Implementation Areas and Workstreams. This structure clarifies how work will be carried out, how responsibilities will be shared, and how progress will be tracked over time.
The framework is designed as a practical management tool that Visit Lancaster staff and partners can use to coordinate projects, align work plans, and monitor progress toward Tourism Master Plan Goals.
The Tasks in the Tourism Master Plan, starting on page 127 of that document, represent a comprehensive set of recommendations informed by the plan’s findings. They vary in scale and format—some are standalone initiatives, while others represent individual steps within a sequence—and are organized by goals.
The following example shows how a Tourism Master Plan recommendation is translated into implementable work within the Implementation Strategy.
Tourism Master Plan Task
Goal: 4 (Foster Product Development)
Task: Update the Welcome Center facility at Penn Square and reorganize displays to create an interpretive experience focused on the city’s welcoming history, culture, and inclusionary traditions.
Implementation Strategy Framework
Implementation Area: Infrastructure & Transportation
Workstream: Welcome Center
Outcome: New and improved Welcome Center is optimized, staffed, and operational
Activity: Complete construction on the Welcome Center
Tourism Master Plan Tasks represent a comprehensive set of recommendations and were not intended to be implemented simultaneously or unilaterally. A structured prioritization process was used to determine which Tasks should be activated and when.
Tasks were selected based on alignment with adopted plans, partner readiness and ownership, integration with existing work programs, and City capacity. This approach focuses resources on high-readiness initiatives that can be realistically implemented within current or anticipated staffing and funding conditions.
By concentrating effort on coordinated and achievable actions, the Visit Lancaster can improve efficiency, reduce duplication, and ensure steady progress toward Tourism Master Plan goals.
The Implementation Strategy uses the following components to create the Cycle Plans:
- TMP Goals: Statements that define what the City seeks to achieve for the visitor economy over time based on the TMP’s learnings. The goals articulate desired outcomes and ways of operating.
- TMP Tasks: A specific, implementable action step identified in the TMP that advances a TMP Goal through capital investment, planning, partnerships, programs, or regulatory actions, and may function as either a standalone recommendation or as one step within a broader sequence of actions.
- Implementation Framework: The organized structure that translates the Tourism Master Plan’s Goals and recommendations into coordinated, actionable work by grouping Tasks into Implementation Areas and Workstreams to guide delivery, alignment, and timing.
- Implementation Areas: Broad areas of work that organize how the City and its partners will deliver the Tourism Master Plan. The Implementation Areas group similar types of efforts across departments, organizations, and initiatives to support coordinated action toward the goals.
- Workstreams: Focused groupings of related Tasks within each Implementation Area. Workstreams narrow implementation to activities and groups of actions that have similar types of impact.
- Outcomes: The intended results or end conditions that implementation efforts are designed to achieve, reflecting the overall change or benefit realized when activities are completed.
- Activities: The specific step-by-step actions required to implement each selected Task and Outcome, outlining what work needs to be done to move implementation forward
Implementation Criteria
Activities and Outcomes were prioritized for inclusion in the cycle plans when they met two or more of the following criteria:
- Plan Alignment: The Task is referenced in one or more adopted or active local or regional strategic plans, indicating strong consensus and institutional support.
- Partner Readiness and Ownership: A partner organization has identified the Task as one it is prepared to advance within its existing or anticipated capacity.
- Integration with Existing Work Plans: The Outcome is already reflected in Visit Lancaster City’s staff work plan or in the work plans of other City departments.
- City Capacity and Feasibility: The Outcome can be reasonably implemented within current or planned City staff capacity, funding structures, and operational resources.
- Phasing and Timing Appropriateness: The Outcome aligns with the Tourism Master Plan’s recommended sequencing and fits logically within short-, mid-, or long-term implementation horizons.
The Implementation Strategy translates the Tourism Master Plan into a practical, action-oriented framework that guides coordinated implementation over time. Using a structured cycle plan approach, the Strategy organizes Goals into clear Outcomes and timelines aligned with local plans, partner readiness, and available resources. This approach ensures that implementation remains realistic, adaptable, and focused on realistic, coordinated progress toward long-term tourism and community outcomes.
