By Nolan Madden “So, what is there to do around here?” is likely the most frequently posed sightseer question in tourism history, and probably second only to the childhood favorite, “Are we there yet?” This year, the Holbrook Chamber of Commerce is set to launch a new response plan for city businesses, which it hopes will satisfy eager visitors once they’ve arrived. “I’ve sat in one of our local restaurants before and heard visitors ask that question, and overheard the host innocently respond, ‘Oh, nothing,’ related chamber board member Yvonne Larson. Larson and the chamber have collaborated with Northland Pioneer College to develop Field Trip Fridays, a more proactive, interactive way for area business owners and their staffs to enhance the city’s tourism potential. “A couple of years ago, Royce Kincanon at NPC hosted a free community and corporate training class for us titled, What to Do in Holbrook, with a focus on the hospitality industry,” said Larson. “This year, we kicked off by hosting that class again with our local businesses’ employees, because they are our front line for tourism. They’re the first ones who people will speak to, either at the hotel desk or as their waitress at the restaurant. “Royce’s course really opened our eyes. He referenced the movie Friday Night Lights, and explained that tourists love the nostalgia of small town league ball games and other local events, so we can invite people to these things,” she explained. Beginning this spring, Larson says the Field Trip Fridays series will consist of four two- to three-hour guided group tours of the city’s landmark establishments. The lineup is set to begin with Holbrook’s NPC campus in April, followed in later months by tours of the Petrified Forest National Park complex (including the Painted Desert Visitor Center and Rainbow Forest Museum), Rock Art Ranch, the city’s petrified wood shops, Hidden Cove Golf Course and Petroglyph Park, the Navajo County Historic Courthouse and the free cultural dance performance series. “The idea is to get our local businesses’ front-line staff physically engaged and familiar with these destinations as guides so that they know what we have to offer and can make informed recommendations to our guests,” Larson said. According to Larson, the plan is to coordinate use of the city’s Class A passenger van used by the Holbrook Senior Citizens Center for transportation during the tours. The goal also includes integrating the tourism agenda with the city and chamber websites.