In that article, he noted that the Stockyards celebrated the cattle business with it's cowboy heritage, the Longhorns, the cattle spreads and cattle drives. It's called the Stockyard, because it was once actually the centre of the American cattle sales industry.
The USA know how to market its history, M V Tronson noted in that the Stockyard area in Forth Worth is a classic example of the tourism industry capitalising on this aspect of American cultural heritage. They were welcomed by a cowboy on a Longhorn cow who immediately alighted and offered our party a photo opportunity on the Longhorn.
M V Tronson has had a passion for Tourism Ministry and established and ran 'Australia's Bush Orchestra' from 1996 through to 2005 in Moruya, a town on the New South Wales south coast.
At this venue, visitors would take a bush walk through a tall ironbark forest under the sound of a natural bush symphony of bird song dominated by the call of the Bell Miner (Bellbird). Tourists throughout the world visited and as they wandered around and came for their cuppa and a short video at the end of their walk. Mark Tronson would engage them in conversation.
"Learning about the importance of the art of conservation is crucial as that was how Jesus imparted truth. We discovered that a ministry centered around tourism was very much a people-oriented ministry," M V Tronson noted.
And this is what Mark and Delma found at the Stockyards in Forth Worth. Although it is most definitely a tourism business enterprise, it is also where people are the key to the ministry and engaged by Christians on the ground.
"The Christian scene in America is clearly more articulated on the street than it is in Australia, nonetheless we discovered that the tourism ministry model we had engaged in those years was very much along the same lines," M V Tronson said.
This visit to Fort Worth was one of numerous research visits undertaken by Mark and Delma Tronson since 1996. It was helpful for them to see how pastoral care and tourism can interact in a range of situations.
Now, twelve months on, and watching the development of the Queensland Gold Coast Tourism Ministry develop, he has been able to incorporate much of this additional US research into the market place of ministry.
He's noted that Tourism Ministry is even more pertinent today in these tough economic times. He's aware that there is now a push on for overdue annual leave to be taken. Even Federal Government Minister Martin Ferguson said no one should feel any guilt over taking their family for a holiday.
This opens a whole new realm for Tourism Ministry opportunity that should be welcome by the Christian Churches in tourism receiving areas.