Posted Jul 6, 2008 at 10:48 PM
Maybe it is time to go beyond the discussion and get to the point of doing something. I would really like to see Town Council initiate a group/committee that includes business owners and citizens along with council representatives to start doing some real planning with an outline for actions to be implemented. There is no need to go crazy with it. Just get an organized process to start working on small bites of a large goal. Of course, getting business owners and citizens to come to some agreement as to what the first steps might be could be a lot like trying to herd earthworms but it can be done. There are always some common points and those need to be found and used for the foundation. Establish a clear mission statement of how tourism should relate to the Town as a whole and to businesses. Identify realistic goals that then become steps to building a plan that can be implemented in stages. Have a list of indicators to be used to evaluate the efficacy of those stages. It will take some trial and error to get things rolling, but we can make it happen. Taking the time to get citizens (those people who will use, encourage others to use, and who will have businesses based, at least in part, on tourism) involved in the process is the best way to get people invested in the process. It is that investment of citizens that will make 'tourism' in Christiansburg achieve its potential.
Posted Jul 7, 2008 at 11:22 PM
Carol, Your points are well spoken and that is exactly what we are trying to do with the creation of the Tourism Development Council. It is somewhat disheartening to have people expect immediate results for a program that is still in its infancy. Truth is though that tax revenue associated with tourism has risen considerably over the last two years and occupancy rates have also risen by at least 10% since we started this initiative. Other approaches will be tried in the future and involvement from the community is a intregral part of those plans.
Posted Jul 10, 2008 at 4:17 PM
I have a hard time believing that anyone would come to Christiansburg to visit, without already having anther reason. What is unique to C'burg that 1,000s of other towns don't have? People come here because of VT football games or maybe some other function at the two universities. Perhaps they are here because the recreation center is having an event or something at harkrader. I can see pushing the historic district and antiques corridor, but that's not what is bringing in the people. I wouldn't give the Chamber much credit.
Adjacency to I-81, Corporate Research Center, Radford University, county and state government functions, industrial parks and related businesses, visiting family or friends, gateway to Blue Ridge Parkway and Jefferson National Forest, railroad buffs, antiques shoppers, an outstanding local museum -- numerous items to visit, reasons for being in our area. People from metropolitan areas don't see seven miles (to Radford or to Blacksburg) as significant distance or obstacle, unless they are jumping off the interstate for just an overnight rest. Tourism is a complex, multi-faceted industry which either has a magnet (such as Dollywood or ski industry) and so must offer a regional perspective of activities (no need to promote VT football which does very well marketing itself, thank you, and is not the only attraction in town with its six home games a year).