Decisions are always so much easier when one doesn't bother to consider the surrounding environment in which they are made. And the Town of Appomattox's decision to take a hatchet to its Tourism Promotion budget couldn't have been made in any other way.
Let me set this up for you. The town started its Tourism program in 2006. Since then, it has invested just over a million dollars to market the community and now believes it hasn't gotten sufficient ROI to continue the program. Apparently, adjusted for inflation, food and beverage taxes are pretty close to where they were when the program began.
Fair enough, if one ignores reality. But, let's consider that, through the majority of the program, this country has suffered through a debilitating recession that has hit lodging and restaurants particularly hard. So...maintaining market share in such an environment should be applauded. Imagine if the town hadn't been actively marketing itself!
But wait, there's more. The town only boasts two flagged hotels (a Super 8 and a Budget Inn), 4 guest cottages and 3 B&Bs. Not exactly the kind of lodging inventory that screams out "stay here" without the help of destination marketing.
And, oh yeah...there's this little thing called the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War that's going on right now. Heard of it? And, the town that was the site of that War's final battle and the surrender of the Confederacy has now essentially abdicated it's once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at maximizing its national relevance.
Other than that, I'd probably have done the same thing as the Appomattox Town Council.
Yeah. Other than that...
That is amazing!! How do we eve get to a place where those making decisions are "tourism smart"!
Posted by: Janice Marshall | April 18, 2011 at 06:20