Publication Date: 04/26/09
The roadmap to tourism's economic future, the St. Johns County Destination Master Plan, is off track. The assessment phase report was expected to ignite excitement on its release last Tuesday. It did, for the wrong reasons.
The picture of tourism today was supposed to be based on views of recent visitors, future visitors and local stakeholders. It also was to give a preliminary look at what tourism needs to enhance its image and draw and how the bed tax should be used to fund it.
It fell flat. It was not what anyone, County Commissioners included, expected in the first phase of a $300,000 study by PGAV Destination Consulting, St. Louis, Mo.
The 54-page report is based on limited stakeholder viewpoints: arts and culture, major hotels, a focus group in Atlanta of travelers to the area, and online responses from visitor inquiries to the Visitor and Convention Bureau and general online visitor responses.
Missing are specific stakeholder assessments, from for example, local attractions, smaller lodging establishments, restaurants, recreation/leisure interests, shopping, from malls to small downtown shops. Businesses that support the tourism industry such as product suppliers, banks, grocery stores were not asked their views and neither were local governments.
A sampling of questions from public speakers at Tuesday's County Commission meeting pointed out flaws:
How do you overlook St. Augustine Beach and its 75 annual events?
Where is an acknowledgement of the African -American story, especially of Fort Mose, the first free black town in what is now the United States?
Why is St. Augustine's position as the nation's oldest city founded in 1565, considered a backdrop for tourism rather than a draw itself?
Where's the consideration of cultural events like a Spoleto Festival that enhanced tourism in Charleston, S.C.?
To their credit, the consultants admitted they did not talk to enough people but insisted they were not led by any one group's views. They promised to do more interviews this summer when they come back for Phase II, the time to develop strategies and ways to enhance tourism.
How can the consultant move on without an assessment encompassing broader views?
The County Commission must demand the assessment be revised based on broader interviews and that it be reviewed again before Phase II starts.
If the deadline for the final report has to be extended, so be it.
The county is investing $300,000 for this report. So far, we haven't gotten our money's worth.
Click here to return to story:
http://staugustine.com/stories/042609/opinions_042609_030.shtml
© The St. Augustine Record
No comments:
Post a Comment