DANVILLE, Va. (AP) - Danville’s tourism program was cut back to a bare bones program in 2012. Now Danville and Pittsylvania County are examining the possibilities of a regional approach to tourism.
A few weeks ago, Virginia Tourism Corporation representative Sandra Tanner met with the community for two daylong sessions. At those meetings, city and county government officials, stakeholders and residents collaborated to determine goals, strengths and weaknesses for the region as a whole.
The event was held by the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce. Talks to re-establish a tourism program began about a year and a half ago.
“The tourism program that was in place for some time was modified in fiscal year 2012. Up to that time, it was small, it was part of the Parks and Recreation department, but it was a more conventional tourism approach with a tourism director and support person,” City Manager Joe King said.
The remnants of that former operation are the visitor center and the packed schedule of the Parks and Recreation department.
“So we maintained the visitor’s center right where it was organizationally and the Parks and Recreation department shifted its focus from conventional tourism marketing to promoting its program and events and since then there has been a steady addition to their array of events,” King continued.
Those events include the many that locals and visitors alike enjoy, from the Dirty Dan Dash or Brewfest to Harvest Jubilee and the River District Festival.
“Economic development assumed general responsibility for marketing for Danville,” King said.
King recalls that at least one employee was eliminated during the program’s downsizing. Advertising in the state tourism guide was cut, too.
This second attempt at a tourism department likely will be different in multiple ways. It won’t be until after Danville City Council and Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors and other government officials review the tourism proposal that those differences will be clear.
Currently, Tanner is compiling ideas and suggestions from the two-day meetings into a formal tourism program. That formalized proposal will be shared with the chamber of commerce and government officials.
Those government officials will be asked to adopt the program. This point of the process is considered the first step in developing the tourism program.
Chamber President Laurie Moran waded through the 14 documents that were a result of the tourism meeting brainstorming. The group identified some of the area’s assets and angles for the tourism agenda.
“This was a sector where we felt like there could be a stronger focus and more efforts,” Moran said.
Historical and outdoor attractions were highlighted in the meetings. The Langhorne House, Sutherlin Mansion, Wreck of Old 97, Millionaire’s Row and race relations, such as the achievements of Wendell Scott, were mentioned along with other historical sites. Pittsylvania County’s proximity to VIR and Martinsville Speedway also was discussed.
“I think there was consensus among the group to develop a sustainable tourism program for the region,” Moran said.
To be sustainable, the program would need to secure money and determine how it will be organized and handled.
“The next step would be once we have the support of those boards for the plan then starting and going ahead with the strategies and looking at timelines for the implementation piece of it,” Moran said.
It was determined by those in attendance at the meetings that the Dan River Region has a lot to offer visitors and residents already. It’s a matter of effectively communicating the availability of the attractions. Marketing improvements will accentuate what the region already has. A brand to identify the many assets in the region would help this initiative.
“I really think there is a thought that we’re already attracting money as a result of travelers to our region,” Moran said.
Moran said that Virginia travel in Danville and Pittsylvania County is impressive. Citing her most recent figures, she said that Danville generated an $80 million impact on tourism in 2012. Pittsylvania County had a $66 million impact in 2012.
“In that same report, it’s showing there’s over 1,400 people employed in Danville-Pittsylvania County whose jobs are in the tourism industry,” Moran added.
Seeing the exciting figure of almost $140 million created by the Dan River Region in tourism, the possibilities seem endless. With a formal approach, that revenue can be increased.
“I think the thought of the group was that with very little organized effort, this area still reaped tremendous benefits from the travel industry,” she said.
There are many more aspects still developing for the tourism plan. Many more questions need to be asked and answered to navigate the program successfully.
The question is, Moran says, “How can we be more intentional about that? How do we proceed in maximizing the assets we have and helping to create awareness about the opportunities in this community?”
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Information from: Danville Register & Bee, https://www.registerbee.com
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