Wednesday, March 14, 2001
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Wednesday, March 14, 2001 |
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Development Authority eyes task force to boost tourism By DAVE
HAMRICK & CAROLYN
CARY
Tourism dollars spent in Fayette County seem to be falling short of the area's potential, according to Chris Clark, president and CEO of the county Development Authority. Clark conducted an informational meeting last week concerning the formation of a tourism task force. Those invited included motel/conference center managers, directors of organizations such as the Peachtree City Tennis Center, Main Street, Fred Brown Amphitheater and city managers. "I think we had a good mix," said Clark, adding that about 12 of the 20 invited showed up. Clark said that a check of tourism dollars in surrounding counties saw an increase in Coweta County of 6.8 percent, but a loss of 5.4 percent in Fayette County in fiscal year 1999 actual dollars were down $2.5 million from the 1998 level of $110.3 million. "We were kind of shocked by that," said Clark, adding that leaders in the Development Authority have had the matter on their "to do" list for about six months. "I think it's a great idea," said Development Authority Chairman Tate Godfrey of the plan for a task force. Godfrey said the idea got a boost to the front burner when leaders in Peachtree City approached hotel owners recently to inform them of plans for an increase in hotel/motel taxes from 3 to 5 percent to help fund the final phase of the Tennis Center. "We told them that would mean more room nights because we could have more and better tournaments," Godfrey said. "They said it would be nice if we had some way to formally coordinate activities in the city that could help the hotels." "It seemed logical to bring it all together" under the county Development Authority, Clark said. "There's never been a formal effort to promote tourism," said Godfrey. During the kickoff meeting, participants discussed the assets and weaknesses in the county, whether it was important to have a calendar coordination of events that will be taking place and ways in which entities could coordinate with each other. "Long term, if we had an organization strictly devoted to hospitality, that would be a positive thing for us," said Clark, "but we're a long way from that." Right now the group is focusing on small steps like making sure local events don't compete and pull participants away from one another, and using the assets that the county has. "We're looking at the quality of living things here locally ... good draws and family events for the folks that live here," said Clark. It's hoped that some activities will draw people from outside the county as well to help fill hotel rooms and restaurant seats, he said. "There are also quite a few vacancies [in retail spaces] and we're looking at niche marketing to the kinds of antique stores and boutiques that might fill some of those spaces," he added. The task force felt it important to pursue the matter of increasing tourist dollars and more meetings will be conducted to formulate permanent plans.
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