Friday, May 23, 2008
Tourism: more important than you think
From the RoundTable blog
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Vicki Gardner
Gardner is the executive director of the Smith Mountain Lake Chamber of Commerce. She resides in Goodview.
Imagine Smith Mountain Lake without our visiting tourists. Our shops, marinas, restaurants, gas stations and especially hotels would be hard-pressed to flourish without the presence of guests.
Many of our resident families in the lake area benefit from tourism-related jobs. How would our local economy be impacted if those who holiday here decided to go elsewhere?
We considered this question during National Tourism Week (May 10-18) and indeed throughout the year. And not only what is the impact of tourism locally but what is its importance throughout Virginia as a whole.
As you're likely seeing on television or hearing on a number of radio stations, we are doing our very best to promote Smith Mountain Lake through the new "Closer Than You Think" ad campaign that began on April 1 and will run through June 15. These commercials are running on stations from Raleigh, N.C., and north to Washington, D.C., and into Maryland.
Perhaps you've caught the spot on "American Idol," "The Today Show," "Meet the Press," "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and National Public Radio programming, among many other shows. Our goal is to demonstrate the beauty of Smith Mountain Lake and welcome visitors to our area.
Most recent data from the Travel Industry of America show that tourists spent $17.7 billion in Virginia in 2006 and helped support 208,000 jobs across the state. Here at Smith Mountain Lake, visitors' spending provides much-needed funding to our regional tax base. Research demonstrates that every dollar Virginia invests in tourism marketing generates $5 in tax revenue. That's a 5-to-1 return on investment.
State taxes generated from tourism in Virginia could pay for the salaries and benefits of more than 11,500 new state police officers or more than 1,900 miles of road -- the distance from Virginia Beach to Denver -- or the education of more than 80,000 Virginia students. The bottom line is tourism touches our lives every day in a positive way.
Let's celebrate Virginia's incomparable tourism capabilities. With presidential homes, glistening beaches, inspiring mountain vistas, treasured historical sites, exciting theme parks, America's best state parks, the best in outdoor recreation, fabulous restaurants and more than 130 wineries -- Virginia truly has it all.
When we see out-of-state license plates here at the lake and meet visitors here on vacation, please say hello, ask them how they are enjoying their stay and encourage them to return and bring their friends and family. They are crucial to our healthy economy.
