This column is the ninth in a series devoted to promoting cultural tourism in coastal Georgia. It appeared in the Tribune & Georgian newspaper in Kingsland, GA on October 26, 2005.
For those dear readers that have taken the time to consider our almost weekly musings and to those that have sent positive messages, I extend my thanks. You can all take some comfort in this: it turns out that I am not a lonely voice crying in the wilderness. Not only have we been insightful in our point of view, but also we are now confirmed as accurate. To cite one master player whose irreverence always makes me smile: “It’s good to be the King.” (Although I am confident that a certain lass will soon tell me that while I may think I am, I certainly am NOT the King!)
Last week, in a presentation to local residents, researchers from Georgia Tech offered more proof that cultural tourism is a viable and important part of our community’s continuing economic diversification. According to Ed Lindsey of Economic Development and Technology Ventures, based on research conducted by Georgia Tech during the past year, we ought to be looking “in our own backyard” to create reasons for some of the 105 million residents that live along the I-95 corridor from Maine to Florida to visit, spend time and money in our communities. “There is more positive stuff [in Camden] than I’ve seen in a long time,” Lindsey said. “There’s a lot of promise; you just need to figure out how to knock down some manmade barriers.” Think about that: more than one-third of the U.S. population lives directly north and south of us. Do the math. If, in one year, just one percent of those people traveled through Camden County and spent an average of $100 for a night’s visit and some activities, that would mean more than $100 million in additional revenue for local businesses and nearly seven million dollars in local sales tax revenue alone for local governments. Now that would fix a lot of potholes, pave some roads, provide needed services for families and maybe even get us some extra mosquito sprayers! (That last bit is just a little humor, my friends in public service!)
Mr. Lindsey called I-95 a spigot. He challenged us to find ways to “stick out our cup and catch our share.” His point is that we have the tourists; we just need to cultivate them and give them a reason to arrive in greater quantities and to stay longer. Of most interest here was his notation that, when asked, tourists made specific references to things they liked to see and do in their travels. Now I know you probably have my earliest columns right at your fingertips for reference purposes, but just in case you don’t, let me paraphrase something we said here eight weeks ago that was just re-confirmed by Georgia Tech’s survey results: today’s tourists are older and have more money; they like to visit sites, events and activities that are interesting, historical and culturally unique; they like THEATRE, art galleries and museums. That’s right – THEATRE. Like what we have been talking about with Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three: energetic actors and singers, emotional and historically interesting stories that connect with audiences, catchy and meaningful music, and good looking sets, costumes and lights. Just like what tourists surveyed by Georgia Tech said they missed in Camden County during their travels and stays here.
I guess I won’t beat that drum any more this week. I can feel us all saying, “OK, we get it.” So, what can we do to deconstruct some of these “manmade barriers?” One thing is to come find out more about Crooked Rivers’ Sisters Three. Director Jerry Stropnicky and Crooked Rivers volunteers will be hosting “participation gatherings” at Lisa Allen’s Dance Works studio on Saturday, Nov. 5 from 2 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. and again on Sunday, November 6 from 2 to 5 p.m. Dance Works is located at 10880 Colerain Road in St. Marys. Jerry says that he wants to see people of all shapes, sizes, shades and ages. He wants to talk to anyone that wants to read, act, sing, dance, build sets, help with costumes, install lighting or be a stagehand. Most of all, Jerry says he needs people that want to tell about the life and history along the Crooked Rivers, where around every bend is a story.
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