By Jessie Burchette
jburchette@salisburypost.com
To combat a sharp drop in tourism, the Rowan County Tourism and Development Authority has approved its own stimulus program.
The Tourism Authority board has approved taking $40,000 from reserve funds to launch a marketing effort to attract more visitors.
The money will pay for print, radio and TV advertising to heavily market upcoming events and activities in Salisbury, Spencer and other Rowan sites.
Local hotels have experienced a dramatic drop in bookings, reflecting the nationwide trend driven by the souring economy and high gas prices.
James Meacham, executive director of the Rowan County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, the business arm of the Tourism Authority, said the marketing campaign will target nearby areas, primarily Winston-Salem and Charlotte.
With the price of gas dropping below $2 a gallon, tourism officials hope more families are willing to take day trips and overnight trips.
Among the upcoming events to be included in the promotion are several tied to the Christmas season ó Night Out on the Town, a Dec. 6 event at Patterson Farms, and activities at the N.C. Transportation Museum.
Meacham said the effort will focus on pushing people to one Web site and providing some type of discount coupons.
Meacham and the Tourism Authority’s marketing committee supported the additional spending to help businesses that benefit from tourism dollars.
Dan Peters, chairman of the authority’s board, welcomed the stimulus program.
“The economy is clearly weak and people are not spending as they were in the past, thus hurting sales at businesses and sales tax revenue collections for local governments,” he said.
Bob Fallis, a board member and F&M Bank official, urged the marketing committee to contact organizations, businesses and development groups in and around the county to explore ways to leverage the additional funds ó get more bang for the bucks.
The marketing committee headed by Jeff Hall, director of the Rowan Public Library, will meet today to consider the plan.
The marketing effort is expected to start in the next couple of weeks.
Annually, tourism adds $118 million to the local economy, employing 1,200 Rowan County residents and generating close to $10 million in tax revenue.
“Marketing Rowan County is a direct tool the authority has to increase sales and sales tax revenue for the local economy, which is what these funds will strive to accomplish,” Peters said.
The Tourism Authority is funded by a 3 percent local occupancy tax, paid by overnight visitors at hotels and motels in the county.
At the same time as approving the tourism stimulus effort, the board approved a 3 percent cut in the operating budget for the current fiscal year.
The cuts will include a reduction in funds for part-time staff, travel and staff training and the Salisbury-Spencer Trolley.
Meacham notified board members he is developing a second round of budget cuts they may need to consider.
“Staff’s goal in preparing budget cuts is to preserve as much capital as possible for marketing,” Meacham said. “We will operate in the dark so long as we can keep marketing Rowan County at full capacity.”
The addition of $40,000 will bring the authority’s marketing budget to more than $122,000 for 2008.
Meacham noted the State Division of Tourism has cut $1.5 million from its budget, including the elimination of grant funding. Among the grants that won’t be funded is a $3,000 request from Rowan for marketing.