CDC, EDC director presents tourism promotion plan
by Angie Asam, Staff Writer
Tourism brings people to the area for a short period of time to enjoy the natural surroundings and attractions a city or place has to offer. Presque Isle County has been lacking a tourism council for more than one year now, and the effects have been felt. Executive director of the county development and economic development commission Joe Cercone and his board have set out to change that, by developing a new plan for tourism promotion. Cercone presented his idea on tourism promotion to the board of commissioners at Friday?s morning meeting.
?What I see as the best way for us to move forward is basically a four-part approach toward tourism promotion. One would be the development of a Web site. Secondly would be the development of print media promotion that would be primarily distributed to the MDOT (Michigan Department of Transportation) Welcome Centers. Third would be attendance at anywhere from one to three outdoor/fishing/sportsman?s shows between January and March of 2010 in Novi and Grand Rapids. The fourth component in my opinion for a successful tourism promotion is name a tourism coordinator, a part-time position similar to the business coordinator for the CDC,? said Cercone.
Cercone then went on to discuss the costs associated with his four-step approach. The cost of a ?world-class? Web site in his mind was a cost not to exceed $5,000. For print media he had several options with no costs known, as one option was to purchase extra copies of the Presque Isle Newspapers Visitors? and Resource Guide or to develop a second guide through another firm. The cost of the shows was $1,000 per show and the part-time position would cost the county up to $10,000 per year.
With none of the costs known for sure until further research and bidding processes can be accomplished Cercone continued the discussion with the commission. Cercone did inform the commissioners that he had spoke to several professional Web site developers to come up with a cost estimate for an easy to use Web site for the county getting estimates from $3,000-$5,000.
?For a sum not to exceed $5,000 we could develop a very good Web site,? said Cercone. Cercone then ensured the board that they would have a written summary to them for their next meeting before asking for questions. ?What part do the area chamber of commerces, primarily the businesses, financially play in these promotions?? asked commissioner Mike Grohowski. Cercone answered by saying the businesses pay to advertise in the print brochure that is the primary financial role for them.
?I am not proposing at this time that our Web site has paid links or paid ads. To me at least those detract from a Web site. If I am at a site strictly looking for information I don?t want to see pop-ups or references to commercial sites,? said Cercone. Grohowski responded, ?Maybe not just for ads but the chamber of commerce directly being the business communities are the ones who benefit the most from tourism. You would think they would have a financial stake in the promotion of it,? he said.
Cercone ensured them that they do have a stake through their membership with the chambers and their own promotion but Grohowski felt the businesses should do more to support the countywide effort as well. Cercone ensured that the chamber sites would be linked and the chamber members finance the chamber Web sites. ?I am not suggesting that the businesses at least at this point contribute. I think the county should fund the start up. And it can become self-funded down the road,? said Cercone.
?And why not? They have the biggest stake in what this will bring in,? responded Grohowski. Cercone said that he just doesn?t feel that the money would be available to get this started. The conversation continued down that road with Grohowski concerned that the business community should be more involved in financing the effort. Cercone feels the most critical thing the county needs to do is to get the Web site developed. He presented his four-part approach in order of importance in his mind.
Following Cercone?s presentation Anne Belanger and Brian Wagner gave a presentation on the tourism promotion through Pure Michigan for the sunrise coalition which brought about more discussion regarding the development of a county Web site. Cercone would like to see the county have a Web site up and running by the end of January. Commissioner Mike Darga made a motion to spend no more than $5,000 to develop a county Web site. However, no support for that motion was given and the idea has been directed to the finance committee of the board of commissioners for a recommendation.
Grohowski asked to see the combined cost of not only the Web site but the cost of the Pure Michigan campaign and what the investment from the chamber of commerces would be before he could make a decision. ?So many times businesses say they want less regulation from the government but then when they want something for their promotion, they come and ask for taxpayers? money to fund them. I want to see a balance of this. I find this unrealistic to fund promotion for these businesses,? said Grohowski.
Cercone again ensured that the businesses have already funded the chamber Web sites and advertise there. ?I am not proposing we even approach indi
?We don?t have a second on the motion yet. We could run this through finance and come back with a recommendation on at least the Web site. I think the Web site is important. I look at it a little different than Mike (Grohowski) because it may benefit businesses but the businesses in turn employ people, pay taxes and support the government. If the businesses are successful it helps the entire area,? said vice chair Bob Schell.
Commissioner Darga echoed the comments of Schell in reminding the board that the county has other things to promote as well, the Ocqueoc Outdoor Center, the lighthouses, lakes, forests and other natural and non business tourist attractions. Cercone will meet with the finance committee and they will come back with a recommendation.