Jacksonville has the largest park system, as well as several historic districts that are either going through revitalization or have already undergone revitalization, and yet we have no walking tours, ghost tours of historic cemetaries, or any advertising to draw people to our city for anything other than the occasional convention, prospects of moving an established corporation here, or one freakin Superbowl.
Instead of the historical societies having a once-a-year-come-see-some-pretty-houses-at-Christmas, why don't they promote their towns within a town through some other means that will display how historically rich this city really is...to people from out of town and out of the country? I guess the answer to that question is the powers-that-be don't really have any pride in our city nor do they value its history, and you have to first find something of value before you can effectively promote it to others.
When I lived on Amelia Island, I took everyone that visited me, on their own personal walking tour of the town. We went down every street, looked at all the buildings, cemetaries, parks, and I told them about all of it...because I looked everything up at the museum and read stories and was very proud of where I lived and its history. I felt the same way when I moved to Avondale/Riverside. Very little was more special to me than to take my mom and dad on a walk down to Murray Hill and have my mother feel like a girl again, picking pecans freshly fallen from a neighbor's tree, and popping them into her mouth. I felt good being able to explain to her the differences between Avondale, Riverside, Ortega and Murray Hill and to show her all the places there to hang out...all within walking distance. I'm even more proud to read about places in Jacksonville that I never knew about (due to the city's complete ignorance to what they have), and know that now there are new things I can share with others. I just wish the city could see what I see.
Added benefit to all of this would be the historical properties saved. Imagine, having a walking tour go by the old Klutho Apartments (RIP), describing them to the group and then adding, "Btw, this property is scheduled to be torn down and the only thing that can save it is someone to buy and restore it." All too often, tourists have heard messages like this and jumped on the chance to own a piece of history (The Bailey House in Ferndandina was bought this way...through a walking-tour advertisement).
If there were a walking tour put together for Riverside, what would be some key areas/houses/buildings besides Five Points and Memorial Park?
There was a historic church tour downtown, but that's only scheduled once a year.
I actually wrote a ghost tour for downtown about 8 years ago that was used for a period of time, any my wife and I always bounce around a Springfield Ghost Tour around Halloween. I think it may happen, just not in the near future.
STREETCARS... TRAINS.... TROLLEY BUSES...
Transit + museum = Tourist dollars
Ocklawaha
All of that is well and good, but what's going on now? Nothing. I'd be willing to put together something for the Riverside/Murray Hill areas but I'd need some more info on historic buildings and houses, old pics, interesting little tidbits about silly things, like maybe a famous celebrity getting into a fight at a local club, stuff like that. Or maybe something creepy, like crazy things people did to prevent yellow fever. Anyone got anything like that?
You have to dig it up.
I had several great little stories about downtown, including a former Mayor (JET Bowden) Bull-whipping a store owner on the steps of his own store at Forsyth and Laura St for making disparaging remarks about him.
The tourism element has to be sustained with historically important sites and attractions, supplemented with a well-preserved historic district, and unfortunately, the city has not made much effort in providing that element. While the city does have some historically significant sites, it has done little in thoroughly promoting them. Case in point, I have only learned about the important history of Jax and its importance to the state's and nation's histories by reading what has been posted on this website and MetJax.
There has to be something significant to bring the tourists. For example, my hometown has Charles Towne Landing (the city's and state's place of birth), Fort Sumter, the SC Aquarium (relatively new addition), and Patriot's Point. Combine these major attractions with the historic plantations and the preserved historic district of downtown, and you get large amounts of tourists who visit the city.
Jax will need to make their historic houses and neighborhoods the "cream of the crop". What I mean by that is the historic houses will need to become multi-million dollar properties, thereby "gentrifying" the area. Horse carriage tours (or trolley tours) could be made for the area, providing the romantic ambiance of an historical area. Jax could be a prime location for a Florida Aquarium. With the city's naval heritage, a naval museum that surpasses Patriot's Point could be created. Does Jax have a significant, historic fort site that could be utilized?
Ghost tours are alright, but they pale in comparison to what really brings in tourists that appreciate history. Other walking tours have just as minimal impact. Those tours actually should supplement the larger components of the tourism industry, which Jax has yet to fully utilize.
Quote from: Charleston native on February 06, 2008, 04:00:32 PM
The tourism element has to be sustained with historically important sites and attractions, supplemented with a well-preserved historic district, and unfortunately, the city has not made much effort in providing that element. While the city does have some historically significant sites, it has done little in thoroughly promoting them. Case in point, I have only learned about the important history of Jax and its importance to the state's and nation's histories by reading what has been posted on this website and MetJax.
There has to be something significant to bring the tourists. For example, my hometown has Charles Towne Landing (the city's and state's place of birth), Fort Sumter, the SC Aquarium (relatively new addition), and Patriot's Point. Combine these major attractions with the historic plantations and the preserved historic district of downtown, and you get large amounts of tourists who visit the city.
Jax will need to make their historic houses and neighborhoods the "cream of the crop". What I mean by that is the historic houses will need to become multi-million dollar properties, thereby "gentrifying" the area. Horse carriage tours (or trolley tours) could be made for the area, providing the romantic ambiance of an historical area. Jax could be a prime location for a Florida Aquarium. With the city's naval heritage, a naval museum that surpasses Patriot's Point could be created. Does Jax have a significant, historic fort site that could be utilized?
Ghost tours are alright, but they pale in comparison to what really brings in tourists that appreciate history. Other walking tours have just as minimal impact. Those tours actually should supplement the larger components of the tourism industry, which Jax has yet to fully utilize.
As I was reading this, I was going to address only a few key points, but as I continued reading, I could not help but see that this is so off-base I'd have to respond to the entire piece.
Jacksonville has many "preserved" historic sites. The problem is no one knows about them. The reason no ones knows about them is because the city has no program to support educating out-of-towners about them. This is what walking tours do. This is what providing pamphlets with maps indicating the locations of these sites, do...and I'm speaking of self-guided tours in that instance. No city can "provide" history. It is either there or it isn't, and in Jacksonville, it is. And since I see these types of tours as "promotion", I'm not exactly sure what you meant in your comment in that regard.
Ortega is a historic neighborhood with multi-million dollar homes...so is Riverside...and Avondale...and San Marco...and Mandarin. It doesn't take a million-dollar home to "gentrify" an area. It takes good planning and a lot of effort, and pride in the community. We have beautiful homes in our historic districts, many of which could, and should, be on a regular tour. And yes, we have a fort...Fort Caroline and the St. John's Bluff...again, something that is only promoted through the national park services and not the city as a means to generate tourism.
While Ghost tours and Walking Tours and Self-Guided driving tours "pale in comparsion" to something like The Tennessee Aquarium, or Disney World, they're a start, and the complete the objective to bring attention and focus to our historical communites and buildings.
Btw, famed author Harriet Beecher Stowe grew-up and lived here in a small cottage off a quiet road in the Mandarin area of Jacksonville. The house is still there along with other historically significant buildings/houses. Don't know about you, but if I were visiting Jacksonville, I'd most certainly want a tour of those places...even if I'm not in a horse-drawn carriage looking at multi-milliion dollar estates.
FYI, Stowe did not "grow up" in Jacksonville as if she did she would have been a Confederate sympathizer. She was in fact an abolitionist northerner who wintered down in Mandarin after the Civil War and attempted to educate freed slaves. Read more here:
QuoteThe Stowe Family in Florida. "In the 1870s and 1880s, Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) and her family wintered in Mandarin, south of Jacksonville on the St. Johns River. Stowe wrote Palmetto Leaves while living in Mandarin. The book was published in 1873 and describes Northeast Florida and its residents. In 1870, Stowe created an integrated school in Mandarin for children and adults. This was an early step toward providing equal education in the area and predated the national movement toward integration by more than a half century. The marker commemorating the Stowe family is located across the street from the former site of their cottage. It is on the property of the Community Club, at the site of a church where Stowe's husband once served as a minister." (Source: Florida Women's Heritage Trail, 2001)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Beecher_Stowe
BTW, the book, A Yankee in a Confederate Town: The Journal of Calvin L. Robinson, provides an interesting account from a Northern perspective of life in Jacksonville before, during and after the Civil War. It can be purchased here or at local bookstores:
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/601-8452922-6809755?asin=1561642673&afid=yahoosspplp_bmvd&lnm=1561642673|A_Yankee_in_a_Confederate_Town:_The_Journal_of_Calvin_L._Robinson_:_Books&ref=tgt_adv_XSNG1060
Pancake, thank you for starting this post. It is a refreshing spot of civic pride in a predominately cynical sea. I think you are correct in noting that we have great things here to be proud of but we aren't out there telling anyone about it. Heck, we're almost ashamed. More spreading of the word about Jacksonville's merits and less self-flagellation might be just what could get tourists (and quality people looking to move somewhere) interested in the region.
I have an example of something going on now that is sort of a niche event, but its something. The Jax AIA is organizing a retrospective/tour of Mid-Century Modern architecture at the DOCOMOMO in March.
http://www.aiajacksonville.org/cde.cfm?event=200613 (http://www.aiajacksonville.org/cde.cfm?event=200613)
The point being to do exactly what you're talking about - to raise awareness about the great architectural assets in the area, to tour and discuss them, and to ponder their future perhaps with an element of preserving the county's architectural heritage. Also, interesting is that the event was able to bring in people (guest lecturers and the like) to participate. Each of these visitors goes home (hopefully) with a view of positive side of the Jacksonville coin... and perhaps they tell someone about it back home. Just like that you have people talking/thinking of JAX in a light other than "backwards, good-ole-boy, post manufacturing town".
Jacksonville is like many American cities, in that is does not, and never has, treasured it's history. As such, too much has been destroyed to have provide an ambience of a bygone era, in the way historic districts in Savannah or Charleston do.
More could be done to preserve and promote the history that still exists, however, the prevalent attittude of the city has to change. They continue to destroy much of what history remains, and instread try to imitate other cities (South Florida) in it's streetscape, architecture and vibe.
The inferiority complex and suburban mindset that besets the city prevents that from changing. No one at the top sees the value in historic preservation or in tourism itself (other than a few athletic events).
Quote from: second_pancake on February 07, 2008, 09:47:12 AM
As I was reading this, I was going to address only a few key points, but as I continued reading, I could not help but see that this is so off-base I'd have to respond to the entire piece.
Jacksonville has many "preserved" historic sites. The problem is no one knows about them. The reason no ones knows about them is because the city has no program to support educating out-of-towners about them. This is what walking tours do. This is what providing pamphlets with maps indicating the locations of these sites, do...and I'm speaking of self-guided tours in that instance. No city can "provide" history. It is either there or it isn't, and in Jacksonville, it is. And since I see these types of tours as "promotion", I'm not exactly sure what you meant in your comment in that regard.
Ortega is a historic neighborhood with multi-million dollar homes...so is Riverside...and Avondale...and San Marco...and Mandarin. It doesn't take a million-dollar home to "gentrify" an area. It takes good planning and a lot of effort, and pride in the community. We have beautiful homes in our historic districts, many of which could, and should, be on a regular tour. And yes, we have a fort...Fort Caroline and the St. John's Bluff...again, something that is only promoted through the national park services and not the city as a means to generate tourism.
Honestly, pancake, is it your mission in life to disagree with everything I say? Maybe you misread my remarks as harsh criticisms, but that was not my intention. Take it from somebody who is from a "tourist" town...walking tours do very little to initiate programs that educate out-of-towners. Self-guided tours are even less effective, because it places the responsibility on the majority of tourists to do the work themselves, and generally, most tourists want to be shown places and taken to places, since most of them are on vacation. Promotion of historical homes and sites has to be done by the city's visitors bureau as well as its chamber of commerce, touting their historical significance. Private industries such as carriage or trolley tours would then need to coordinate with those government agencies in promoting those homes/sites and use those sites as their prime area of business and touring. However, those tours are just a small part of the big, overall initiative that Jax needs to promote more tourism.
With Fort Caroline, Jax needs to "blow it up in fireworks and big lights", to paraphrase an expression. What is the fort's significance? Is there a daily ferry to bring people there? It needs to be a staple in Jax citizens' and visitors' minds...one that they would take pride in. For the multi-million dollar historic homes in Mandarin and Ortega, are there postcards depicting their beauty? Is there a consideration to have horse carriages or trolleys to have routes through these neighborhoods? I have to disagree that it takes alot of money to gentrify an area...it usually does. Consider most of my hometown's residences as well as others in Savannah and St. Augustine.
It is true that no city can "provide" history, but a city does have to "provide" its excitement and enthusiasm for its history.
Quote from: second_pancake on February 07, 2008, 09:47:12 AMWhile Ghost tours and Walking Tours and Self-Guided driving tours "pale in comparsion" to something like The Tennessee Aquarium, or Disney World, they're a start, and the complete the objective to bring attention and focus to our historical communites and buildings.
Btw, famed author Harriet Beecher Stowe grew-up and lived here in a small cottage off a quiet road in the Mandarin area of Jacksonville. The house is still there along with other historically significant buildings/houses. Don't know about you, but if I were visiting Jacksonville, I'd most certainly want a tour of those places...even if I'm not in a horse-drawn carriage looking at multi-million dollar estates.
I think you're thinking too small here. As has been quoted, if you're going to dream, dream big. You've got to jump start the tourism economy, especially if it's missing or extremely slow. I hate to refer to my hometown again, but in the early 80s, Chas was small tourist town. A large portion of it was dilapidated. Eventually, Chas Place, a large hotel, retail complex was built in the heart of the historic district, and it helped transformed downtown into the tourism icon of the state. In addition, Fort Sumter Tours built a new ferry landing complex, the SC Aquarium was built, and the City Market was renovated. As those businesses have thrived, there are more ghost, walking, and horse carriage tours being added every year.
Jax can have a tourism economy similar to Chas, but simply starting it without having a large magnet or draw to the historical areas will keep the tourism trade as a small element of the city. These small tours you're mentioning will only continue to be small tours. You're a rare person who will just visit a house of a famous author without the amenities and comforts of a tourist city. Most tourists are not like that.
QuoteHonestly, pancake, is it your mission in life to disagree with everything I say?
No, only the things I disagree with ;D Btw, I admitted you were right about Don Pablo's on the Dona Maria's post...so, that should hold over for the rest of the year, right? ;)
I agree about the thinking big and all that jazz. The point I'm trying to make here is that we have NOTHING right now. We can't count on our city government to do anything for us because they've done little to nothing so far. They do not respect the history of our city nor do they have the pride in our city that many of the residents do. We have hotels...nice, expensive hotels in our downtown. We also have a beautiful bed and breakfast directly next to Memorial Park in Riverside. I was at a friend's bike shop when a couple staying at that b-n-B came in wanting to know what to do. The place didn't have brochures because the Chamber of Commerce doesn't have any or doesn't distribute them, and they were basically told to walk around 5-points and left to their own devices. Shame on the B-n-B for not giving them more information, but shame on Jacksonville for having such a gorgeous town and not sharing it with everyone that visits. The route I'm talking about is to address what we already have and market to the hotels, B-n-B's and locally owned and operated businesses...to just get the word out. I ended up talking to this couple for about 20 minutes and telling them all the things they needed to see to which they replied, "leave it up to a bike shop to give us all the goods." They ended up coming back the next day to tell my friend what a great time they had and how they didn't know that there were so many things to see here.
The biggest problem with Jacksonville and counting on the city to handle the marketing (aside from what I said earlier), is that Jax is just so darned BIG! It would require someone to drive many, many miles to see everything. I mean, Kingsley Plantation gets some press in the summer, but it's about 35 minutes away from the suburban southside area and almost an hour from Julington Creek (another major suburban area). It really is going to require each individual community to act on their own accord and promote what they have.
Quote from: second_pancake on February 07, 2008, 01:18:37 PM
No, only the things I disagree with ;D Btw, I admitted you were right about Don Pablo's on the Dona Maria's post...so, that should hold over for the rest of the year, right? ;)
:D I haven't seen your response on the Dona Maria post, but sure, that'll do. ;)
Your last post makes it a lot clearer now. Your chamber of commerce and visitor's bureau (does Jax have one?) are not doing their jobs very well, if at all. The COC and the VB should be fully integrating their presence among most of the restaurants, hotels, and attractions of Jax, and they should be creating aggressive marketing campaigns to promote the city throughout the Southeast, if not nationally. Brochure distribution is a no-brainer. Hotels should have a literal plethora of city information including city maps that pinpoint and highlight the attractions and available tours. B-n-B's should also have some information, or at least an internet connection for an exclusive tourist website. As far as Jax's size, you have a point, but there should still be a core entity that can give information for each area of the city. My hometown is also fairly spread out, and many of its gardens and plantations are far from the downtown core, yet many visitors know about them because they're all listed.
I'm not sure if cities have authority over those organizations (COC, VB), but those organizations alone should be carrying the initiative. Do you think maybe the lack of tourism is attributed to Jax being promoted as a great city to work and play for attracting businesses rather than tourists?
I will always consider myself a "New Yorker", being born & raised there. But I and my family have lived in Jacksonville for over 20 years now, and it's home now. Sometimes it's pretty embarrassing when friends and family come to visit, because there's really nothing here in Jacksonville to show them. We missed out on not one but TWO exceptional opportunities when the U.S.S. Forrestal and the U.S.S. J.F.K. were decommissioned. Being such a huge military community, wouldn't it have been great to have had one of them sitting Downtown for the tourists, as well as the locals, to take a tour??? My husband served on both ships, I've been on them, and would have been proud to take friends to see them. Another problem with this place is transportation. In Orlando you can leave your hotel and take a bus or special trolly just about anywhere you need or want to go. Here you HAVE to drive, and the roads are a mess, are crowded, and there's usually no place to park. Where I live (about 5 miles from the new River City Marketplace) even I can't take any kind of public transportation to go shopping. So I have to get in the car, drive there, and then fight for a place to park. And being handicapped, they only have one or two handicapped parking places for an entire strip of stores!!!! Yet Lowes is nice enough to have fourteen handicapped spaces. Figure that one out. They have almost as many handicapped spaces as the entire Mall!! If I could carry lumber and bricks, I wouldn't NEED a handicapped spot. ::)Jacksonville needs to wake up and smell the tourists--just as they're whizzing by to someplace interesting. Even we go to St. Augustine or Orlando to have some fun or just get away on a day off.... ::)
I went to St. Augustine this week and the train is right in downtown. What an opportunity for sharing tourists a commuter train would be.
The tracks are also right in downtown Fernandina Beach. Its possible to eventually have those two popular pedestrian friendly tourism spots as our system's end points with downtown and JIA in the middle.
For what it's worth, the train stations in both cities also were connected to the beaches via electric trolley. The Fernandina and Amelia Beach Railway, and the St. Johns Railway. As you cross Bridge of the Lions, just to the South of the West end are a group of pilings. Next to the Seafood place over the water. These were part of the electric railway bridge over the river. The new (old) bridge was then built with track in it which will be taken out on the rebuild I'm sure. In Fernandina as one cross the marsh on the Centre Street, look to the South and you'll notice a elevated grade full of bigger brush and small trees. This is the streetcar right of way to Amelia Beach.
Ocklawaha
QuotePriceline.com's 2008 List Of Top 50 Destinations For Memorial Day
The Priceline Top 50 Destinations List for Memorial Day 2008
#1 New York City, Times Square/Theater District
#2 Las Vegas, Strip Vicinity South
#3 Chicago, Millennium Park, Loop & Grant Park Area
#4 Las Vegas, Strip Vicinity North
#5 Chicago, North Michigan Avenue/River North Area
#6 Washington, DC, White House/Downtown
#7 New York City, Upper Midtown/Central Park South
#8 San Antonio, Downtown/Riverwalk
#9 New York City, Midtown East
#10 Seattle, Downtown
#11 Oahu, Waikiki Beach Area
#12 Vienna, West Area
#13 San Francisco, Union Square West
#14 San Diego, Coastal Area
#15 Orlando, Universal Studios/Sea World
#16 San Francisco, Union Square East/Embarcadero
#17 Vancouver
#18 Oahu, Waikiki Marina Area
#19 San Diego, Point Loma/Shelter Island/Downtown
#20 Boston, Copley Square/Theater District
#21 San Diego, Downtown & Harbor Island
#22 New York City, Long Island City
#23 Miami, Miami Beach
#24 Jersey City
#25 New York City, Downtown/Soho/Financial District
#26 Key West
#27 Vienna, City Centre
#28 Boston, Quincy Market/ Faneuil Hall/Financial District
#29 Orange County, Disneyland Area
#30 Paris, Eiffel Tower/Grenelle/Montparnasse
#31 St. Catharines, Niagara Falls
#32 Orlando, Disney World Vicinity
#33 San Antonio, Medical Center Area
#34 Miami, South Beach
#35 Toronto, Downtown
#36 Cleveland, Downtown
#37 San Diego, East County
#38 Maui, Wailea/Makena
#39 Maui, Ka'anapali/Lahaina
#40 Ft. Lauderdale, Beach Area
#41 Montreal
#42 London, Bloomsbury/Marble Arch
#43 San Francisco, Lombard Street Area
#44 Savannah, Historic District
#45 San Diego, Mission Valley
#46 Los Angeles, Hollywood
#47 Long Beach
#48 New York City, Brooklyn
#49 New York City, Midtown West
#50 Chicago, North Shore
http://www.centredaily.com/living/travel/story/590941.html
Drive around in Orlando on any given day, then tell me if you still want tourism!
There's stuff to do here for visitors though..... Sure we dont have the amenities of a larger city, but there's still plenty to do. Go to the beach, the zoo, go to the san marco theater for a movie and have a beverage, Go see live music, hit up the musuems, go to the cummer, go to memorial park, take a walk down river road, take a drive down a1a or heckshire . hit up one of the many restaurants, god knows there's no shortage of food anymore in this town. I suppose the problem is there's not a diverse array of things to do for tourist, but I always try to make the best of where i'm at....unless it's alexandria, lousianna.
I do agree with walking tours of riverside and some of the histrocal tours ideas. Our historic districts are starting to get some age on them, 100+ years is rare for most neighborhoods in Florida.
The problem is, most locals, like me just dont care about tourism. I tend to avoid the touristy areas when I travel even.. However, I realize the economical benefit of it so it's something that should be looked into by someone who is passionate about......tourism.
QuoteDrive around in Orlando on any given day, then tell me if you still want tourism!
Yes, but not because of theme parks and neon lights. But because additional tourism has the potential to pay off economically. Besides, for every Orlando or Las Vegas, there's a Savannah or Boston.
QuoteThere's stuff to do here for visitors though..... Sure we dont have the amenities of a larger city, but there's still plenty to do. Go to the beach, the zoo, go to the san marco theater for a movie and have a beverage, Go see live music, hit up the musuems, go to the cummer, go to memorial park, take a walk down river road, take a drive down a1a or heckshire . hit up one of the many restaurants, god knows there's no shortage of food anymore in this town. I suppose the problem is there's not a diverse array of things to do for tourist, but I always try to make the best of where i'm at....unless it's alexandria, lousianna.
I believe the problem is that everything is too spaced out. People don't want to spend their free time sitting on JTB. The sprawl was our major point of criticism when the super bowl came to town a few years ago. We just have to find a better way of connecting destinations and filling in dead zones with complementing uses. Downtown has to be ground zero for this turn around in local urban planning.
QuoteI do agree with walking tours of riverside and some of the histrocal tours ideas. Our historic districts are starting to get some age on them, 100+ years is rare for most neighborhoods in Florida.
Yes, for example, Springfield's development dates back to the 1860s.
QuoteThe problem is, most locals, like me just dont care about tourism. I tend to avoid the touristy areas when I travel even.. However, I realize the economical benefit of it so it's something that should be looked into by someone who is passionate about......tourism.
I think this is universal, even in Central Florida. However, to a degree there could be less passion here, as compared to other places when it comes to carrying about the viability of the urban core. What's funny is, places that place a high value on the urban core, attract tourist own their own. So maybe our answer is to continue to push for a vibrant downtown and urban neighborhood districts. Because if its attractive to the local population, it will also be attractive to those visiting the area.
Like Jacksonville, Greenville is seeking to broaden and grow it's level of tourism. In the last 10 years, leisure tourism has gone from virtually non-existant to noticeable 'existant'. The local attitutude toward the value of tourism has very noticable changed during that time as well. The government and business leadership has clearly decided [including putting money where its mouth is] to take the city/county to a level of tourism similiar to Asheville.
A couple of years ago, a 2-cent meal-tax was added to increase attractions as well as fund two visitor centers, budgeted at $15-20mm apiece. The first of these, The 'Go Experience' center, will be DT and is currently the subject of a design competition, intended to create a design that will itself be an attraction. All of this is a follow-up to a major renovation to the Convention Center by the city.
This provides more details about a new website and marketing effort geared toward the 'drive-to' market, specifically Atlanta. I have long thought that this is the same of type of direction Jacksonville should take in it's efforts.
QuoteGreenville sees Atlanta area just '2/to' good for tourism
Hospitality agency launches '2 hours to Greenville' to draw more visitors
By Jenny Munro
BUSINESS WRITER
Greenville tourism officials are waging a battle to attract Atlanta empty nesters to spend a few days in Greenville, to take in history, fine art, shopping, dining and outdoor recreation.
Little tidbits of information designed to pique consumers' interest in visiting Greenville have popped up around the north side of Atlanta on coffee cup sleeves, grocery store carts, pizza boxes and gas pumps, said Lauren Posta, marketing manager for the Greenville Convention and Visitors Bureau.
A key to tourism in Greenville is marketing the city and the Upstate as a long-weekend getaway. But the CVB doesn't have a lot of money to attract those visitors, she said.
Victoria Dahl, managing partner of RhodesDahl and a consultant with the CVB, said an economic feasibility and marketing study on two proposed Greenville tourism attractions -- the Go Experience in downtown and the Blue Wall Center on State 11 -- "is very, very positive. The only barrier to people coming to Greenville is awareness" and that can be changed through marketing.
The CVB's new guerrilla marketing campaign -- non-traditional advertising with limited funding -- began to show up in Atlanta this week and will cost a total of $50,000, with $30,000 spent on media placement, she said. A more traditional marketing campaign in Greenville could easily cost 10 times as much, she said.
Bounce, a Greenville ad agency that has worked with the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, and the CVB are working together to get the word out that Greenville is only two hours away from parts of Atlanta.
For example, people filling their tank with gas can see a reminder that "In Atlanta, most commutes take longer than it takes to get here." Stressing the two-hour trip, the advertising points them to a Web site, www.2hourstogreenville.com.
There's more.
Coffee drinkers could see "Coffee wakes the brain. Greenville wakes the spirit." Or their coffee sleeve could read "Sometimes your soul needs a little pick-me-up, too."
A grocery shopper could be welcomed with a sign: "Eating green things is good. Visiting green things is better." Another: "If paprika is the only spice in your life, we suggest a getaway."
One of the pizza box toppers says, "When was the last time you tried a nice big slice of life?"
"We wanted to tap into the places where out target market lives and plays," Posta said. "We wanted to put out something catchy."
Most of the campaign will last a month with the grocery cart signs running for two months, she said.
The simple messages are an attempt to drive traffic to the new Web site, which "really says it all" about Greenville as a visitor destination, Posta said. Browsers can book hotel rooms within the Web site.
CVB officials will be able to measure the hits on the Web site and a trackable 800 number is included for information, she said. In addition, the organization is trying to come up with other means of measuring interest and visitation.
Although Posta has no breakdown on the number of leisure visitors to Greenville in past month, weekend hotel occupancy is increasing slightly -- a signal that the visits are not business-related.
The 2hourstoGreenville campaign is an outgrowth of the success of a pilot BackStage Pass weekend getaway program last fall. It also targeted Atlanta empty nesters.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
www.2hourstogreenville.com (http://www.2hourstogreenville.com)
Great Idea Vic we could target Orlando in a similar fashion.
Quote#12 Vienna, West Area
I didnt know this was a big tourist place, although the Big Pig Jig is quite fun.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna%2C_GA
Another thing to think about, it's about tourist but not in the historic areas. I'm talking about the beaches. My family comes from DE and I remember visiting family in MD and we would go to Ocean City. Even after we moved down to Jacksonville I'd still go to Ocean City to go the beach. I was an adult before I went to a beach here.
I don't understand why Jacksonville beach doesn't have a board walk or a pleasure pier. Heck Daytona has a tiny one.
DIA Special Meeting 9/12/13 COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES for Downtown Investment. Ed Ball Bldg. 1st floor 3 pm. The last DIA meeting they are just getting ready to pick the winners and losers and just stick your hand out.
9/13/13 USS Adams Sub Committee meeting of the DIA (Downtown Investment Authority) 4 pm 1st floor city hall and open to the Public.
The new guy Paul Astleford CEO of VISIT JACKSONVILLE is just 9 mos on the job and has identified 32 organizations that are hindering TOURISM.
2013-384 Active piece of legislation and will an amendment be attached to allow 24/7 Public Access to Hogans Creek?
RAM dock only opened when RAM is Open. Not good.
Bay St. Pier Park 2010-604. The entire community has given up on asking you know who about you know what.
The Jim Love, Kevin Kuzel, 26' Berkman floating dock compromise misrepresented by OGC during the 2013 FIND grant application process.
Sydney Geffen Kayak launch.
Tom Ingram School Board kayak location recommendation for FIND (Florida Inland Navigation District)
Palmer Terrace Park Dist.4 Don Redman, Mike Messiano former FIND commissioner for Duval county, Dave Roman, Mayor Brown and the official kayak logo that is missing.
Will there be an opportunity for TOURISM with the new Southbank Riverwalk project?
Shipyards III and the Euphoric NO! NO, NO, NO, sitting next to Scott Wilson during the Downtown Experience Committee meeting of the DIA and the response from Board member Tony Allegretti and OED interim director Paul Crawford prior to the 30 day RFI, RFP on the Shipyards Property if anyone wanted to access the floating dock that exists right now for personal or commercial purposes. NO, Absolutely NO!
In one day 9/11 10 am council chambers Jacksonville Waterways Commission meeting that is open to the Public. Does anyone want to donate a buck to 2009-442 The artificial Reef Trust Fund? Seriously. 6 Artificial Reefs south of the Fuller Warren Bridge. immediate Economic Development and TOURISM! The Public Trust just crushed. Backroom deals.
Where's the Tourism??
It's not Downtown on our St. Johns River our American Heritage River a FEDERAL Initiative in our new highly restricted DIA zone.
You really needed to bring up a five year old thread for that?