York Chamber Supports Highway Signs for New Tourist Info Center

York Chamber Supports Highway Signs for New Tourist Info Center

By Desiree Parker Thursday, August 05, 2010

The Williamsburg Hotel Motel Association is still working on getting its tourist information center approved by the Virginia Tourism Corporation, and they may finally get there with the help of the York County Chamber of Commerce.

In March, the Williamsburg Hotel Motel Association decided to invest $200,000 to turn its office at the Village Shops at Kingsmill into a new visitor center called the Greater Williamsburg Tourist Information Center. The WHMA has applied with the VTC to become an authorized site with the state, which offers benefits like free marketing, training and advice as well as highly visible highway signage through the department of transportation. A certified visitor center is supposed to offer visitors information on all the businesses and attractions in an area.

Colonial Williamsburg is currently the only local visitor center recognized by the state.

The Greater Williamsburg Chamber and Tourism Alliance hasn’t offered its support to the center, citing continued questions about the facility they say haven’t been answered, including whether the new center would confuse tourists coming to the area. In early June, the VTC denied the WHMA’s original application, citing a need for support from a local destination marketing committee, convention and visitors bureau or local government.

In a letter written at the end of June, the Alliance suggested the WHMA try to find other support for their plan in order to gain approval from the VTC. So that’s just what they’ve done, getting the support of two destination marketing committees (the WHMA and the Williamsburg Area Restaurant Association) and now the York County Chamber of Commerce.

York Chamber president Chuck Jarrett said the chamber board fully supported the endeavor and he addressed the York County Board of Supervisors to let them know.

Jarrett told WYDaily that “it comes down to tourism. A major component of our revenue is driving tourists here and getting them to spend money.”

He added, “This will increase awareness and revenue possibilities for the area…and it’s another great way to create more jobs” not just with the people employed by the new center but also through the increase in tourist traffic to various businesses in the Triangle.

“They’re not looking for money,” said Jarrett, “they’re a privately funded business. Why not support it? We’re treating it like any other business [in the county].”

When they didn’t get support from the Alliance, Jarrett says the WHMA came to the York County chamber’s board and explained what they were doing and asked for support, which they got.

“I hope it does help to attract people to the area or keep them here longer,” he says. “It’s a win-win situation, and I hope the VTC offers them the opportunity to go forward with this.”

Priscilla Caldwell, the new director of operations for the WHMA, says now that they have various letters of support, they’ll send the information along to the VTC with the expectation that the application will be approved.

Comments

-1 #12 Guest 2010-08-09 12:51

Not Surprised doesn't seem to understand that regardless of how forthcoming WHMA was, all of those organizations had an opportunity to support the new center and didn't...except for the York Chamber. If Not Surprised is correct and those organizations would have supported the center if the WHMA had been more forthcoming then the only conclusion we can draw is that they oppose it out of spite. In addition, all of the hotels and restaurants in the city of williamsburg pay taxes that the city gives to CW and the Chamber of Commerce for advertising the area. CW for it's part does it's best to use that money exclusively for their own benefit. The Chamber uses their tax money for overpaid executives. Also, it takes a complete destination to thrive. If only CW was here and there were no hotels, restaurants, shopping,"secon dary" attractions. People would come spend a very quaint afternoon here on their way to the beach or avoid CW altogether and go to Busch Gardens on their way back from OBX. The whole idea that WHMA, Go Karts plus, or any pancake house should simply be happy that CW is here for them to sponge off of is absurd,elitist, very british and the precise problem in this area.

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-5 #11 Guest 2010-08-09 11:07

In response to comments from "Oh Please" - first of all agreeing to disagree is not a bad thing. For instance, I agree with your comments about the good ol' boys network which is still alive and well. But I absolutely disagree that if WMHA had been forthcoming about their plans they (the good ol boys) would have quashed it. I also agree the Colonial Williamsburg wouldn't allow a go kart in the visitor center, but has it occurred to you that Go Karts plus wouldn't be here if not for Colonial Williamsburg's presence. Do you think that visitors come here because of the great hotels, restaurants and secondary attractions in the area? Have you read the Nichols report which the WHMA is always quoting? The destination drivers are Colonial Williamsburg and Busch Gardens. Other businesses in this town thrive because of them not the other way around. How much money does your company spend on advertising each year or do you depend on the big boys (aka the good ol boys)to advertise for you?

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+5 #10 Guest 2010-08-07 21:22

I think the WHMA information center will give travellers well needed information on where to go, dine and thus spend their tax dollars. The current CW information center has gauntlets of ticket counters before you get to the information desk (staffed by volunteers) to get suggestions and brochures of local tourist options. I bet people never even venture that far back in the center to find these resources. The Greater Williamsburg Tourist Information Center is still in an infant stage it just needs some nourishment from the community.

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+5 #9 Guest 2010-08-07 07:31

I just love how some people will talk about collaboration and working together, but the key phrase in "Not Surprised" comment is "agreed to disagree". The good ole boy network would of never let anyone even get this far. CW has proven it is a great fund raising organization, but is lousey at running a business. When was the last time they made a profit in their hotels or restaurants?? As far as "YC Resident" goes, its a "START" to trying something new and it doesn't cost the taxpayers nothing. The key word is "NOTHING", can CW say they don't get any public dollars. I stopped by the center the other day and Go Karts Plus has a Stock Car go-kart parked in there and I saw a family with 3 boys getting information (including info on my business) and those kids were all over that go-kart and Go Karts Plus just made a sale with that family. I bet CW would never have allowed that go-kart to be parked in their Visitor Center. So get your nose out of the clouds and stop being so judgemental before the center has a chance to show what it can do.

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-2 #8 Guest 2010-08-06 14:29

Has anyone visited the new Tourist Information Center - what a joke! I'm glad they didn't ask the YC Chamber for any money because as a member I would not be happy! WHMA should have used the $6500 they gave in support of their Williamsburg City Council candidate to refurbish the black hole they are calling a center!

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-5 #7 Guest 2010-08-06 13:52

It's so easy to place blame on the entities that haven't supported the new Tourist Information Center, but what about the tactics that were employed to create the center? If WHMA had been forthcoming with their plans I'm certain they would have garnered the support they needed or agreed to disagree with the entities in question. Instead the WHMA has continued to conduct itself in an obstructionist and underhanded way. On the surface they appear noble - all for one and one for all - but they have an agenda and only certain members of their Board of Directors know what it is.

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+2 #6 Guest 2010-08-05 15:32

I am pleased to hear that the York Co. Chamber recognized the benefits of a TRUE Regional Visitor Center; A center that will represent ALL businesses without bias. The more I think about this the more I am dismayed with Tommy Norment. Tommy, after all these years of having a high Pro-Business rating has now succumbed to these new lows of anti-small business. Tommy has lost touch with the common people. What’s next for him?? I’ll bet you a hand full of soybeans he comes out in favor of the COAL PLANT proposal despite the cries of the average person.

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+13 #5 Guest 2010-08-05 12:42

Well done! It takes a governmental agency with some courage and independence to make a decision like this. CW "talks" a good game, but at the end of the day they are only out for their own interests. CW can't be unbiased due to the fact they own hotels and restaurants which lose millions of dollars a year.

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+12 #4 Guest 2010-08-05 11:39

This is the sort of thing that I was expecting from the Greater Williamsburg Chamber and Tourism Alliance when my properties belonged to that Organization and was still what I hoped for from the Williamsburg Chamber even after I withdrew my membership.

Obviously the York County Chamber of Commerce has used good old fashioned common sense and a basic understanding of what's good for tourism is good for everybody in supporting the WHMA. Which is precisely why I am filling out the applications to join the York County Chamber of Commerce, and until their is a change in leadership at the Williamsburg Chamber I cannot see any reason why I or any other business should join that organization.

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+13 #3 Guest 2010-08-05 11:12

Hopefully this will end the delay in approval and they can move forward with developing their signage and visitor center. The sad thing is that due to the divisive and obstructionist policies of the HTC, CW, Chamber, WADMC, MRTF, JCC Board of Supervisors and Williamsburg City Council. This effort will have missed the majority of the tourist season. Had any of these people shown a little "collaboration" and moved to support the new center. The signage could have been completed before MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND!!!! As it is it will not happen until post Labor Day. Look at all of the missed opportunities and lost revenue that these organizations have caused. Who do they think they are and why do we allow them to dictate our success or failure? But in the end the folks that are supporting this center will gain a victory. They are trying to do the right thing and when a group of people do that they will always come out ahead. My only hope is that their victory doesn't come to late.

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