Posted: Wednesday, September 30, 2015 4:00 am
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Posted on Sep 30, 2015
PRINCETON — Assembling a plan for tourism growth and sharing ideas to maximize tourism’s potential were goals Tuesday for members of the Mercer County Convention Visitors Bureau.
Meeting at the Mercer County Technical Education Center, the bureau’s board had discussions with Berkeley Young of Young Strategies in Charlotte, NC about improving tourism’s economic potential for Mercer County.
Young described the north and south highways of Interstate 77 and U.S. Route 460 as “a river of money that’s flowing by.” In the past, Native Americans would build breaks in rivers to funnel fish closer to shore. The goals now are to get travelers to go beyond highway exits and encourage them to extend their stays.
Jamie Null, the convention and visitor bureau’s executive director, said Tuesday’s planning retreat was designed to bring the bureau and the bureau’s board members together with community members and hotel staffs. Goals included redefining the bureau’s mission and setting new goals for tourism in Mercer County. One goal that came out of Tuesday’s meeting was to see about creating a new convention and visitors center website.
“We’re thankful and grateful that we were able to do this,” she said later. “It sets the tone and we’re excited and rejuvenated.”
Charlie Mullins, who owns the Hillbilly Hideaway ATV resort near Bramwell with his wife, Becke, said he thought there needed to be more communication between members of the community and businesses.
“We can help them and they can help us,” Mullins said.
Becke Mullins looked around the room. She stated that she had taken a lot of notes. “We didn’t know there were all these people here to help us.
Laura Gooch of the Bluefield AAA said the retreat had been “wonderful.”
“We’re getting people involved. We’re all part of the same county and the same community,” she said.
Young stated afterwards that the bureau would work on a tourism plan for several months.
“I’m genuinely excited for you,” Young said when the retreat concluded, adding that the bureau’s current weakness is a lack of focus about where the bureau is going.
“You’re a good group of leaders, and you’re going places,” he said.
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