As Greenville prepares to welcome more than 500 state tourism leaders to the 2017 Visit NC 365 Conference, city and county leaders will reassess this area’s potential for raising its profile as a travel destination. One avenue for doing that is via the sports travel industry.
The Conference is scheduled for March 12-14, 2017, at the Greenville Convention Center.
The City Council last year toyed with the idea developing a new $12 million, multi-use sports complex. It was seen as a project that could serve area residents while drawing more travel-team tournaments — a source of tourism revenue that has seen tremendous growth during the last decade.
The Greenville Bond Advisory Committee ultimately dropped the proposed complex from projects included in a municipal bond issue that voters will consider on Nov. 3. But the notion of developing a large, multi-use sports complex remains in line with Greenville’s long recognition as a sports-friendly city. It’s an idea that should remain on the table for consideration as Greenville prepares to showcase this area’s potential for tourism growth.
Officials with the Greenville-Pitt County Convention Visitors Bureau have a long list of items that already contribute strongly to the state’s $21 billion tourism industry. Add to those billions the money that goes back into the economy from businesses and workers serving the needs of both business and recreational travelers.
Pitt County has a plethora of hunting, fishing, camping and other opportunities for exploring the coastal wilderness unique to eastern North Carolina. Greenville’s status as a hub for industry, health care and higher education make it a natural base for exploration among those who travel here for business and want to experience the region.
Another topic of discussion during Visit NC 365 Conferences, this year and next, will be the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation’s work toward a master plan for the long-awaited Mountains-to-Sea State Trail. The 1,000-mile trail will link Clingman’s Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains to Jockey’s Ridge State Park on the coast. Nearly two-thirds of the trail is open for use, with a portion of the “planned” section passing through Lenoir and Craven counties just south of the Pitt County border.
As important as this region’s natural resources are to anchoring the local travel industry, other avenues for attracting visitors cannot be overlooked. Cities nationwide are recognizing the tax-revenue-producing value of catering to the sports travel industry, and Greenville should continue to explore investing in that area of tourism development.
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