Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, March 30, 1992 TAG: 9203300215
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
But it's not. Tourists could care less about lines and issues that divide the valley. If they're heading this way, what they care to know about are the region's attractions.
Which are many.
Largely unheralded.
Meaning far too few tourists head for the valley.
But something new is a'foot here. The cities of Roanoke and Salem, the town of Vinton and Roanoke County are starting to work together - really! no kidding! - to jazz up tourism for the valley as a whole. They've applied as a unit for certification as a tourist-worthy designation under the state's new Virginia Tourism Accreditation Program.
Now, this doesn't mean the governor will rubber-stamp Roanoke as a "nice place to visit" on all Virginia maps, and caravans of tour buses will suddenly come rolling in, with cash registers at hotels, restaurants, stores, museums and theaters inevitably overflowing. Doesn't mean that at all.
What state certification would suggest is that the valley is beginning to make an aggressive, coordinated effort - which it hasn't up to now - to promote tourism development; that it's taking necessary steps to become more user-friendly for visitors; that it's getting its act together.
There's no guarantee, of course, that it will win the certification. The state is expected to award tourist-accreditation status to only 12 communities later this year - two each in six regions - which means that the Roanoke Valley must compete with other communities in the Fifth Planning District.
And the certification program isn't a raffle. Communities have to meet specific standards. Among other things, they have to conduct a careful analysis of their tourism weaknesses, and put in place corrective measures.
Salem, for instance, is a paradise for antique-lovers. People who live here may know that, but it's kept secret from many visitors. It is not unreasonable to think that tours of the area's antique shops could be packaged and sold. Same goes for historical homes in Salem, Roanoke and Vinton.
Very high on the "weaknesses" list must surely be the lack of notice given travelers on Interstate 81 and the Blue Ridge Parkway that the valley has attractions and special events worth wheeling off to see.
The benefits of certification could be several: a higher profile for accredited communities in state travel directories; feature articles in national publications; priority status in the state's recommendations to travel writers, travel agents and tour operators; technical and creative assistance in developing advertising and marketing plans. If and when the state's budget recovers from its current ills, accredited communities may also be first in line for grant funding to continue tourism-development efforts.
But even if the Roanoke Valley does not win accreditation, it (and other communities in Southwest Virginia) can hardly lose by going through the application exercise. The effort to meet the standards should in itself energize local governments and their respective tourism interests to work more cooperatively and do a better job selling themselves in the competitive, high-growth tourism marketplace.
The Roanoke Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau deserves praise for spearheading the effort, and the valley's governments are to be commended for the all-for-one, one-for-all spirit that seems to be blossoming with the decision to compete for certification.
It must be noted, however, that the cost to apply was zero. During the fairly long and complex qualifying process, it will be necessary for local governments to pay more than lip service to this good endeavor.
Likewise to other efforts aimed at boosting the region's considerable tourism potential. The valley's political leadership seems finally to be waking up to that potential. It is talking the right talk. But the combined tourism budget remains grossly inadequate. Marketing, it needs still to be repeated, is not so much an expense as a stake in a profitable enterprise.
Are our often-quarrelsome valley governments finally getting serious; are they ready to make a real commitment to both cooperation and tourism promotion? We'll keep our fingers crossed, and wait and see.
by CNB