THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 2, 1994 TAG: 9410020048
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: WILLIAMSBURG LENGTH: Medium: 55 lines
Even if the Walt Disney Co. doesn't build its American history theme park in Virginia, the attractions in and around the colonial capital are better off, area officials say.
That is because the threat of Disney, which last week pulled out of a proposal to build the Disney's America park theme park near Haymarket, brought a new focus to tourism attractions such as Colonial Williamsburg, Busch Gardens and the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, said David Schulte, director of the Williamsburg Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
``The Disney proposal in Northern Virginia caused this community's travel industry to work more closely together,'' Schulte said. ``This year, we've had pilot projects that had terrific results, and that's convinced everyone in this community that we want to keep going in that direction.''
Disney and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, each giants in their respective fields, circled each other carefully after plans for Disney's America were unveiled last November.
Colonial Williamsburg President Robert Wilburn was among the first museum leaders to welcome Disney to Virginia. He went to Florida last spring for a private viewing of Disney's plans. And he focused his opposition to Disney's America not on its site or subject matter but on Gov. George F. Allen's $163 million incentives package of public works and advertising.
Wilburn's arguments caused Allen to form a task force of tourism officials to recommend ways for the state to help existing attractions. Four of the 29 members were from the Williamsburg area, and they plan to give Allen their report by Oct. 15, said member Norman G. Beatty, Colonial Williamsburg's vice president for government relations.
``It was started because of all the concerns we all had that there be a level playing field. The governor responded admirably, and we still plan to make our recommendations for ways the state can assist the tourism industry soon,'' Beatty said.
``There has been an in-depth study of the state's role in the tourism industry. It has put the state's tourism industry front and center in Richmond,'' Schulte said.
The task force got at least one Williamsburg tourism project out of limbo: a $39.3 million direct exit from Interstate 64 into Busch Gardens has been planned since 1978. It was revived this summer.
The task force also created a channel for existing attractions to ask Allen for advertising money to balance the $13 million in promotions Disney was to get.
Williamsburg was planning to send its advertising request to Richmond on Friday, before the news of Disney's withdrawal hit, Schulte said. by CNB