New Life: Part Deux
A week or so back, I wrote about New Life in New Albany, evidenced most recently by the opening of two new cafés in the still largely vacant and lifeless downtown area. Since that posting, there has been some bit of media coverage regarding the amount of tourism dollars being spent in Clark and Floyd Counties. Overall the news is positive.
From the Tribune ….
Tourism in the two counties brought about $317 million into the area last year. That’s up from $259 million in 2000 — a growth of 1.2 percent when adjusted for inflation.
“You’re seeing a very healthy growth each year over this five year period,” Carr said.
The tourism industry generated nearly $75 million in tax revenues to government, a number that’s up from $64 million in 2000. About $27 million went to the state; $14 million went to local government and $33 million went to the federal government.
The report cited job growth over the five year period as well. In the two counties, there were 4,386 travel and tourism related jobs in 2000.
That number grew by about 500 by last year. The jobs generated about $63 million in wages, the report said.
“Tourism has a wide range of benefits to communities in Clark and Floyd counties,” Carr said”.
[James Carr is president of Lexington, Ky.-based Certec Inc., which conducted the study.]
Tribune article: Sunnyside bureau touts sunny economic news.
And from the C-J’s more extensive reporting ….
”Jim Keith, executive director of the Clark-Floyd Convention and Tourism Bureau, said yesterday he was "pleasantly surprised" by the gain, considering that tourism went into a slump after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Keith also noted that last year's numbers didn't reflect the full impact of the Bass Pro Shops outdoors store in Clarksville, which he said has received more than 1 million visitors since it opened in November 2005.
Although the casino is in nearby Harrison County, Keith said it has had a positive impact on lodging and travel in Floyd. Top tourism draws for the two counties included Louisville, the Falls of the Ohio State Park and Jeffersonville's restaurant row.
Slightly more than one-fifth of visitors to the two counties came from somewhere in Indiana, followed by Kentucky, Illinois, Ohio and Tennessee.”
C-J article: Clark, Floyd counties' tourism up, study says
As stated previously, overall this is indeed good news for Clark and Floyd counties. More revenue for business owners, more jobs and the increase in tax dollars dearly loved by the local politicos and the ‘progressive constituency’ are the positive outcomes of this increase in tourism.
It is good, that is, until you examine where the monies are being spent. If one takes a map and draws a line between all the southern Indiana communities and attractions mentioned – Jeffersonville, Clarksville, Starlight, Caesars casino – they end up with the “Tourism Crescent.” Isolated at the center of this crescent, and left out of any direct impact from increased tourism dollars, sits downtown New Albany.
With all this money floating around, I must ask what have our local politicians and those associated with official downtown redevelopment efforts done to help grab some of the bucks? Seems like the answer is NOTHING.
Even the small community of Starlight, with more limited resources than New Albany, has managed to launch a community marketing initiative to boost tourism even further: Ready to shine in Starlight.
Worse yet, it appears that people are having a problem even finding our little burg: Signs of our times in New Albany.
The articles citing the increase in tourism also leave out one critical fact. The tourist sites mentioned were overwhelmingly financed by private investment; casinos, restaurants, wineries, Bass Pro, shops, malls, hotels, etc. Perhaps New Albany’s local leadership can take a cue from this fact, and see what they can do to facilitate such investment from private individuals, rather than continuing to think they can construct such draws themselves.
Getting private individuals to risk their own cash, now that's progressive!
Alas, our local leadership hasn’t a clue.
I must admit, however, that the sight of all the hundreds of red tail lights on a crisp autumn night, bypassing our city en route to the casino, up the hill to Starlight, or over to Jeff and Clark, do begin to put me in an early holiday mood. I may not even have to hang my Xmas lights this year!
From the Tribune ….
Tourism in the two counties brought about $317 million into the area last year. That’s up from $259 million in 2000 — a growth of 1.2 percent when adjusted for inflation.
“You’re seeing a very healthy growth each year over this five year period,” Carr said.
The tourism industry generated nearly $75 million in tax revenues to government, a number that’s up from $64 million in 2000. About $27 million went to the state; $14 million went to local government and $33 million went to the federal government.
The report cited job growth over the five year period as well. In the two counties, there were 4,386 travel and tourism related jobs in 2000.
That number grew by about 500 by last year. The jobs generated about $63 million in wages, the report said.
“Tourism has a wide range of benefits to communities in Clark and Floyd counties,” Carr said”.
[James Carr is president of Lexington, Ky.-based Certec Inc., which conducted the study.]
Tribune article: Sunnyside bureau touts sunny economic news.
And from the C-J’s more extensive reporting ….
”Jim Keith, executive director of the Clark-Floyd Convention and Tourism Bureau, said yesterday he was "pleasantly surprised" by the gain, considering that tourism went into a slump after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Keith also noted that last year's numbers didn't reflect the full impact of the Bass Pro Shops outdoors store in Clarksville, which he said has received more than 1 million visitors since it opened in November 2005.
Although the casino is in nearby Harrison County, Keith said it has had a positive impact on lodging and travel in Floyd. Top tourism draws for the two counties included Louisville, the Falls of the Ohio State Park and Jeffersonville's restaurant row.
Slightly more than one-fifth of visitors to the two counties came from somewhere in Indiana, followed by Kentucky, Illinois, Ohio and Tennessee.”
C-J article: Clark, Floyd counties' tourism up, study says
As stated previously, overall this is indeed good news for Clark and Floyd counties. More revenue for business owners, more jobs and the increase in tax dollars dearly loved by the local politicos and the ‘progressive constituency’ are the positive outcomes of this increase in tourism.
It is good, that is, until you examine where the monies are being spent. If one takes a map and draws a line between all the southern Indiana communities and attractions mentioned – Jeffersonville, Clarksville, Starlight, Caesars casino – they end up with the “Tourism Crescent.” Isolated at the center of this crescent, and left out of any direct impact from increased tourism dollars, sits downtown New Albany.
With all this money floating around, I must ask what have our local politicians and those associated with official downtown redevelopment efforts done to help grab some of the bucks? Seems like the answer is NOTHING.
Even the small community of Starlight, with more limited resources than New Albany, has managed to launch a community marketing initiative to boost tourism even further: Ready to shine in Starlight.
Worse yet, it appears that people are having a problem even finding our little burg: Signs of our times in New Albany.
The articles citing the increase in tourism also leave out one critical fact. The tourist sites mentioned were overwhelmingly financed by private investment; casinos, restaurants, wineries, Bass Pro, shops, malls, hotels, etc. Perhaps New Albany’s local leadership can take a cue from this fact, and see what they can do to facilitate such investment from private individuals, rather than continuing to think they can construct such draws themselves.
Getting private individuals to risk their own cash, now that's progressive!
Alas, our local leadership hasn’t a clue.
I must admit, however, that the sight of all the hundreds of red tail lights on a crisp autumn night, bypassing our city en route to the casino, up the hill to Starlight, or over to Jeff and Clark, do begin to put me in an early holiday mood. I may not even have to hang my Xmas lights this year!
posted by blogtastic at 9:18 AM
1 Comments:
Blogtastic,
Although I totally agree with your article I believe the Greenway Project will promote tourism in New Albany.
But let's hope our city officials get the message and promote growth from private business rather than put the burden on the already strapped taxpayers.
I wish we could have a downtown similar to Madison. I know a lot of people don't like the idea of thrift stores but they do draw customers. There are several consignment shops in downtown Madison. And look at Bardstown Rd. in the Highlands area. They have some very nice upscale consignment stores.
The point is, we need businesses to invest in New Albany.
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