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Chamber's Outdoor Tourism Conference Well Attended(EUREKA SPRINGS, AR) - Eureka Spring's first annual Outdoor Tourism Conference was held here Thursday, December 11, 2006 in the Convention Center of the Best Western Inn of the Ozarks. Approximately 50 people attended the nearly daylong discussion and brainstorming session. The event was organized by Ruth Goodwin-Hager who heads the Outdoor Tourism Sub-committee of the Economic Development Committee (EDC) of the Greater Eureka Springs Chamber of Commerce, and Jack Moyer, chairman of the EDC. Attendees included members of the Eureka Springs Parks and Recreation Department, Alderperson-elect Joyce Zoeller, Advertising and Promotion Commission Executive Director Lynn Berry, City Economic Development and Certified Local Government Coordinator Glenna Booth, and representatives from Eureka Springs Rotary and many area businesses. One stated goal of the conference was to identify all the Outdoor Tourism assets that the Greater Eureka Springs' area has to offer visitors and locals. "I was amazed," commented Goodwin-Hager. "It took us the better part of the morning to chart and list the enormous number of assets that we have in this area. It is great that we had nearly fifty active participants. They brought so much to the table. We have an outdoor Mecca in our backyard, we just do not maximize its potential fully, yet." The activities were then categorized into groups or exercises. "This was a more difficult exercise," stated Moyer, who also helped facilitate the session. "We had several ways we could group the activities; by affinity, demographics, and type of user. We ultimately agreed on the "type of user" to categorize these assets." Photographer, naturalist, and author Glenn Wheeler conducted an electronic media presentation on how outdoor tourism can be effectively marketed with the proper photography and media production. A video featuring Wheeler's photography set to music was shown to the audience. Wheeler has worked with the Harrison Convention and Visitor's Bureau to promote outdoor tourism in that area. During a lunch break, about twenty participants drove down Oil Springs Road to Black Bass Lake. Black Bass Lake is a former Eureka Springs' water supply reservoir situated behind businesses on U.S. Highway 62 including the Inn of the Ozarks and Community First Bank. Hiking and biking trails are slated to be built around the lake this year. Plans are afoot to build trails connecting Black Bass Lake with trails at Lake Leatherwood, then eventually connecting to Beaver Lake near the historic Beavertown Bridge. Led by Bruce Levine, Eureka Springs City Parks and Recreation Director, participants climbed a short path to the top of Black Bass Dam. All were awed by the visual and the potential of the lake as an outdoor recreation asset. "This is truly undiscovered country," remarked Jeff Feldman, Greater Eureka Springs Chamber of Commerce President. "Most people in Eureka Springs do not know that this exists. With the exception of the dam, I imagine it looks much like the Ozarks looked before the arrival of Europeans. We had a special treat as there was still quite a bit of snow on the hills around the lake." After lunch, the session focused on how and what to market to some of the identified "type of user" groups. The attendees agreed that the off-peak period of late March through April was a perfect time to market outdoor tourism to families and sports enthusiasts. "It's spring break time for many families with school-age children and for college kids," commented Goodwin-Hager. "It's a perfect time to market to them as well as extending the stay for visitors like those who come to run in our annual Victorian Classic. The weather is better than in most of the country, and the flora and fauna are waking up. Promoting our outdoor assets is a natural way to begin our typical tourist season extending it back into March and April." Feldman then presented the Chamber's work plan with regard to Outdoor Tourism for 2007. Included in the work plan were continued efforts toward the grow-out facility/trout hatchery at Beaver Dam and enhancing the presence of outdoor tourism on the Chamber's web site, as well as continuing to pursue safety improvements for U.S. Highway 62 west of Eureka Springs to State Highway 187. The mention of work on U.S. Highway 62 precipitated some lively discussion. "There is a Federal and State plan for U.S. Highway 62 west of Eureka Springs that we have definite problems with," explained Feldman. "It calls for six-foot shoulders on either side of the highway in addition to a twelve-foot wide passing lane. These are Federal and State 'arterial standards' mandated by the poor safety record of U.S. Highway 62. Right now, this plan is not funded at least through the year 2010. We need safety improvements, yet we must protect the historic character of the road leading to Eureka Springs. I think we are all agreed that the Federal and State plan, as stated, does not do this. The city, the county, and our citizenry need to join with the Chamber to come to some consensus as to exactly what we want as quickly as possible. If we do nothing or cannot come to some consensus to support recognizing the dangerous situation of this stretch of road and the integrity of this gateway, people will continue to get hurt or worse and we end up with the Federal and State plan. "We have the opportunity, right now, to create a consensus plan and control the outcome of any additional work on U.S. Highway 62. The Chamber will be asking the city and the county to help create a consensus plan and to adopt a joint resolution that we can present to the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department. The Chamber recommends that the resolution contains language that would show our desire a) for improvement, but b) with limited shoulder widenings, strategic pull-offs with pull-off signage, well placed guardrails, and possibly warning signals at the easternmost U.S. Highway 62-State Highway 187 junction," concluded Feldman. The conference concluded with Goodwin-Hager explaining that the next steps are to collate the information collected at the conference and get it out to the public through press releases and the Chamber website. "Following this initial informational phase," added Moyer, "a longer term marketing plan for outdoor tourism can be, and should be, developed from continuing feedback from the businesses and city commissions and departments." At the end of the day, the participants agreed on the following generalized conclusion: Eureka Springs with her art, architecture, shops, dining, and man-made attractions make for a great and unique "house," but we have a fantastic "backyard" that surrounds our house as well. If we can get our visitors to play in our "house" and our "backyard," we may be able to extend the stay of our current visitors while attracting new ones. |
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