With the tax revenue shortfalls currently taking place everywhere around us, many programs and services will be cut by local governments. The Eastern Shore Tourism Commission is currently looking at a proposed $20,000 cut to their budget from the Accomack County Board of Directors. Donna Bozza and Steve Potts of the Eastern Shore Tourism Commission say that is not a good idea.
"We need to feed our economic drivers. Tourism is an economic driver," said Bozza. "People come to our Welcome Center and our surveys show that they leave and go to towns up and down the Eastern Shore. So here we have tourists, coming into our towns and spending money in our stores."
If the Accomack County Board of Supervisors approves the cuts, it could lead to closings of the recently opened Welcome Center by the Bay Bridge Tunnel. Governor McDonnell has proposed increasing state tourism funding by approximately $7 million.
"These cuts would force us to close the newly opened Welcome Center several months out of the year," explains Bozza, then continued "there was an article in the Virginia Pilot recently about Virginia Beach opening up a new Welcome Center on the Seagull Pier that will be open and staffed 7 days a week. If our doors are closed, we will be sending the tourists over to Virginia Beach."
Bozza and Potts say the Eastern Shore Tourism Commission has been responsible for getting the Eastern Shore into many travel publications including the New York Times, Budget Travel Magazine, National Geographic, the New York Daily News and the Today Show. With the budget of the Tourism Commission cut, it will hinder the ability of the Commission to travel to meet with such publications and provide this form of advertising for Eastern Shore Tourism.
The next budget meeting will be Monday night at 5:00, which both Bozza and Potts plan on attending.
More Information Virginia Pilot Article About VA Beach Welcome Center
http://www.shoredailynews.com/
"We need to feed our economic drivers. Tourism is an economic driver," said Bozza. "People come to our Welcome Center and our surveys show that they leave and go to towns up and down the Eastern Shore. So here we have tourists, coming into our towns and spending money in our stores."
If the Accomack County Board of Supervisors approves the cuts, it could lead to closings of the recently opened Welcome Center by the Bay Bridge Tunnel. Governor McDonnell has proposed increasing state tourism funding by approximately $7 million.
"These cuts would force us to close the newly opened Welcome Center several months out of the year," explains Bozza, then continued "there was an article in the Virginia Pilot recently about Virginia Beach opening up a new Welcome Center on the Seagull Pier that will be open and staffed 7 days a week. If our doors are closed, we will be sending the tourists over to Virginia Beach."
Bozza and Potts say the Eastern Shore Tourism Commission has been responsible for getting the Eastern Shore into many travel publications including the New York Times, Budget Travel Magazine, National Geographic, the New York Daily News and the Today Show. With the budget of the Tourism Commission cut, it will hinder the ability of the Commission to travel to meet with such publications and provide this form of advertising for Eastern Shore Tourism.
The next budget meeting will be Monday night at 5:00, which both Bozza and Potts plan on attending.
More Information Virginia Pilot Article About VA Beach Welcome Center
http://www.shoredailynews.com/
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