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June 8, 2009
Chamber wants residents and workers to SMILE this summer
 The Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce continues to encourage SMILES this summer with the continuation of the Outer Banks Smile campaign. Door stickers and bumper stickers have been available since early May and can be picked up by merchants at the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce office in Kill Devil Hills. The stickers include the Project Outer Banks SMILE logo designed by Amy Huggins of Huggins Designs. SMILE stands for “Sharing My Island Love with Everyone” and encourages local workers and residents to take the time to share the things that are special about the Outer Banks with our visitors. On May 7 and 8, a new 2009 Property Owners Survey conducted by East Carolina University was released at a public meeting and chamber breakfast meeting. The survey shows what is important to out of area property owners and how they use and how long they plan to keep their investments. Items that continuously were mentioned by property owners on the survey were the obvious local attractions such as the beach, clean water, and beautiful scenery of the area. Also mentioned were the friendliness of the people, the small town atmosphere, and sense of community. The 2009 Property Owners Survey can be viewed on-line at www.outerbankschamber.com/DareSurvey2009.pdf “These are not things we have just recognized as being important qualities to our residents, property owners and visitors,” according to Chamber President John Bone. “However, we are reminded just how important they are and how we need to work together as a community to preserve these qualities. They are the things that first attracted most of us to the area and the reason we say we stay here. Therefore, they should be a priority in all of our planning processes.” Hospitality training has also been an important part of the process. A series of four hospitality workshops were presented by the Chamber and College of the Albemarle’s Small Business Center at the Ramada Inn and Roanoke Island Festival Park on May 14 and 15, 2009. Presenter for the sessions was John Formica who formerly worked for Walt Disney Corporation and has years of experience dealing with the challenges of stress and meeting customer expectations. He offered a number of tools that managers and employees could use to keep the smiles going all summer. A DVD copy of one of the seminar sessions is being finalized and will be available for purchase soon at the chamber office. “What we are hoping to do is remind our business members, employees, and residents of the importance of tourism to this community,” said Chamber President and CEO John Bone. “Over the years, I have heard over and over again how much people enjoy coming here because of our people and the way we treat our guests. We need to work together as a community to preserve that image and to make every visitor’s experience their best one yet.” In 2007, there were 22,197 jobs reported in Dare County. Of those, 11,250 were directly linked to travel and tourism. That is half of all the jobs attributed to the tourism industry. Travel and tourism generated $165.6 million in payroll to county residents. “Some say they do not work in a hotel, restaurant, retail store, or historic site and so they are not affected by tourism,” continued Bone. “Truth is we all work in the hospitality industry. Every job in this county from truck driver to physician, insurance agent, builder, real estate professional, public accountant, school teacher, police officer, firefighter, and others exists because of the visitors who come here each season.” Domestic tourism in Dare County generated an economic impact of over $726 million in 2007. Tax revenue from travel and tourism is over $72 million dollars per year in Dare County. This is by far the major industry of the community. “While we know that there are other industries here and hope to someday grow this community to the point that there are new opportunities for our residents, tourism will always be of major importance to us,” continued Bone. “The ocean, the beach, the sounds, and the history of this area are special qualities that you just cannot find other places.” According to the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Division of Tourism, Dare County ranks fourth in travel impact among North Carolina’s 100 Counties. Three of North Carolina’s most popular attractions are located in Dare County. They are the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, the Wright Brothers National Memorial, and Fort Raleigh National Historic. “The Outer Banks is a special place and most of us knew that from the first moment we visited here,” said Bone. “That is the reason we chose to make this our permanent home or an investment choice and so it is not new information. However, it never hurts to be reminded of what a special place we have here and our responsibility to preserve and share it with others.” For information about the Outer Banks Project Smile campaign, to request door stickers, bumper stickers, or to order a copy of the hospitality training DVD, contact the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce office at (252)441-8144 or send an e-mail to angiebd@outer-banks.com. |
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