Columnists
Love it or hate it, tourism pays
I was going to pass on a column this week, while consumed with the production of our Summer issue of County Magazine. But then three things drew my attention.
First was Dennis Fox’s letter in The Picton Gazette, questioning the benefits of tourism in Prince Edward County.
I am deeply involved in the cause and effects of tourism, and have worked with the County on various projects, and my own independent Breakaway Magazine. I’m here to tell you that tourist dollars sustain enormous numbers of people in the County. Not just businesses, although that’s a big one.
If you truly explore the spread of these dollars, you can see that it appears in virtually every home. Let’s face it, the County lives and breathes through small businesses, and homebased businesses. Where do you think this money goes? It doesn’t just stick in the bottom of an owner’s pockets, never to see the light of day. Take my word for it, money coming into my business moves out into the County almost as fast as it comes in.
And, like every business owner I know (and I have over 300 clients, all of them active), we spend the bulk of our money here. Locals support us, and we support them.
money spreads into the community everywhere, in thousands of ways. In discussion with several councillors, I am assured that Council understands the critical importance of home-based businesses—from B&Bs, art studios, tax-preparers, carpenters, lawnmower repairers. This is our lifeblood.
Much of that useless tourism money filters through businesses to other businesses. If you walk into Giant Tiger, or any grocery store, there’s tourist money (and empty shelves!) as well as locals making purchases with that tourism money.
Sure tourists can be a pain, we all know that. But to deny the benefits is ridiculous. The writer’s myopic view that only a few businesses make money and “the majority of County residents” do not benefit—well, that’s just wrong, plain and simple.
Concern that tourism money does not turn up in Shire Hall is not an issue for me, since the dollars are going directly to the community—where they are needed most—with every purchase, and every rented room, every restaurant meal and, yes, every bottle of wine or beer.
Some people poo-poo these jobs as just seasonal, not really worth anything. But they are jobs. And they are real jobs that, with proper motivation, can grow into better positions.
Yes, Shire Hall puts money into tourism and, if you study what they are doing through its community development department, you would see new businesses sprouting up like crazy. They are attracted by the very thing condemned in this letter. And, partly through this department, many of them are young people. And they are creative—I don’t mean they are all artists—they are creative business people, with new ideas and growth potential. Would they have come here without that hideous tourist market? Doubtful. Will they help grow our economy? Certainly.
Oddly enough, Rick Conroy addressed the very same topic in that same week’s Times Comment. His optimistic analysis is the perfect counterpoint to the dark cloud of negativity of the Gazette letter.
Rick’s right. I’ve seen years of councils pounding money into the search for big industries, with year-round union jobs. Ain’t gonna happen. Ten years ago, businesses gathered to expand our money-making tourism season beyond June to August. Now we see activity from April to end of October, and moving into the winter months.
That’s why it’s so important that “all those tax dollars are being spent on tourism.” Because it continues to pay us back.
HILLIER BLUES
And, on a final note, I was struck by Mihal’s report on Hillier Hall, in which the recreation committee is being stymied by bureaucracy in their efforts to create something exciting and useful for the area, and perhaps attract some of those nasty visitors too.
Great ideas, thorough research, solid commitment, spawned by an increasingly vibrant community—which had been dormant for years—now hampered by bureaucratic angst on the part of County staff.
Of course I understand that rulebookthumping County staff have their SOP (Standard Operational Procedure) for their CYA (Cover Your Something) files, but really! Decisions based on “what ifs” do not tend to serve anyone, other than to grind progress to a halt. What if there’s a pyrotechnics show? What if someone hangs an elephant from that hook? What if, God forbid, a one-man show becomes a two-man show? Does that not require double the liability insurance? What if Nessy, the giant Hillier Swamp Snake, arrives during a performance and eats all our children? Think about the children!
Jeez, it’s a wonder we can get anything done in Canada, since were so immobilized by phantom fears.
I’m sensitive to this, having been forced to read and comment on a contract on a rental space owned by the County. Frankly, I was insulted by the very wording of the contract, which seemed to indicate they were dealing with naked, drugaddicted troglodytes with bike gang connections, instead of a reputable village business association with a long track record of improving the community.
In all fairness, I’m not a contract kind of guy. I’ve had contracts broken through lots of legal jargon, but I’ve never been burned on a handshake deal. With a handshake, your integrity is at stake.
I’ve seen a lot of councils since I became politically active, and they always defer to their staff. And rightly so, since councillors come and go, and the staff maintains ‘the way of doing things’ to ease the transition, and keep the continuity.
In this case, staff concerns are impeding a concept that fits in completely with the natural appeal of the County, to locals and visitors alike.
My advice to council: Please use your heads and your instincts, not fear of reprisal, or the terrifying monster of liability, to make your decisions.
What if it’s actually a really great idea?
Comments (0)