A Regional Tourism Plan Would Make Sense

The News & Advance
Published: September 2, 2008

Could the town of Appomattox and Lynchburg work together on a regional tourism program?

That question will come before the Appomattox Town Council on Monday as a proposal from the town’s former tourism director. Beckie Nix is now tourism director for the Lynchburg Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau, but she believes that such a cooperative venture would pay dividends to both localities.

Rex Hammond, president of the Lynchburg Regional Chamber of Commerce that manages Lynchburg’s tourism program, helped put the proposal together. He and Nix suggested, for example, that the two programs could combine advertising costs to get more buying power. They could also share the director’s salary and other costs.

The proposal makes good sense, especially considering that it could stretch tourism budgets for both localities. It’s just one of a number of government programs or services that can be more efficiently run on a regional basis.

Nix and Hammond suggested that the partnership could save the town, which has not hired a new tourism director, $75,000 to $100,000 annually.

The town would also benefit from the continuity it would provide as Nix could keep working on projects she started during the two years she worked there. She resigned on Aug. 15 to take the job in Lynchburg.

Several new attractions with statewide support have the potential of adding to a new tourism buzz in Appomattox. A study of the Battle of Appomattox Station was completed earlier this year. The study said that 30 to 50 acres in the town are prime for preserving the battlefield that marked the last fight in the Civil War before the surrender at Appomattox Courthouse. Officials have said that several of the property owners involved in the study appreciate the significance of their land and are interested in working with the town.

Other projects include opening a branch of the Museum of the Confederacy in or near the town and the upcoming Civil War sesquicentennial.

Hammond pointed to the regional scope of the city’s tourism program when he said the city has the hotel rooms and restaurants that can accommodate visitors to the area.

“We’ve always looked for ways to partner with our neighbors,” he said.

Nix suggested the two localities could save money with cooperative advertising. She offered as an example two ads in a Civil War magazine. Appomattox had a small ad that cost $4,000, while Lynchburg ran a slightly larger ad on the same page for $6,000. A combination of those dollars could have produced an even larger ad with more impact for both localities.

The regional approach to tourism makes sense for both Appomattox and Lynchburg, both of which could benefit from more exposure to the historic sites that abound in both places. The Appomattox Town Council should not have to discuss this proposal long before approving it.