Recent Press
Local Officials Hear About Tourism Assessment
9/22/08
Kosciusko Times-Union
Tim Robertson
Local officials, business representatives and community leaders gathered Wednesday to hear what Kosciusko County looks like through the eyes of a visitor.
Kosciusko was one of 12 counties chosen to participate in a community assessment program designed to improve tourism and economic development. The counties each received $5,000 to help pay for the costs of the assessments. This summer, Roger Brooks and Dr. Monica Dixon, of Destination Development Inc., Seattle, Wash., carried out the assessment of Kosciusko County's tourism potential.
Dixon said she spent most of June in the county exploring local restaurants, shops, lakes and other tourist attractions and supporting amenities.
Dixon and Brooks compiled their findings in a report they shared at Wednesday's workshop.
Brooks said the assessment focused on the effectiveness of the county's marketing of its attractions to visitors, and factors that determine whether or not Kosciusko County becomes a destination, or place people travel to visit.
According to the assessment, Kosciusko County's strong points include area lakes, parks, schools and historic buildings, including the Kosciusko County Courthouse.
Dixon said Warsaw's downtown is a tourism asset waiting to blossom. She said the town's pedestrian crosswalks, landscaping and historic buildings set the stage for a prime destination for locals and those from out of town.
Brooks said to create a thriving destination downtown, communities should follow the "10-10-10 Rule."
"Within three linear blocks, you should have 10 places that sell food, 10 destination retail shops and 10 things open after 6 p.m.," Brooks said.
Some suggestions Brooks and Dixon had for developing town centers throughout the county were the addition of perpendicular blade signs for local merchants, more restaurants and better grouping of similar businesses.
Brooks and Dixon also said the county and local towns need to create gateways to their communities with high-quality signs, landscaping and marketing of anchor businesses and attractions.
Brooks said tourism is an $11 billion industry in Indiana, accounting for 260,000 jobs. He said a strong tourism industry can boost other industries in a county because it makes a city or a county a place people want to be.
"A tourism-friendly city will spawn non-tourism-industries faster," Brooks said. "It's the front door to your non-tourism efforts."
Kosciusko County Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Mary Kittrell said the assessment was helpful.
"I'm excited," she said. "I think he gave us some great things to think about and do. I already have 10 things written down we can do immediately."
Kittrell said the KCCVB has not yet received the official results of the assessment. When they do, she said, it will be available to the public. Kittrell said she and her staff plan to use the assessment as a tool when working with local businesses, towns and community leaders to develop the county's tourism.
"I'm really hoping we can energize the people who were here and really offer Kosciusko County as a destination," she said.
