The Greater Williamsburg Chamber and Tourism Alliance has rolled out its advocacy positions for 2014, with a continued focus on promoting tourism and improved transportation.
The Alliance takes positions to “advocate for positive contributions to the elements that members consider important when they speak to the quality of life.” Among those elements are: municipal fiscal stability, economic opportunity and diversification, mobility within and to the region, availability of quality healthcare, environmental sustainability, housing choice, individual and corporate freedom and accountability, educational opportunities, community identity and safety and security.
In an effort to reach these targets to achieve and maintain quality of life, the Alliance looks to a variety of specific initiatives. Topping the list of which initiatives are important are transportation and starting the public school year after Labor Day, said Alliance President and CEO Dick Schreiber. Inability to travel easily impacts tourists in a way that may cause them not to return to the area.
“Current levels of congestion outside and within our community are already placing visitor experience at risk, thereby threatening the future of our tourism economy. The congestion on regional roadways is also affecting current and future business developments in the Historic Triangle,” the advocacy document reads.
The Alliance supports widening Interstate 64 between Jefferson Avenue and Interstate 295.
Starting schools prior to Labor Day decreases visitors to the area during the summer, which already sees weak visitation numbers.
“Any effort to begin the school year earlier would affect traditional family vacations and the tourism season,” the advocacy document reads.
Tourists pay into the local economy the same way residents do: by fueling sales and meals tax revenues.
“Tourism is extremely important to the well-being of the economy of the Historic Triangle. In fact, the Alliance serves as a primary regional tourism organization in the Historic Triangle, investing millions of dollars each year in support of the entire region,” the Alliance’s advocacy document reads.
Also, tourists who stay overnight in hotels pay a $2 per room, per night tax which is used to promote overnight visitation to the Historic Triangle.
The Williamsburg Area Destination Marketing Committee takes the $2 tax and uses it to create a combination of online and television advertising to attract overnight tourists. As part of the Alliance’s 2014 advocacy positions, efforts to strengthen funding for WADMC are supported. The Alliance also supports increased investments in tourism, both locally and at the state level.
In addition to the Alliance’s advocacy positions, the Alliance and the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce released a combined list of legislative priorities for 2014; there were few changes over last year’s priorities.
As with 2013, focus is placed on transportation, rail service, tourism, post-Labor Day school start, education, Small Business Development Center, illegal immigration, uniform taxation, workforce development, minimum wage and growth and development. The priorities are prepared jointly with the two chambers to reflect the needs of the communities they represent, which include more than 2,500 businesses.
Transportation and post-Labor Day school start times are part of the joint legislative priorities.
The chambers support revenues dedicated to the Hampton Roads Transportation Project Priorities and are opposed to fees designed to fund transportation that would disproportionately target small businesses; the chambers support everyone paying a fair share.
“Congestion caused by current transportation conditions is placing all tourism in Hampton Roads at risk particularly for Williamsburg and Virginia Beach, two of the premier tourist destinations in the Commonwealth,” the legislative priority list reads. “Visitors to our area are confronted with lengthy delays, causing many of them to consider not returning for future vacations and conferences. The I-64 corridor must be addressed in any transportation solution for Hampton Roads.”
The full joint chamber legislative priority list is available online.