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Heritage tourism finds St. Marys
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| THE SUBMARINE MUSEUM on the waterfront in downtown St. Marys is just one example of a cultural tourism spot in Camden County. (Tribune & Georgian photo/ReneeM. Liss) |
By Renee M. Liss
Anyone with a stake in the tourism industry of Camden County will be keeping an eye on the Heritage Tourism Workshop taking place Thursday and Friday, Feb. 9-10 in St. Marys.
“We’re really excited,” said Janet Brinko, St. Marys tourism director, adding that this will be the first time the event has ever been in St. Marys.
People from all over Georgia will be attending the workshop, which consists of a series of seminars on how to increase tourism and improve attractions in an area.
“They emphasize being authentic,” Brinko said.
The workshop has made its way all across the state, said Bruce Green, tourism production development manager for the Department of Economic Development. He said the agencies in charge wanted to hit as many regions as possible, with the southeast/coastal region being the second-to-last stop.
“It has grown in popularity,” Green said. “We’ve had an incredible response, with very good follow-up comments.”
Attending the workshop will be several state officials, including the deputy commissioner of tourism and members of the Georgia Trust, Historic Preservation of Natural Resources from the Department of Natural Resources and the director of marketing from the Department of Economic Development.
Brinko said that not only is the workshop a draw for downtown development directors and representatives of convention and visitors bureaus, but also for hotel and motel owners and representatives of various local attraction, such as museums.
Currently, between attendees and lecturers, there are 70 people signed up, but Brinko said more are expected to sign up the day of the event, probably bringing the total to about 90.
The workshop will also be helpful to the local tourism departments because participants are asked to keep track of how much they spend while in town, the results of which will be given to the St. Marys Tourism Department at the conclusion of the workshop.
Brinko said she expects most people will get into town Wednesday night, with others arriving Friday morning. She said she hopes most of them will decide to make a weekend of it, even though the workshop ends at 1 p.m. Friday.
Several breaks through the seminars are sponsored by the Colonial Coast, the St. Marys Downtown Development Authority and Coca Cola, as well as morning refreshments sponsored by Brockington and Associates, the archaeological firm that performed the Forgotten Invasion dig on Point Peter and set up the exhibit of the last battle of the War of 1812 in the Cumberland Island Museum.
Representatives of the firm will be presenting to the group, as well.
Also on tap are tours of three historic homes in downtown St. Marys and a Thursday night reception at Orange Hall, sponsored by Cumberland Harbour and the St. Marys Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The speakers are arriving Wednesday to get ready and Brinko said they have been invited to Greyfield Inn on Cumberland Island. They will be taken on a tour of the inn and a naturalist tour of the island.
“We’re not only showcasing St. Marys, we’re exposing them to the beauty of Cumberland Island,” Brinko said.
That is important to the point of the workshop, since Green pointed out that heritage tourists are not interested so much in shopping as they are in seeing authentic historic sites.
The seminars will be in the First Presbyterian Church fellowship hall. Cost for the workshop is $50.
To sign up, call Brinko at (912) 882-4000 or visit www.heritagetourism.mollyguard.com.
To register the day of the event, go to the St. Marys Economic Development Department on Osborne Street.
The next step in the tourism process, Green said, is to focus on cultural tourism and creating souvenirs for visitors to purchase, including working with artists in local areas, which he called developing a cultural economy.
He said the focus is on what the tourist takes away from an experience, what he or she will remember about the trip.
“It has to be a positive experience,” Green said.”
“We’re really excited,” said Janet Brinko, St. Marys tourism director, adding that this will be the first time the event has ever been in St. Marys.
People from all over Georgia will be attending the workshop, which consists of a series of seminars on how to increase tourism and improve attractions in an area.
“They emphasize being authentic,” Brinko said.
The workshop has made its way all across the state, said Bruce Green, tourism production development manager for the Department of Economic Development. He said the agencies in charge wanted to hit as many regions as possible, with the southeast/coastal region being the second-to-last stop.
“It has grown in popularity,” Green said. “We’ve had an incredible response, with very good follow-up comments.”
Attending the workshop will be several state officials, including the deputy commissioner of tourism and members of the Georgia Trust, Historic Preservation of Natural Resources from the Department of Natural Resources and the director of marketing from the Department of Economic Development.
Brinko said that not only is the workshop a draw for downtown development directors and representatives of convention and visitors bureaus, but also for hotel and motel owners and representatives of various local attraction, such as museums.
Currently, between attendees and lecturers, there are 70 people signed up, but Brinko said more are expected to sign up the day of the event, probably bringing the total to about 90.
The workshop will also be helpful to the local tourism departments because participants are asked to keep track of how much they spend while in town, the results of which will be given to the St. Marys Tourism Department at the conclusion of the workshop.
Brinko said she expects most people will get into town Wednesday night, with others arriving Friday morning. She said she hopes most of them will decide to make a weekend of it, even though the workshop ends at 1 p.m. Friday.
Several breaks through the seminars are sponsored by the Colonial Coast, the St. Marys Downtown Development Authority and Coca Cola, as well as morning refreshments sponsored by Brockington and Associates, the archaeological firm that performed the Forgotten Invasion dig on Point Peter and set up the exhibit of the last battle of the War of 1812 in the Cumberland Island Museum.
Representatives of the firm will be presenting to the group, as well.
Also on tap are tours of three historic homes in downtown St. Marys and a Thursday night reception at Orange Hall, sponsored by Cumberland Harbour and the St. Marys Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The speakers are arriving Wednesday to get ready and Brinko said they have been invited to Greyfield Inn on Cumberland Island. They will be taken on a tour of the inn and a naturalist tour of the island.
“We’re not only showcasing St. Marys, we’re exposing them to the beauty of Cumberland Island,” Brinko said.
That is important to the point of the workshop, since Green pointed out that heritage tourists are not interested so much in shopping as they are in seeing authentic historic sites.
The seminars will be in the First Presbyterian Church fellowship hall. Cost for the workshop is $50.
To sign up, call Brinko at (912) 882-4000 or visit www.heritagetourism.mollyguard.com.
To register the day of the event, go to the St. Marys Economic Development Department on Osborne Street.
The next step in the tourism process, Green said, is to focus on cultural tourism and creating souvenirs for visitors to purchase, including working with artists in local areas, which he called developing a cultural economy.
He said the focus is on what the tourist takes away from an experience, what he or she will remember about the trip.
“It has to be a positive experience,” Green said.”
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| Location, location, location: Camden County has it |
