It Starts - Delaware State Chamber of Commerce

Restaurant, Meeting
& Banquet Guide
It Starts
with a Visit …
Q&A with Scott Thomas
DELAWARE BUSINESS magazine recently sat down at The
Bellmoor Inn in Rehoboth Beach to chat with our downstate partner Scott
Thomas, executive director of Southern Delaware Tourism.
What is Southern Delaware Tourism?
We are the convention and visitor bureau for
Sussex County. As a tourism office, our primary
mission is to get more heads in hotel room beds.
From an economic development perspective, we like
to say, “It starts with a visit”. Once you are here for
a visit, it often translates into a residential relocation
or sometimes a business relocation or expansion.
Who is your target audience?
We are fortunate to be situated within a 4 hour
drive of 27% of the U.S. population. We have
a tremendous audience to pull from. As a resort
community, about 90% of our visitors come
here for leisure travel. The 26 miles of Atlantic
coastline, from Lewes to Fenwick Island, is what
we tout as our 5 star beaches. The best and
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cleanest beaches in the country!
They are our anchor; our proverbial
cruise ship. Our beaches are just the beginning of the experience. Once
you are here, we work to spread the message about
our various ports of call, our 25 small towns that
have unique character and attractions of their own.
The other 10% of the market is the business
traveler. That is the market we are looking to
grow – group events, meetings and retreats. Our
objective is to get them here to stay overnight and
then extend those nights.
Value of Tourism
in Delaware (2014)
8 million visitors
40,830 employees
4th largest private employer
$470 million in taxes/fees
Without tourism, each Delaware
household would pay an additional
$1,360 in taxes
Credit: Delaware Tourism Office
As you plot your strategy for our 26 miles of
coastline – who is the competition?
Ocean City, Maryland, Myrtle Beach, South
Carolina, the Outer Banks of North Carolina as well
as West Virginia. We are trying to carve into the
Philadelphia market that travels to the Jersey Shore.
Post Super Storm Sandy has been a real opportunity
to get some of those travelers who came here for
our beaches. We are seeing growth from New York
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metro as well as growth extending past the Ohio border. Traditionally the
Ohioans went due east, but they are starting to come here.
How significant is tourism’s contribution to the state’s bottom line?
The tourism contribution to the state’s gross domestic product has
risen from $1.7 billion in 2012 to $3 billion in 2014. Sussex County is
approximately a $1.7 billion slice of that $3 billion and with that comes
about 18,000 jobs in the county. Statewide, it represents 35,000 jobs.
Tourism is big, big business here in Delaware. It drives Sussex County’s
economy along with agriculture.
There are also indirect effects of tourism. The more visitors, the more
need you are going to have for local services and products. There is a
multiplier effect of about 1.2. For every dollar spent by a visitor, another
$1.20 is left behind in the local economy.
Economic Impact of
Tourism in Sussex County
$1.7 billion generated by direct tourism sales annually
Tourism employs 18,000 jobs
Brings new money into the community
Tourism sales have a multiplier effect of 1.2 (for every $1 spent
directly by a visitor, another $1.20 is generated in indirect sales
to the local economy)
You mentioned Super Storm Sandy. Why is spending money on
beach recovery so important to all of us Delawareans, not just
those who have beach front property?
Helps diversify and stabilize the local economy
Because it translates into a direct and an indirect impact on our
economic anchor – our beaches. Without that, there goes a big chunk of
that $1.7 billion spend and the 1.2 multiplier and the decrease in business
for all of our local providers. The supply chain suffers. It is not just the
direct spend on the boardwalk; it goes much deeper into the indirect effect
of supporting the local economy here. To Delaware’s credit, the state has
prioritized the beaches. The federal matching funds for repairs are not
guaranteed. This will be a challenge going forward. How do we sustain the
beaches? How do we protect them and budget for that?
Contributes to the state and local tax base and saves each
The traditional resort beach traveler is your bread and butter.
How does Sussex County deal with what we think of as the
“off season”?
Our season gets longer and longer all the time. In Sussex County the
strongest months are July through September. The fall shoulder season
has grown into more of an extended season because all of the festivals
and better promotion through collaboration with our local chambers of
commerce. We all work together to promote our events and to make a
bigger splash. We don’t just promote the summertime season.
We are a drive to destination since we don’t have a major commercial
airport. Regionally, we are a great intimate destination for small to medium
sized meetings and retreats. We are focusing on promoting the corporate
meeting market from January through April. That is when you will get the
best deal and see more availability. Our office works to customize packages
for groups. We cater to military reunions that capitalize on attractions like
Ft. Miles at Cape Henlopen State Park. And don’t forget that Delaware’s
tax-free advantage is a big sell. Not just on shopping but it extends to
dining, entertainment and meeting space. For the group markets, it helps.
What are some of the challenges you face?
The challenge for tourism in Sussex County is what we are going
to be committed to in addition to tourism and agriculture. How are
we going to keep the momentum of what we have going? How do we
manage the growth?
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Attracts additional businesses to our area (“It Starts With a Visit”)
Delaware household approximately $800 in taxes annually
It would take only 160 more visitors to support a new Delaware job
Every 230 visitors pays for a Delaware public school student
for the year
Credit: Delaware Tourism Office
One of the biggest challenges is infrastructure and dealing with the
traffic. Fortunately, many of our visitors are used to this kind of traffic, but
it is a real concern for the local residents. For private enterprise, it is an
opportunity. Our office works to forge new opportunities to create more
jobs. I view mobilized tour experiences as a big opportunity. We strategize
on how to get our guests on tours throughout the county once they are
here. A lot of our local historical societies do a great job of walking tours
and trolley tours. Food tours are starting to evolve. We think the next big
opportunity is mobilizing this to better connect our 25 jewels, the towns
of Sussex County. There are big tourism opportunities here in southern
Delaware. It is not just what you are seeing, but who you are seeing it with
and how you are seeing it.
What is up and coming, things to keep an eye on in these
ports of call?
Communities such as Milton, Milford, Georgetown and even as far
west as Laurel have lots to offer. We are seeing more events like Delmarva
Birding Weekend, paddling weekends, and promotions connecting
Delmarva towns like Laurel, Delaware and Snow Hill, Maryland. There is
a lot to be said about regional promotion as well as local promotion. These
events help to broaden the demographic and attract younger people.
The sports travel market is another big driver. It is a very consistent
and stable market that the state is investing more in. Sports at the Beach
in Georgetown is a tourism machine once their season starts. They are
bringing in a tremendous influx of visitors with out-of-state teams, family
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Personalized service
makes all the difference.
and friends. We have the Slam Dunk to the Beach national high school
basketball tournament in late December; a product of the Delaware Sports
Commission bringing it back from its glory days.
What about brewery tours and our great restaurants?
Our breweries are on the forefront, and now the wineries, distilleries,
and even meaderies are up and coming. All are part of the story along with
our local chefs, restaurants and the agricultural economy that has prompted
us to trademark southern Delaware as the Culinary Coast…Come to
the Culinary Coast, life
tastes better here. We use
this in our advertising
in travel and leisure
publications because
culinary travel is alive
1 in 9 Delaware workers owes his/her
and well and is growing.
job to tourism
It is a testament to our
chefs, it is a testament to
Tourism was responsible for 14% of
our producers that are
net new DE jobs in 2014
working together to create
Tourism accounts for 10% of the
a density and diversity of
state’s tax revenues
food offerings that catch
people by surprise when
Credit: Delaware Tourism Office
they visit. We are very,
very fortunate to have a
lot of that talent here. There is always something new to try.
Putting Tourism in
Perspective
Glenn Moore, VP, Delmar va Power,
with Karen Sunkler, Event Manager (L)
and Polly Weir, Director (R)
The University of Delaware Conference Services team
knows it’s our exceptional service and capabilities that
make all the difference - and it’s what keeps our clients
returning year after year. Consider the following:
With just one call you are instantly provided with three
locations to choose from, each in a unique environment.
–
Being on an academic campus is invigorating
and enhances the credibility of your event.
–
Full access to campus amenities
makes accomplishing your goals a snap.
–
Our personal event managers coordinate
everything from start to finish.
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention some of the unique
venues around the county…
Of course. Lavender Fields out by Milton and The Ross Mansion in
Seaford are examples of unique group destinations. The Delaware Botanical
Gardens near Dagsboro, scheduled to open in 2017 – 2018, will be a huge
draw for visitors. We have new hotel properties like the Bethany Beach
Ocean Suites. These are great outlets for small and medium sized groups.
Any parting thoughts?
Tourism and agriculture are it in Sussex County. They are our two
main engines. We need to grow and diversify our local economy that
further shines what we have. The quality of life component of economic
development is Sussex County’s ace in the hole. n
For more information, contact Scott Thomas at scottt@visitsoutherndelaware.com.
UD Conference Services
3 02- 831-2 214 ud e l .e d u / co n fe re n ce s
Chuck James
Senior Vice President, Membership
Delaware State Chamber of Commerce
cjames@dscc.com
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July / Aug us t 2 0 1 6 | DELAWARE BUSINESS