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Ecotourism in
Beaufort County, NC
Kourtney A. Bradshaw
James Carras
Will Hodgkins
Shannon Smith
Department of Public Policy
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
In partnership with the Center for NC Strategic Economic Growth,
Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise
A Partner for Innovative Entrepreneurship
Table of Contents
Introduction
1
Purpose of the proposal and the main
problems addressed by the proposal
Asset Mapping
5
Ecotourism assets found in Beaufort County,
NC and the surrounding regions
Best Practices
11
Examples of best practices from around the
Southeast
Recommendations
34
Lessons the county can learn from
comparable areas and implementation
guidelines
Appendices
50
More in-depth discussion of asset mapping,
best practices and recommendations offered
for the county
Introduction
Purpose
Beaufort County Manager Randell Woodruff and Economic Development Director Bob Heuts have asked
Cross Sectional Collaborative (CSC) to assist Beaufort County and its community partners in developing
regional river-based ecotourism centered on the rich, yet underutilized, ecological resources of the Tar
and Pamlico Rivers, as well as their waterfronts, swamps and adjoining forests.
Problem Statement
Beaufort County has the greatest area of waterfront of any county in the state of North Carolina. However,
the county is challenged with a Tier I poverty designation, 9.1% rate of unemployment, and 20% of the
population lives below the poverty line. Beaufort County, which features abundant, yet underutilized,
natural resources has an important stake in developing a county-wide strategy for promoting ecotourism
to boost its economy. Beaufort County can also produce strong results by combining their efforts with
local communities and local organizations to create regional river-based ecotourism attractions along the
Tar and Pamlico Rivers. Stakeholders in Beaufort County and the surrounding areas have begun
consideration of development plans for ecotourism. However, a comprehensive vision to pursue riverbased ecotourism in Beaufort County has yet to be established.
1
Introduction
Ecotourism
Ecotourism is a unique and multifaceted form of travel. Ecotourism is the responsible use of controlled
natural areas in order to conserve the environment and improve economic and social welfare. Further,
ecotourism encapsulates travel to a natural location, or one that has experienced little to no alteration at the
hands of humans. The main benefits of ecotourism include:
• Minimizing damage to the environment through protective measures to ensure natural landscapes will
be preserved to share with future generations
• Promoting environmental awareness among tourists and local citizens
• Raising support for conservation efforts to maintain a near pristine natural area
• Raising support for local economy through the creation of jobs and industries
2
Introduction
Goals and Objectives
The goal of our study is to identify unrecognized opportunities for ecotourism development which exist along
the Tar and Pamlico Rivers in Beaufort County and nearby areas such as Pitt County. As part of a broader
ecotourism strategy for Beaufort County, we will develop a strategy to utilize identified best practices from
comparable communities who have successfully conserved natural habitats and created sustainable tourism.
In order to achieve this goal the following objectives have been identified:
• Develop an asset map of existing river access points and ecotourism assets which can be utilized as part of
a broader ecotourism strategy;
• Identify ecotourism development opportunities which will enable local leaders and stakeholders in
Beaufort County to best utilize existing assets;
• Research ecotourism best practices in similar communities with elements which can be introduced into
Beaufort County to enhance existing ecotourism initiatives;
• Propose marketing strategies to increase online presence and promote the name and assets of Beaufort
County;
• Identify existing policies that may either promote or hinder ecotourism efforts, and provide policy
recommendations for advancing river-based ecotourism.
3
Economic Impact
In 2012, Beaufort County produced 71.08 million dollars in tourism expenditures. Of these expenditures,
8.8 million were dedicated to payroll for tourism related industries and 7.59 million was generated from
state and local tax revenues. The state and tax revenues yielded a tax savings of 158.45 tax dollars saved
per resident.
The county is ranked 47th of 100 NC counties in travel impact. Beaufort County is ranked above Hyde,
Pamlico, Bertie,Tyrrell and Martin counties.
The graphic below shows tourism revenues have been continuing to grow in Beaufort County. The hope
is that ecotourism can be a large contributing factor to the total tourism revenues in Beaufort in the
coming years.
4
Ecotourism Assets
Ecotourism assets can be broken into five dominant themes: natural settings, conservation, culture, benefits to
local communities, and education. It is important to center ecotourism destinations around a featured natural
environment that is as close to its natural state as possible. Sustainably preserving the natural state of an
environment from an environmental, economic and cultural standpoint should be the goal of ecotourism
planning. It is also important to offer the prospect of learning, whether it be from the natural state of the area
or from a museum.
Ecotourism destinations might expect to attract two general categories of tourists: hard and soft or active and
passive. “Hard” ecotourists, or the most active, have a strong environmental commitment and seek destinations
that are undisturbed and relatively isolated (not touristy) and who embrace hardship (no comfortable
amenities), risk, physical challenges and personal experience. Many of them may nonetheless use the economic
services of outfitters and other rentals, guide services, and some meals. “Soft” ecotourists share an
environmental commitment, but prefer to engage in ecotourism activities as part of a larger leisure trip. For
example, sailing or paddling for the day followed by dinner at a local restaurant and an overnight stay at a hotel
or bed and breakfast and a trip to the museum the next day. From an economic development perspective, the
greatest direct added value is likely to result from attracting more ecotourists who will stay overnight in
Beaufort County lodgings and participate in more than a single day-trip activity or venue in the county.
For more information on ecotourism assets and the mapping process, please see Appendix A.
5
Asset Mapping
The following four pages contain maps depicting ecotourism assets in Beaufort County. These assets were
gathered using printed maps and resources provided by leaders in Beaufort County during individual
meetings. Data was also gathered from online resources, including but not limited to, google maps, GIS maps
and data sets provided by the GIS library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Beaufort
County website, and the Little Washington website.
An overview map of the entire county, including shared assets with Pitt County, Hyde County, and Pamlico
County was created using the above described data. The following maps were cut from that overview map to
more clearly depict specific assets located within each municipality.
The depicted assets are only as accurate as the available data used. Layers within the overview map include
Beaufort County paddle trails, emergency services, hunting preserves, wetlands, restaurants, and lodgings. A
data set is also publicly available to add bridges for additional potential access points. Paddle trails were hand
drawn using ArcGIS software. Specific maps used are referenced in the reference section of this booklet.
Electronic versions of maps and data sets will be saved on a thumb drive and presented to Bob Heuts with this
report for future use and distribution.
6
This map includes Pitt and Beaufort
County assets, extending from
Washington and Chocowinity
municipalities in Beaufort County to
Greenville in Pitt County. The two
most promenent paddle trails on this
map are shared by both Pitt and
Beaufort Counties. Fire hydrants
depict fire stations, which would
provide first responder emergency
care to tourists. As examples, Site #20
is the Cypress Hideaway tent camping
platform for paddlers, and Site #129
is the Chocowinity Tar Heel Theater;
Site #127 is the Inner Banks Artisans
Center.
7
This map includes Beaufort County
assets in Central Beaufort and Bath
and Aurora municipalities. Note
several additional paddle trails with
access points, as well as Goose Creek
State Park (#56) which includes
both a public park area and a larger
surrounding state-registered
Natural Heritage Area. Another
notable asset is Camp Boddie (#54),
a summer camp operated by the Boy
Scouts of America. Camp Boddie
has several campsites, a dining
facility as well as docks that can be
used for paddling and sailing.
8
This map includes shared assets in
Beaufort and Hyde Counties extending
from Belhaven and Pantego
municipalities into Hyde County. Note
that Belhaven has the major boating
and sailing ecotourism asset of the
Intracoastal Waterway, and also
provides access to another significant
water trail for boating and paddling up
what is labeled a second Pamlico River
toward major managed wildlife areas in
neighboring Hyde County. Belhaven
also has a marina, a museum, and
several excellent destination seafood
restaurants.
9
This map depicts assets in
Beaufort, Hyde and Pamlico
Counties. It also shows major
managed wildlife areas as
ecotourism assets for hunting and
wildlife observation.
10
Best Practices
In order to answer the original questions of whether ecotourism is feasible in the region and whether the initiative
will yield economic benefits, we selected six case studies of successful ecotourism to isolate a few best practices. We
used a set of criteria to determine what worked in each case, what didn't work and what Beaufort County can learn
from each area, as well as comprehensive recommendations leadership can utilize to further ecotourism efforts. The
criteria are as follows:
•Organizational Structure- How do the area tourism, environmental, governmental and business leaders
divide responsibility for the community?
•Economic Sustainability- How does the area ensure their projects continue for years to come by providing
jobs and industry to their community?
•Funding- How are the ecotourism projects financially supported?
•Community Outreach- What is the connection the ecotourism projects have to their communities?
•Policy Innovations- What unique and relevant lessons can Beaufort County learn from each best practice area?
For more information on Best Practices, please see Appendix B.
(Below) Photograph of the mobile in the Estuarium
11
Areas Selected for
Best Practice
Analysis
Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain
page 14
Suwannee River Wilderness Trail
page 18
Louisiana Tourism Coastal Coalition
page 21
Roanoke River Partners
page 24
National Committee for the New River
page 27
Southeast Tennessee Tourism Association
page 31
(Above) Boats in a Washington, NC Marina
12
Locations of Best Practices Sites
13
Land Trust for the
Mississippi Coastal
Plain
History
The Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain (LTMCP) was founded in 2000 as a non-profit
organization charged with managing and maintaining acquired lands along the coast of Mississippi for
the purpose of conservation. The LTMCP is an accredited land trust, meaning the properties obtained
through the organization have undergone extensive external review and are designated as permanent
conservation sites. The LTMCP specifically targets environmental or culturally significant lands in the
six counties in the Coastal Plain of Mississippi.
14
Land Trust for the Mississippi
Coastal Plain
Ecotourism
Aside from their efforts to monitor and conserve the lands entrusted to them, the LTMCP also
encourages public recreation and enjoyment of their properties. This approach has led to the
development of several walking and paddle trails meant to show off the natural beauty and wildlife
present in the Mississippi Coastal Plain. The LTMCP also provides trail maps, teacher resources and
links to other regional conservation efforts on their website as a way to teach others about the cultural
and environmental significance of these lands and encourage further conservation.
15
Coastal Plain
Pictured above is a map of the Old Fort Bayou Blueway, a project developed by the LTMCP in conjunction
with the municipality of Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Leaders from the LTMCP and Ocean Springs relied
heavily on public input to devise plans to develop the Old Fort Bayou. The paddletrail was designed to
promote access to an underutilized asset as well as connect existing parks and businesses. This strategy
aimes to increase the economic sustainability of the bayou and support existing local businesses.
16
Coastal Plain
Lessons for Beaufort County
There are several aspects of LTMCP’s organizational and marketing tactics that could be successfully
implemented in Beaufort County to their significant benefit. To start, the LTMCP does an excellent job of
educating the public and stimulating interest in the region’s natural resources and conservation efforts. The
LTMCP uses education as a means to drive enthusiasm for their efforts as well as cater their projects
specifically to the needs of the community. By simply educating residents about the benefits of conservation
and environmentally friendly activities, Beaufort County could build local support for an ecotourism industry
and foster a sense of pride in the county’s natural beauty. Another beneficial aspect of the LTMCP’s success is
the support they provide to local organizations pursuing ecotourism or conservation projects along the
Mississippi Coast. The LTMCP primarily provides assistance in the form of organizational advice and
potential sources of funding, such as grants or professional guidance from more knowledgeable organizations.
In Beaufort County, organizations such as the Pamlico Tar River Federation may be able to expand their role
to include supportive services like those of the LTMCP. Educating citizens and providing supportive
resources to community organizations would likely accelerate the growth of ecotourism across Beaufort
County.
For more information on LTMCP please refer to Appendix B
17
Suwannee River
Wilderness Trail
History
The Suwannee River Wilderness Trail was founded more than 20 years ago as a unique natural resource and
an opportunity to provide green options for economic development initiatives in this largely undeveloped
region of Florida. The project’s goal is to bring economic benefits to the communities lining the river by
promoting recreational access to public lands, increasing sustainable economic opportunities and better
coordinating land management initiatives between state and local projects. The project has been built and
supported by partnerships between local and state agencies, including the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection, the Florida Park Service, the Suwannee River Management District, and Florida’s
tourism development agency.
18
Suwannee River Wilderness
Trail
Ecotourism
The river currently boasts several regional hubs that provide lodging options and support day use
activities, as well as seven riverside campsites that will encourage multi-day river hiking, biking and
paddling outings. Leaders of the trail initiative are currently exploring opportunities to advance private
entrepreneurial participation along the river in an attempt to improve supportive infrastructure for
nature-based tourism to the region. Local leaders are in touch with local tourism commissions and
chambers of commerce to help promote private amenities such as guide services, outfitters, and dining
options that would support the growing ecotourism industry.
19
Suwannee River Wilderness
Trail
There are a number of things that Beaufort County can adapt and learn the Suwannee River Trail.
First, Beaufort County could form a county-wide tourism commission or advisory board. Communities
along the Suwannee River rely heavily on their respective tourism commissions to represent the
interests of both public and private stakeholders in the Suwannee River Valley. Tourism commissions
and advisory boards give the public a point of contact for tourism related matters and may be able to
bring together the various tourism ventures and supportive services in Beaufort County. Next,
Beaufort County might benefit from adopting small business development programs similar to those
along the Suwannee River. For instance, the Columbus County (Florida) Chamber of Commerce
connects small business owners with complementary businesses in order to better tailor their services
to the public’s needs. These businesses also work together to promote each other’s products and
services, as well as educate their employees on active marketing techniques. Similar efforts in Beaufort
County could result in a stronger economic environment and increased community support for
tourism ventures.
For more information on the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail, please refer to
Appendix B
20
Below: Map of the LTCC coverage area
Louisiana
Tourism Coastal
Coalition
History
The Louisiana Tourism Coastal Coalition (LTCC) is a non-profit, regional marketing organization that
represents the interests of ten parishes along the Louisiana Coast. The LTCC advocates for the
development of coastal communities and protection of fragile wetlands, as well as promotes natural,
cultural and outdoor recreational experiences along the Louisiana Coast. Through the coalition’s website,
visitors can access information about regional attractions like fishing, camping, paddling and wildlife just
to name a few.
21
Louisiana Tourism Coastal
Coalition
Ecotourism
The coalition has partnered with a New Orleans based group called Travel1Green which advocates for
sustainable tourism across coastal Louisiana. Travel1Green is affiliated with several ecotourism initiatives,
most notably Sustainable Travel International, and endorses projects that adhere to widely accepted
standards of ecotourism. Travel1Green has even developed a comprehensive guide to ecotourism along the
coast of Louisiana, complete with trail maps, GPS coordinates of popular attractions and contact information
for community specific amenities. Both Travel1Green and the LTCC coordinate with regional academic
resources in order to obtain funding for ecotourism projects and better advance sustainable development
across the region. The Louisiana State University AgCenter and the Center for Cultural and Ecotourism at
the University of Louisiana Lafayette are two excellent resources these organizations have utilized for
information on sustainable tourism practices and potential financing options.
22
Louisiana Tourism Coastal
Coalition
The Louisiana Tourism Coastal Coalition offers a lot in terms of marketing strategies and organizational
structure that could be useful to Beaufort County. Very much like the Suwannee River case study, the LTCC
utilizes an advisory board and tourism commissions for input and feedback on tourism plans. The LTCC’s
advisory board consists of at least one member from each parish and could be replicated in Beaufort County,
potentially by assembling a board with representatives from each municipality or district. Visit Louisiana
Coast also creates an all inclusive visitor’s guide that is distributed through local tourism commissions and
their website. Assuming there will be a county or regional group to organize and promote such a document,
Beaufort County and their neighbors could combine their tourism assets into one pamphlet and market the
region collectively. Potential branding opportunities could be made through organizations like the Mid East
Commission or as a wider initiative like the “Inner Banks” or IBX concept. These approaches to tourism
management and marketing could go a long way to branding Beaufort County as a sustainable and attractive
tourism destination.
For more information on LTCC please refer to Appendix B
23
Roanoke River
Partners
(Above) Map of paddle trail along Roanoke River
History
RRP was established in 1996 by a collection of concerned business leaders and government leaders in
Halifax, Bertie and Martin counties. The area along the Roanoke River was experiencing a
devastating economic downturn with high job loss. Thus RRP was created to confront the job loss and
economic distress in the area.
24
Roanoke River
Partners
(Above) Logo for Roanoke River Partners
Ecotourism
The leaders of RRP realized that the Roanoke River was a great economic resource. However,
they were unsure of how they should market it to promote its use for ecotourism. They
searched the country for replicable models. They discovered the "chickee model" found in
Southern Florida. Chickees are raised platforms paddlers can row up to, anchor their boat and
camp for the night. The leaders of RRP modified the chickee model for the Roanoke River and
created raised platforms along the river. These platforms have been highly successful and
attract over 1200 visitors annually.
25
Roanoke River
Partners
(Above) Image of RRP camping platform
However popular the Roanoke River has been, leadership in RRP has noticed that businesses along
the river have not been sustainable. Businesses like paddling tours and outfitters who rent canoes and
kayaks come quickly, but leave just as quickly. This lack of sustainability could be a result of the
seasonal nature of employing high school and college students during the summers but having few
employees during school months or a lack of entrepreneur training. Beaufort County can learn from
the roadblocks RRP faced by promoting small businesses through grants, training and guidance for
entrepreneurs.
For more information on RRP please refer to Appendix B
26
National Committee
for the New River
(Above) Logo for National Committee for the New River
History
The National Committee for the New River was founded in 1974 to block the construction of two dams
that would have altered the economic, agricultural and ecological structure of the New River. While the
NCNR is primarily an environmental advocacy group, the leadership of the organization is deeply tied
to the surrounding community’s growth. Therefore, NCNR has a strong commitment to supporting the
development of ecotourism efforts in the area it serves.
27
National Committee for the New River
(Above) Logos for High Country Host and Ashe County Government
Ashe County
NCNR plays a supportive role in the economic development of the counties it serves, like Ashe County, NC.
River-based tourism now provides a major source of revenue for this western NC county. It is estimated
that river-based tourism produces the second largest stream of revenue for Ashe County, second only to
agriculture. With the latest economic downturn, Ashe County lost many manufacturing jobs. However,
individuals who had lost their jobs were able to find new ones when the new industry, tourism along the
river. Ashe County is able to support many of its tourism initiatives through a tourism commission which is
part of their chamber of commerce.
28
National Committee
for the New River
(Above) Photo along the bank of the New River
Ashe County, contd.
Because tourism is such an important economic driver for Ashe County, the county tourism has
coordinated with other counties in the area to form the High Country Host. This organization provides
marketing circulars to the region’s hotels, maintains a thorough website with events and local
attractions, and shares tourism funds for marketing purposes through occupancy taxes and collective
grants.
29
National Committee For the New River
(Above) Photo of the New River in fall
The biggest lesson Beaufort County can take from the National Committee for the New River and Ashe
County, North Carolina is the relationship the two entities share. NCNR holds seats on the Tourism
Commission for Ashe County. As a member of the tourism commission, NCNR ensures that any tourism
policies or recommendations are in the best interest of the the ecology and structure of the New River. If
Beaufort County is serious about expanding its tourism efforts, it is essential for the county to partner with
environmental non-profits, like The Pamlico Tar River Foundation. Organization like PTRF will help guide
Beaufort County's tourism decisions to ensure the river will be protected for future use.
For more information on NCNR and Ashe County please refer to Appendix B
30
(Above) Logo for Southeast Tennessee Tourism Association
History
The Southeast Tennessee Tourism Association is a collection of 10 counties in southeast Tennessee. It
is a comprehensive multi-county marketing strategy with a comprehensive website and mobile
application. The website gives prospective tourists a taste of what southeast Tennessee has to offer:
history, cultural activities, shopping, hiking, camping, biking and water sports. The mobile application
allows more tech-savvy individuals to download an application with self-guided tours and maps of
tourist attractions.
31
Southeast
Tennessee
Tourism
Association
(Above) Map of Southeast Tennessee Tourism Association members
Ecotourism
The Hiwassee River is a strong tourist attraction for Southeast Tennessee. Visitors can kayak, canoe or
white water raft in some areas of the river. The Hiwassee River is treasured for its recreational, social,
economic, cultural and environmental assets. Recently the Hiwassee River was in the process of pursuing
certification as a National Blueway. However, due to recent changes in the Department of the Interior, the
program is no longer accepting new applications. Another alternative to the National Blueway designation
is the National Water Trail.
32
(Above) Photo of Hiwassee River Bradley Co., Tennessee
Beaufort County can learn from the Southeast Tennessee Tourism Association's organizational structure.
As a collection of 10 counties, SETTA pools their resources to provide tourists with vast options for
exploring the area. The first lesson is that SETTA's member counties work together to promote shared
assets. Beaufort County can use a similar structure to promote their shared river assets with Pitt County
or their shared sound assets with Hyde and Pamlico Counties.
For more information on SETTA please refer to Appendix B
33
Policy Recommendations
From the six areas we studied, we found that each had unique strategies to market, finance and practice
ecotourism. We formulated six recommendations well-suited to best promote ecotourism for economic
development in Beaufort County, North Carolina.
• County-wide Tourism Commission (page 37)
• Develop Marketing Strategies (page 39)
• Create Small-Business Development Plan (page 46)
• Educate Public (page 48)
• Connect to Regional Tourism Groups (page 49)
• Certification as National Water Trail (page 51)
(Below) Cross-Sectional Collaborative Team Meeting with Heather Deck of Pamlico Tar River Foundation
34
County-Wide Tourism Commission
A county-wide tourism commission ties many of the lessons Beaufort County can learn from the similar areas
we studied from around the country. A tourism commission will serve as an important hub for all future
tourism initiatives. While considering a tourism commission it will be important for Beaufort County to
consider the membership of the commission, the responsibilities of the commission and finally the models
the commission leadership will use in order to move forward with promoting tourism as a means of economic
development in the county. Membership of the commission should include representation from all
municipalities, as well as representation from local business leaders and leadership from local non-profits.
The tourism commission should focus on creating a statement of purpose, creating marketing strategies and
promoting small business growth in tourism related industries.
35
This chart gives a brief breakdown of the partners, responsibilities, resources
and models Beaufort County should consider when formulating a regional
tourism commission.
36
Marketing Strategies for
Beaufort County Tourism
What are the means of
marketing to attract
tourists?
1. Developing a Beaufort
County ecotourism-based
website
2. Promoting
“packaged” tourism
attractions
3. Rebranding the region
through a multicounty
organization
37
Beaufort County Ecotourism
Website
By establishing an online presence, Beaufort County can market the county through the lens of the
Pamlico River, thus giving each municipality the potential benefits of ecotourism development. Pages
such as History, Places, Ecotourism, 50 Things to Do, Dining, Accommodations, Regional Partners
and more place in a central, accessible location everything that a strong location-based tourism site
should have. A website affords the most cost-effective and widest reaching marketing strategy.
38
Website
The middle tier of the website's homepage, featuring interactive and informational content, will engage
online visitors. The left shows a photo gallery- Beaufort County's natural attractions, Southern town lifestyle
and quality dining provide great visual value. This prompts the opportunity to share the county's attractions
in a monthly newsletter, shown above as a calendar. Actively updating these resources will spur further
interest in visiting the county.
39
Website
The footer of the homepage shows pertinent information for the county's website. On the far left,
Washington's Facebook profile appears, providing a link to their page. Developing a social media strategy
includes Beaufort County Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages. A "Contact Us" legend will give a central
location to Beaufort County Administrative Offices, the Tourism Commission or a Welcome Center. Finally, a
link to subscribe to the events newsletter will retain visitors' interest.
40
Website
One resource to add to the
header of the website would
be a list of "50 Things to Do
in Beaufort County." The
page highlights the diverse
attractions of the county.
A complete list is located in
Appendix C.
41
Packaging Beaufort County's Assets
Beaufort County is most poised to promote river-based ecotourism. However, Cross Sectional
Collaborative has also cited multiple agrotourism and cultural tourism attractions that accommodate
both hard and soft tourists, those who enjoy recreation and leisure, respectively. Just as much, the
county must distinguish each type of asset package. Every marketing campaign has a target audience,
and while the county and region can be marketed as a whole, each recreational activity entails a specific
target audience.
Dining
Living
Shopping
Leisure
42
Rebranding Beaufort County
Beaufort County can benefit from a partnership with a regional ecotourism group in creating
a marketing initiative and website. As previously mentioned, Ashe County succesfully
collaborated with the National Committee for the New River to create the initiative, High
County of North Carolina.
By marketing a shared common asset in ecotourism at the county and regional levels,
Beaufort County can draw business to each municipality. A current initiative to partner with
is NC Land over Water (NC LOW). There is also opportunity to rebrand Beaufort County as
"the heart of the Inner Banks", or as "IBX".
43
Small Business Development Plan
Another potential responsibility for the Beaufort County Tourism Commission is the small business
development plan. The Beaufort County Tourism Commission can partner with Beaufort County
Community College, The Mideast Commission, the Committee of 100 and other valuable business
partners to help recruit and train potential entrepreneurs. Further, well-established business leaders in
the community can serve as mentors to aspiring entrepreneurs. A small business development plan
ensures Beaufort County river-based entrepreneurs do not face a similar fate to the entrepreneurs along
the Roanoke River, who were unable to sustain business along the river (for more information please
see page 26). Sustainable tourism industry along the Pamlico and Tar Rivers ensures a thriving
tourism-based economic for Beaufort County.
44
45
Education: Primary and Professional
In order to ensure the success of all future tourism endeavors, The Beaufort County Tourism Commission
should place an emphasis on education: both in area schools and as a professional development endeavor.
First, Beaufort County Tourism Commission should partner with local educational institutes, like the
Estuarium and the Pamlico Tar River Foundation to educate area students about the importance of the
river. Educating students will encourage them to stay in the area and excite them to pursue fields related to
tourism and ecological development along the rivers. Second, the tourism commission can partner with
local colleges to provide professional education. The professional education will not only help potential
entrepreneurs with essential skills to run businesses, but also train area individuals about the importance of
the area ecology as an economic resource. Empowering area residents with information regarding the river
and its economic potential will excite residents to want to share their valuable resources with tourists.
46
Connecting to Regional Groups
(Above) Logo for Pitt County, a potential partner with Beaufort County
(Above) Logo for Pamlico Tar River Foundation
Beaufort County can benefit from connecting to regional tourism groups similar to the way SETTA and
the LTCC were able to join area counties to promote regional assets. Connecting to regional groups will
allow Beaufort County to form relationships with surrounding counties to promote shared resources.
Beaufort County already has strong ties to Pitt County because the two counties share the Pamlico and
Tar Rivers. However, Beaufort County shares water and land resources with Hyde County and Pamlico
County as well. Further, Beaufort County would benefit from sharing strategies with its surrounding
areas to collectively attract a larger number of tourists.
47
Potential Regional Partners
Above is a chart identifying several organizations Beaufort County can consider partnering with in order to
maximize tourism in the area. While many of these partners hold existing ties to Beaufort County it should
be an important goal of the county to maintain and foster strong relationships with the mentioned groups.
It is also important to note that this list is not exhaustive. There may be other organizations not listed
which we have not discovered that warrant similar attention from Beaufort County.
48
National Water Trails System
(Above) Logo for National Water Trails System
The National Water Trails System brings together new and existing water trails into a national network of
bodies of water across the country. In order to apply for the National Water Trails System, the
“management entity” of the body of water submits a formal application. A “management entity” can range
from a non-profit to a governmental organization. Criteria for the National Water Trails system include
openness for public use while ensuring the waterway stays well maintained and follows property and
environmental law. Further criteria include the promotion of recreation, education, conservation,
community involvement and creating extensive plans to maintain and promote the waterway. The main
benefit of pursuing certification as a National Water Trails is that Beaufort County leadership and
community partners can obtain guidance and further best practices from existing and well-established
Water Trails Systems from around the United States, as well as gain marketing benefits.
49
Appendices
In the appendices you will
find supplemental
documents essential to
fully understanding the
comprehensive asset
identification and policy
recommendations offered
by Cross Collaborative
Consulting, as part of a
UNC Senior Public Policy
Capstone project.
Appendix A: Mapping and
Assets
Detailed listing of identified assets within the
county
Appendix B: Criteria for Best
Practices and Summaries
Explanation of the criteria for best practices and
detailed summaries of identified areas
Appendix C: Policy
Recommendations
Implementation guidelines for expanding
economic development through ecotourism in the
county
50
Appendix A: List of Assets
51
Appendix B: Examples
for Beaufort County
Descriptions of six river-based ecotourism organizations in the southeast with similar
assets and structures to Beaufort County.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Page i
Page ii
Page v
Page viii
Page xi
Page xiv
Introduction and Criteria for Beaufort County Examples
Example 1: Suwannee River Wilderness Trail
Example 2: Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain
Example 3: Louisiana Tourism Coastal Coalition
Example 4: Roanoke River Partners
Example 5: National Committee for the New River and Ashe
County
Page xvi Example 6: Southeast Tennessee Tourism Commission
Page xviii Resources Consulted
56
Appendix C: Recommendations
for Beaufort County
Implementation guidelines for expanding economic development through ecotourism in
Beaufort County:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Page i
Page ii
Page iv
Page viii
Page x
Page xi
Page xii
Page xiv
Introduction to Policy Recommendations for Beaufort County
Recommendation 1: Create Countywide Tourism Commission
Recommendation 2: Develop Comprehensive Marketing Strategies
50 Things to do in Beaufort County
Recommendation 3: Create Small-Business Development Plan
Recommendation 4: Educate Public
Recommendation 5: Connect to Regional Tourism Groups
Recommendation 6: Pursue Membership in National Water Trails
System
Page xv Resources Consulted
75
Appendix A: List of Assets
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
Name
Pitt County Airport
Gingerbread Bakery
Belhaven Water Street Bed and Breakfast
Bellport Inn Bed and Breakfast
Bizzie Lizzie's Bed and Breakfast
Thomasina's B&B
Pamlico House B&B
The Moss House B&B
Stewart Parkway Riverwalk and Boardwalk (NC Esturarium)
Pocosin Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Sailing Vessel, Jeanie B
Washington Waterfront
East Carolina Scout Reservation
Peach Tree Campground
Riverside Campgrounds
Pungo Campground
Tranter's Creek Resort and Campground
Bourne Tent Campsite (Dunbar Vicinity)
Panola Platform (Tarboro Vicinity)
Cypress Hideaway Platform (Washington Vicinity)
River Park North
Gas
Cypress Landing Golf Club
Bath Historic Site
Raised in a Barn Farm
Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge
Alligator Lake
Swan Quarter Wildlife Refuge
The Inn on Bath Creek
Comfort Inn
Days Inn
Hampton Inn
Quality Inn
Sunset Inn of Washington
Pungo Lake
Creekside
Creekside Lodging and Rentals
Fountain Lodge
Econo Lodge North
River Forest Manor Marina
Category
Transportation
Food
Lodging
Lodging
Lodging
Lodging
Lodging
Lodging
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Transportation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Lodging
Lodging
Lodging
Lodging
Lodging
Lodging
Recreation
Lodging
Lodging
Lodging
Lodging
Transportation
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
Name
Bath Harbor Marina and Motel
Washington Motel
Pantego Academy Museum
Aurora Fossil Museum
North Carolina Estuarium
Belhaven Memorial Museum
Bailey Creek Option
Herring Run Road Access
Cotton Patch Landing Access
Mouth of the Creek Road Access
Core Point Access Road
Crystal Beach Access
Clarks Neck Road Access
Goose Creek State Park
Town Common (Greenville)
South Tar River Greenway
Farm Boys and Front Porch
Fish Hooks Cafe
Georgie's Sport and Oyster Bar
The Tavern at Jack's Neck
Spoon River Restaurant
Wayside Restaurant
Lyle and Shirley's Seafood
Blackbeard's Slices and Ices
Old Town Country Kitchen
Andy's
Hardee's
Panda Kitchen
Spoon River Artworks Market and Cafe
The Tavern at Jack's Neck
Vinny's Pizza and Subs
Andy's
Burger King
Cafe Duo
Fox's Pizza Den
Hardee's
Hardee's
Farmers Grill
Akai Japan
Arby's
Backwater Jack's Tiki Bar and Grill
Bill's Hot Dogs
Backbeard's Restaruant
Bojangles
Category
Recreation
Lodging
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Other
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
Name
Boss Hog's Backyard
Brownie Bakery
Burger King
Dairy Palace
Domino's Pizza
Down on Mainstreet
East Coast Wings and Grill
El Tapatio
Fiesta Grill
Frank's Pizza and Italian Restaurant
Golden Corral
Grub Brothers Eatery
Hardee's
Jersey Mike's Subs
KFC
King Chicken Drive-In Restaurant
La Bella Pizzeria
Main Street Scoops
Marabella Italian Restaurant
McDonald's
Mecca Grill
No.1 Chinese Restaurant
On the Waterfront
Pam's Diner
Papa John's Pizza
Pizza Hut
Pizza Inn
Plantation Cafe and Catering
Speedy Wok 2
Taco Bell
The Bank Bistro and Bar
The Blue Door Cafe
The Meeting Place Cafe and Catering
Hog Heaven
Mazatlan Mexican Restaurant
Mayflower Seafood
Coffee Caboose
Kugler Field
Apolloâ€™s Steakhouse
Wendy's
Inner Banks Artisans Center
Pettigrew State Park
Chocowinity Tarheel Theater
Bayview Ferry to Aurora
Category
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Transportation
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
Name
Bayview Ferry Bath
Lee Creek Airport
Aurora River Front
Twin Lakes Camping Resort
Whichard's Beach
Washington Yacht & Country CLub
McCotter's Marina
Category
Transportation
Transportation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
i
Best Practices
In order to inform the original question of whether ecotourism is feasible in the
region and whether the initiative will yield economic benefits, we felt it necessary to
research similar ventures from around the country to determine what worked, what
didn’t work and what strategies could be easily implemented in Beaufort County. To
do this, we researched several nationally acclaimed tourism agencies such as The
International Ecotourism Society and The Nature Conservancy in an attempt to
identify common characteristics of successful ecotourism practices. From this we
selected five criteria that would allow us to evaluate each best practice case study and
obtain information that would be the most constructive for Beaufort County. The
criteria are as follows:
•Organizational Structure- How do area tourism, environmental,
governmental and business leaders divide responsibility for the community?
•Economic Sustainability- How does the area ensure their projects
continue for years to come by providing jobs and industry to their
community?
•Funding- How are the ecotourism projects financially supported?
•Community Outreach- What is the connection the ecotourism projects
have to their communities?
•Policy Innovations- What unique and relevant lessons can Beaufort
County learn from each best practice area?
Identifying these criteria enabled us to then begin exploring similar initiatives from
around the country. We relied heavily on organizations like American Trails and the
National Park Service to locate potential areas for study, but also received
recommendations through our interviews and discussions with local stakeholders.
Acknowledging the value of a geographically similar yet diverse sample of case
studies, we were able to locate six areas with a variety of ecotourism practices from
around the southeastern United States. A summary and overview of each of the
areas we selected are in the following pages.
ii
Suwannee River Wilderness Trail – Lake City, FL
The Suwannee River Wilderness Trail was founded more than 20 years ago as a
unique natural resource and an opportunity to provide green options for economic
development initiatives in this largely undeveloped region of Florida. The project’s
goal is to bring economic benefits to the communities lining the river by promoting
recreational access to public lands, increasing sustainable economic opportunities
and better coordinating land management initiatives between state and local
projects. The project has been built and supported by partnerships between local
and state agencies, including the Florida Department of Environmental Protection,
the Florida Park Service, the Suwannee River Management District, and Florida’s
tourism development agency.
The river currently boasts several regional hubs that provide lodging options and
support day use activities, as well as seven riverside campsites that will encourage
multi-day river hiking, biking and paddling outings. Leaders of the trail initiative are
currently exploring opportunities to advance private entrepreneurial participation
along the river in an attempt to improve supportive infrastructure for nature-based
tourism to the region. Local leaders are in touch with local tourism commissions and
chambers of commerce to help promote private amenities such as guide services,
outfitters, and dining options that would support the growing ecotourism industry.
I.
Development and Funding
The Suwannee River Wilderness Trail was founded as a cooperative effort by the
Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the Suwannee River Water
Management District (SRWMD) and the counties, cities, businesses and citizens of
the Suwannee River basin with the goal of providing eco-friendly alternatives to
rising economic challenges in this rural area of North Florida. The realization of the
region’s goals came about in 2001 when the Florida state government and its
Department of Environmental Protection supported a proposal that would provide
$5 million in funding over 5 years, making the construction of the trail possible. The
trail now spans over 130 miles through eight counties along the Suwannee River,
connecting recreation areas, museums, historical sites and other nature and heritage
attractions in neighboring communities. The Suwannee River Valley Marketing
Association has come about as the primary means for organizing and promoting the
various interests throughout the Suwannee River Valley.
II.
Current Practices and Organizational Structure
The Suwannee River Valley relies on the strength of the partnerships between a
number of stakeholder organizations in order to manage and market the attractions
along the Suwannee River and the surrounding communities. County tourism
commissions and advisory boards play an especially critical role in the development
and marketing of the Suwannee River Valley. Columbus County, for instance, is one
of the leading counties along the river in terms of tourism and has created a tourism
development council in addition to their county tourism commission. The
development council is made up of 9 members, of whom at least 2 must be county
iii
commissioners, and serves to represent both public and private interest in the
development of tourism along the Suwannee River. The council meets on a monthly
basis to receive input on ongoing projects so they can better tailor these projects to
meet the needs of the community. There is even a monthly newsletter published in
local papers informing the public on any tourism developments. Most of these
tourism commissions and advocacy boards act as branches of local governments and
receive governmental funding as well as revenue from occupancy taxes. Each of the
tourism advocacy organizations along the Suwannee River work closely together to
coordinate the development and promotion of the Suwannee River Valley.
III.
Marketing
As previously mentioned, the Suwannee River Valley Marketing Group is the main
proponent of tourism initiatives in the region. The group represents the marketing
interests of Columbus County as well as two neighboring counties and works closely
with each county’s tourism commission and advisory councils. The group’s main
objective is to market existing tourism assets in the river valley and attract visitors
from all over the United States. One key aspect of the group’s marketing success is
the formation of a yearly visitor’s guide for the region. The guide highlights the
area’s main attractions and amenities and is distributed nation-wide at a variety of
trade shows, outdoor expos and industry meetings. The group also organizes
workshops where employees of hotels and other tourism related businesses can come
and learn more about the regional attractions in an effort to better educate visitors
about things to see and do while visiting. The group receives financial and
organizational support from the statewide tourism agency Visit Florida and is often a
recipient of its grants.
IV.
Economic Impact and Sustainability
The economic environment of the Suwannee River Valley has been steadily
improving over the past few years, largely in part to the growing tourism industry.
Each county’s chamber of commerce and tourism commission has made it their goal
to market themselves as an attractive destination for tourism related businesses.
Recently created projects such as the Southside Sports Complex, a multi-field
outdoor sports venue for soccer and baseball competitions, have added to the
economic diversity of the region’s tourism industry. The growth of nature-based
recreational activities along the Suwannee River Valley has also brought a number of
new businesses and industries to the region. The success of the Suwannee River
Wilderness Trail has especially influenced the decisions of guide services and
outfitters to expand throughout the river valley.
However, the key to the region’s recent success may lie in the mentality of the
community and its leaders. The community’s openness to any and all types of
attractions and to providing the necessary infrastructure to support it has led to the
development of a variety of attractions in the area. The Southside Sports Complex
and The Oaks Equestrian Center are two recent additions that draw significant
numbers of visitors and compliment the natural focus of the Suwannee River Valley.
This approach has even drawn increased corporate hotel and restaurant interest,
further diversifying the region’s economy and helping drive sustainable tourism
practices.
iv
V.
Recommendations
There are a number of things that Beaufort County can adapt and learn the
Suwannee River Trail. First, Beaufort County could form a county-wide tourism
commission or advisory board. Communities along the Suwannee River rely heavily
on their respective tourism commissions to represent the interests of both public and
private stakeholders in the Suwannee River Valley. Tourism commissions and
advisory boards give the public a point of contact for tourism related matters and
may be able to bring together the various tourism ventures and supportive services in
Beaufort County. Next, Beaufort County might benefit from adopting small business
development programs similar to those along the Suwannee River. For instance, the
Columbus County (Florida) Chamber of Commerce connects small business owners
with complementary businesses in order to better tailor their services to the public’s
needs. These businesses also work together to promote each other’s products and
services, as well as educate their employees on active marketing techniques. Similar
efforts in Beaufort County could result in a stronger economic environment and
increased community support for tourism ventures.
For further information:
http://www.americantrails.org/resources/greenways/suwanneewild.html
http://www.floridastateparks.org/wilderness/default.cfm
http://suwanneerivervalley.webs.com/
v
Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain – Biloxi, MS
The Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain (LTMCP) was founded in 2000 as a
non-profit organization charged with managing and maintaining acquired lands
along the coast of Mississippi for the purpose of conservation. The LTMCP is an
accredited land trust, meaning the properties obtained through the organization have
undergone extensive external review and are designated as permanent conservation
sites. The LTMCP specifically targets environmental or culturally significant lands
in the six counties in the Coastal Plain of Mississippi. Aside from their efforts to
monitor and conserve the lands entrusted to them, the LTMCP also encourages
public recreation and enjoyment of their properties. This approach has led to the
development of several walking and paddle trails meant to show off the natural
beauty and wildlife present in the Mississippi Coastal Plain. The LTMCP also
provides trail maps, teacher resources and links to other regional conservation
efforts on their website as a way to teach others about the cultural and environmental
significance of these lands and encourage further conservation.
I.
The Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain came about in 2000 primarily in
response to concerns over the sustainability of coastal Mississippi’s natural resources
and the management of regional watersheds. Early in the planning process, local
leaders called on the community for help in creating a vision for the future of coastal
Mississippi’s waters. Citizens responded by advocating not only for the protection
and conservation of these assets but also voiced a desire to increase public access.
Residents had long been aware of the vast natural assets in the region but saw few
opportunities to get out and enjoy these resources. As a result, residents teamed up
with local business leaders, chambers of commerce, and the state’s Department of
Marine Resources as well as several other Mississippi state agencies to explore their
options.
Out of these discussions came the inspiration for the LTMCP, a nonprofit
organization aimed at conserving and protecting ecologically significant lands while
endorsing recreational access. Soon after its establishment the LTMCP was awarded
a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), enabling the
organization to begin watershed implementation projects needed to restore and
sustain the unique ecology of the surrounding wetlands. Up to this day, the LTMCP
still relies heavily on community input and contributions in order to manage their
properties in the most beneficial way possible. Community participation has been a
strong component in the development of eco-friendly activities along these
waterways.
II.
As a nonprofit organization with no consistent form of financial assistance, the
LTMCP relies heavily on donations, volunteerism and a variety of grants and
governmental assistance. Consequently, one of the most critical aspects to the
LTMCP’s success may be their reliance on community partnerships to build the
vision for the future of acquired lands. One of the main functions of the LTMCP is to
provide technical assistance to partnership organizations in the form of organizing
community input meetings, posing recommendations and seeking sources of funding
to name a few. Partnership opportunities are selected based on their ecological and
vi
cultural significance along with a demonstrated need for protection and
conservation. After identifying potential sites and ensuring the public’s commitment
to protecting these lands, the LTMCP assists community stakeholders in the
planning and implementation of the public’s ideas.
The LTMCP’s primary way of acquiring land within these partnerships is through
donations in the form of tax deductible conservation easements. These easements
allow private landowners to entrust the LTMCP with the right to manage and
maintain some or all of their property for the purpose of conservation and
environmental sustainability. Conservation easements are extremely flexible and the
extent to which the managing organization controls the land is often defined in the
easement. Many of the lands entrusted to the LTMCP also allow for public access,
giving members of the community the opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty of the
coastal plains.
The LTMCP’s Old Fort Bayou Blueway is one example of the LTMCP’s partnership
with public and private community stakeholders as well as municipal governments.
As a result of the public’s growing interest in enhancing public access to natural
areas, the city of Ocean Springs, MS partnered with the LTMCP, the Ocean Springs
Chamber of Commerce and other interest groups to construct a blueway along a 13
mile stretch of the Old Fort Bayou. The blueway was designed to connect several
culturally and ecologically significant lands along the water as well as generate traffic
to a number of existing businesses. The groups hired the firm Christian Preus
Landscape Architecture to assist in the mapping and rendering of the blueway in
order to highlight points of interest along the trail, mile markers and access points
for paddlers. The LTMCP and the city of Ocean Springs now have a marketable
model for ecotourism that promotes quality of life amenities and encourages outdoor
recreation.
III.
Marketing
The main focus of the LTMCP is land restoration and conservation. As a result, they
have no specific marketing initiatives within their organization and much of the
exposure their projects receive comes from the efforts of county tourism
commissions and the LTMCP website. The LTMCP’s website is quite inclusive,
however, and provides visitors with information on local trails and other recreational
areas, educational resources, maps of land restoration projects and their
partnerships. The website also outlines the progress of ongoing projects and ways
the public can get involved. County tourism commissions are responsible for
marketing all of the relevant attractions within each county, including recreational
opportunities made possible by the LTMCP. This model drives enough interest in
outdoor recreation to make LTMCP properties a family-friendly alternative to
casinos and other adult-oriented activities that draw many of the visitors to the
region.
vii
IV.
The environmental focus of the LTMCP may limit the economic impact of their
projects but could also help sustain these resources for years to come. The LTMCP
recognizes its economic limitations and often formulates its proposals with the intent
of aiding the economies of the local community. The Old Fort Bayou Blueway, for
instance, links several restaurants, boat ramps and historical sites along the
waterway and has since increased revenue for these private ventures. The Blueway
also features a hotel with water access at one endpoint of the trail, further promoting
the bayou as a multi-day destination. With the help of the state of Mississippi, the
LTMCP hopes to connect additional Blueways to existing ones and promote them as
a regional attraction complete with paddling competitions or even a festival. The
LTMCP’s awareness of the need for economically sustainable development should
continue to draw additional business opportunities to the region.
V.
Recommendations
There are several aspects of LTMCP’s organizational and marketing tactics that could
be successfully implemented in Beaufort County to their significant benefit. To start,
the LTMCP does an excellent job of educating the public and stimulating interest in
the region’s natural resources and conservation efforts. The LTMCP uses education
as a means to drive enthusiasm for their efforts as well as cater their projects
specifically to the needs of the community. By simply educating residents about the
benefits of conservation and environmentally friendly activities, Beaufort County
could build local support for an ecotourism industry and foster a sense of pride in the
county’s natural beauty.
Another beneficial aspect of the LTMCP’s success is the support they provide to local
organizations pursuing ecotourism or conservation projects along the Mississippi
Coast. The LTMCP primarily provides assistance in the form of organizational advice
and potential sources of funding, such as grants or professional guidance from more
knowledgeable organizations. In Beaufort County, organizations like the Pamlico
Tar River Federation or a more regional initiative like the Mid East Commission may
be able to expand their role to include supportive services like those of the LTMCP.
Educating citizens and providing supportive resources to community organizations
would likely accelerate the growth of ecotourism across Beaufort County.
For further information:
http://www.ltmcp.org/
viii
Louisiana Tourism Coastal Coalition/Visit Louisiana Coast Metairie, LA
The Louisiana Tourism Coastal Coalition (LTCC) is a non-profit, regional marketing
organization that represents the interests of ten parishes along the Louisiana
Coast. The LTCC advocates for the development of coastal communities and
protection of fragile wetlands, as well as promotes natural, cultural and outdoor
recreational experiences along the Louisiana Coast. Through the coalition’s website,
visitors can access information about regional attractions like fishing, camping,
paddling and wildlife just to name a few.
The coalition has also partnered with a New Orleans based group called
Travel1Green which advocates for sustainable tourism across coastal
Louisiana. Travel1Green is affiliated with several ecotourism initiatives, most
notably Sustainable Travel International, and endorses projects that adhere to widely
accepted standards of ecotourism. Travel1Green has even developed a
comprehensive guide to ecotourism along the coast of Louisiana, complete with trail
maps, GPS coordinates of popular attractions and contact information for
community specific amenities. Both Travel1Green and the LTCC coordinate with
regional academic resources in order to obtain funding for ecotourism projects and
better advance sustainable development across the region. The Louisiana State
University AgCenter and the Center for Cultural and Ecotourism at the University of
Louisiana Lafayette are two excellent resources these organizations have utilized for
information on sustainable tourism practices and potential financing options.
I.
The LTCC was established in 2010 in response to increased environmental concerns
after the BP Oil spill as well as a desire to mitigate the economic impact this disaster
imposed on Louisiana’s tourism industry. The LTCC was created as a regional
marketing organization to represent the interests of ten communities along the
Louisiana Coast and advocates on behalf of these communities to develop a cohesive
strategy for hurricane recovery. The LTCC got their initial funding through a BP
Mitigation Grant in the form of $5 million and has since received an additional $5
million in funding through the Louisiana Office of Tourism. Although these grants
are rather large, much of the money was quickly spent on TV and radio advertising
intended to help revitalize the tourism industry in the months after the BP oil spill.
Aside from these initial grants, the LTCC has no source of additional funding and
relies on resources such as the LSU AgCenter and the UL-Lafayette Center for
Cultural and Eco-Tourism for administrative support and guidance.
II.
Although the LTCC is a fledgling nonprofit organization in only its third year of
operation, the current goals and structure of the organization are well defined. The
LTCC maintains a 10 person advisory board composed of tourism and economic
development professionals from each parish. This board meets regularly to present
their community’s perspective on tourism ventures and advises the LTCC on what
actions to take. The LTCC also employs an executive director in charge of managing
day to day operations and carrying out these recommendations. The cooperation
between parishes and the unification of their goals has served as a successful
foundation for marketing Coastal Louisiana tourism ventures. Having
ix
representation from every parish ensures that everyone’s voice is heard and fosters a
mutually beneficial environment for the growth of coastal tourism in Louisiana.
III.
Marketing
The LTCC is first and foremost a destination marketing organization for the
Louisiana Coast. The LTCC’s initial marketing efforts spanned a wide range of media
outlets, spending roughly $3.5 million on print and internet advertising alone.
However, after the initial advertising surge in the months after the oil spill, the LTCC
has since focused on marketing the Louisiana coast through their website and
brochures. The LTCC’s website brings together all aspects of tourism; restaurants,
lodging, and destinations are all included as well as a specific page dedicated to
ecotourism. One of the LTCC’s main interests is promoting sustainable development
along the coast in conjunction with their efforts to protect fragile wetlands and still
give visitors access to unique outdoor recreational experiences. Both the LTCC’s
website and their visitor’s guides encourage environmentally friendly activities such
as fishing, paddling, hiking and bird watching to name a few. Each of these
resources connects visitors with information about local activities and
accommodations that help drive the economic recovery along the Gulf Coast.
IV.
The economic impacts of the LTCC’s efforts are difficult to gauge due to the
circumstances surrounding the formation of the organization. The 2010 BP oil spill
nearly crippled the economies of communities along the Gulf Coast and have forced
local leaders into a mode of recovery ever since. However with a rich cultural
heritage and an abundance of water, the LTCC promotes a number of sustainable
activities that will preserve the environment and stimulate the economy for years to
come. For example, hunting and fishing are two of the biggest industries in
Louisiana and draw an estimated $1.5 billion in state revenue every year. Additional
opportunities to take advantage of outdoor recreation, such as paddling and bird
watching, are popping up along the coast as well as their supportive businesses such
as outfitters and guide services. Cultural opportunities have also remained popular,
particularly in the form of restaurants and eateries offering low country cuisine.
These restaurants rely heavily on the commercial fishing industry off Louisiana’s
coast and maintain a mutually beneficial relationship that is critical to the
revitalization of Louisiana’s coast. These industries, as well as the supportive
infrastructure that come with it, will help tourism blossom in these coastal counties
for years to come.
V.
Recommendations
The Louisiana Tourism Coastal Coalition offers a lot in terms of marketing strategies
and organizational structure that could be useful to Beaufort County. Very much like
the Suwannee River case study, the LTCC utilizes an advisory board and tourism
commissions for input and feedback on tourism plans. The LTCC’s advisory board
consists of at least one member from each parish and could be replicated in Beaufort
County, potentially by assembling a board with representatives from each
municipality or district. Visit Louisiana Coast also creates an all inclusive visitor’s
guide that is distributed through local tourism commissions and their website.
Assuming there will be a county or regional group to organize and promote such a
document, Beaufort County and their neighbors could combine their tourism assets
x
into one pamphlet and market the region collectively. Potential branding
opportunities could be made through organizations like the Mid East Commission or
as a wider initiative like the “Inner Banks” or IBX concept. These approaches to
tourism management and marketing could go a long way to branding Beaufort
County as a sustainable and attractive tourism destination.
For more information:
http://www.visitlouisianacoast.com/
http://www.visitlouisianacoast.com/sites/default/files/LTCC_Media_KitDo
wnload.pdf
xi
Roanoke River Partners- 11 NC Communities along Roanoke
River
The Roanoke River covers 11 communities in eastern North Carolina: Bear Grass,
Halifax, Hamilton, Jamesville, Oak City, Plymouth, Roberson, Scotland Neck,
Weldon, Williamston and Windsor. The Roanoke River Partners was established in
1996 as a group of concerned business leaders, community leaders and elected
officials in the communities where the Roanoke River runs. These individuals
realized their communities, which had been greatly affected by an economic
downturn, needed a creative and empowering way to bring jobs back to the
area. These leaders realized that the Roanoke River was an important and valuable
economic resource, so they decided to form a partnership of business leaders,
government leaders and community leaders to promote economic development to
uplift the people of the area.
I.
The Roanoke River Partners came about as a response to an economic downturn in
1996 which left many people in the 11 member communities without jobs. The
leadership in the area- business leaders, government leaders and other community
leaders- joined together to combat the problem of a depressed local economy. They
chose to create a paddle trail along the Roanoke River because historically the
Roanoke River had provided the people of the area with recreational, travel and
industrial resources. The leadership of RRP decided to bank on the rich historical,
cultural and recreational value of the Roanoke River by creating unique paddle trails
and camping platforms, and providing education to tourists and residents.
RRP has been able to fund its initiative through several sources. Being that RRP is a
non-profit, they rely heavily on membership fees from area residents and supportive
tourists. Businesses in the communities where RRP works have been integral in
providing funding for initiatives as well. These businesses range in scope from
peanut distributors to art galleries and outfitters. Finally, RRP receives some
funding from grants. Recently RRP received a grant from Z. Smith Reynolds in order
to maintain their small staff, improve marketing ventures for the river and promote
educational experiences for individuals who call the communities of the Roanoke
River Partnership home.
II.
The leadership of RRP searched the United States for comparable areas that had
already developed strong economic development plans centered on water resources.
The leadership of RRP found a unique river-based tourism model in Southern
Florida, called the “chickee model.” “Chickees,” are large raised platforms for
camping. These wooden platforms are occasionally covered with a simple screen to
ward off bugs. The chickees are located either close to paddling trails or on paddling
trails so individuals who are taking longer canoeing or kayaking adventures can
camp on the river at night. RRP took the chickee model from Florida and brought it
back to Eastern North Carolina, which would later become their noted raised
platform paddling trails. Today, RRP boasts 28 camp sites which they
maintain. These platforms are not unlike the ones found in Beaufort County that are
currently being produced by the Pamlico Tar River Foundation.
xii
III.
Marketing
The Roanoke River Partners has also been quite influential in promoting local
businesses who make use of the Roanoke River. For example, the RRP website
currently advertises for several outfitters and paddling companies in the RRP
community. These RRP sponsored organizations are key to creating interest in the
area. In 2012, the Chicago Tribune visited the Roanoke River and utilized the
services offered by RRP and the local businesses marketed by RRP. This article is
found on the front page of the RRP website. It is a means of drawing people from
outside the Southeast to the Roanoke River.
IV.
While the RRP’s commitment to creating jobs along the river is being somewhat
fulfilled, RRP still faces significant roadblocks to realizing their goal of having a
significant and sustainable tourism industry along the Roanoke River. Carol Shields,
the current Executive Director of RRP, suggested that outfitters and guide services do
not last long on the Roanoke River because individuals see these employment
opportunities as means to other ends. For example, a family who has experienced
recent job loss may begin a guide service for tourists who wish to travel the Roanoke
River. However, once the family finds other employment opportunities, they sell off
the company or allow the company to fall to the wayside. This has been problematic
for the growth of industry along the Roanoke River because the tourism has not been
sustainable.
V.
Recommendations
Beaufort County can learn from the example of the Roanoke River Partners. The
circumstances which led to the creation of RRP are quite similar to the present
situation of high unemployment faced in Beaufort County. The creation of a
partnership between Beaufort County leadership, business leaders and other
community members will be invaluable for identifying the existing assets in Beaufort
County and neighboring areas, expanding tourism-related industries in the county
and marketing tourism.
Another example Beaufort County has already begun to draw from RRP is the raised
camping platforms along the river. The Pamlico Tar River Foundation has been a
trendsetter for ecotourism development in Beaufort County. PTRF has an existing
network of paddling trails and camping platforms along these trails. PTRF needs the
infrastructure and support from the Beaufort County leadership and the community
as a whole to maintain these paddling trails and to expand upon the existing
platform network.
Beaufort County can also learn from the limitations of the business structure found
along the Roanoke River. As previously stated, many businesses involved with
promoting the Roanoke River did not survive because these industries were not
viewed as ends, but as means to obtain other work. In order to avoid a similar fate,
Beaufort County and its economic development leaders should focus on providing
adequate job training for ecotourism fields such as guide services and
boating. Further, through the use of grants and other forms of revenue, Beaufort
xiii
County could provide small business grants to support existing and incoming
businesses. This infusion could help to provide individuals with a greater sense of
responsibility and connection to their industry.
Finally, the Executive Director of RRP stated that she would like to see more
education for individuals in the area. She would love to see more children on the
river. She would love for adults to be more aware of the river’s assets. Beaufort
County could benefit from setting similar goals and pursuing these goals through
community outreach programs centered on the river. In partnership, PTRF, the
Estuarium and local area community colleges and schools can play an integral role in
educating residents on the importance of the river assets from an ecological,
economic and recreational standpoint.
For More Information:
http://www.roanokeriverpartners.org/
xiv
National Committee for the New River- West Jefferson, NC
The National Committee for the New River is an organization founded in 1974 to
block the construction of two dams that would have completely altered the economic,
agricultural and ecological structure of the New River. The NCNR expanded its
principles to include advocacy, protection and land restoration as it relates to the
New River. While the NCNR is primarily an environmental advocacy group, the
leadership of the organization is deeply tied to the surrounding community’s
growth. Therefore, NCNR has a strong commitment to supporting the development
of ecotourism efforts in the area it serves.
I.
NCNR serves the geographic region of the New River which runs through North
Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. “The New,” as many individuals in the region
call it, is an important agricultural, economic, and environmental resource for
individuals who call its banks home. NCNR combines protection, restoration and
advocacy for the New River. NCNR is involved with advocacy projects similar to its
initial advocacy project such as ensuring factories along the New River are polluting
as little as possible. It also performs regular cleanups of the New River in order to
promote protection and restoration. Another important restoration project
undertaken by NCNR is a combined restoration project along the New River’s banks
in Boone, NC. They are restoring the banks that have been damaged over time and
providing some recreational spaces for individuals who live and play in the
area. NCNR is undertaking this project in cooperation with the Army Corps of
Engineers. NCNR plays a similar role for the geographic region of the New River that
the Pamlico Tar River Foundation plays for Beaufort County. Like NCNR, PTRF
gives a strong focus to protecting and promoting the river as an important
environmental resource.
II.
Interestingly, as it relates to NCNR, the principles of restoration, protection and
advocacy do not give a primary, or even tertiary, focus to ecotourism. However, this
does not mean ecotourism is not an important part of the geographic region NCNR
serves. According to Carol Coulter (Director of Operations) and George Santucci
(Executive Director), NCNR plays a supportive role in the economic development of
the counties it serves. One county which is similar to Beaufort County is Ashe
County, North Carolina. While Ashe County lies in the heart of the western North
Carolina mountains, river-based tourism now provides a major asset in the
county. Before river-based tourism had a large presence in the area, manufacturing
provided the most jobs to residents. Now, it is estimated that river-based tourism
produces the second largest stream of revenue for Ashe County, second only to
agriculture. With the latest economic downturn, Ashe County lost many
manufacturing jobs. However, individuals who had lost their jobs were able to find
new ones when the new industry, tourism – especially as it relates to river-based
ecotourism – came to the area. Ashe County now boasts two outfitters and several
paddling companies who rent canoes and kayaks. Further, river-based tourism
provides more tourism revenue for the county than the county’s other draw: the Blue
Ridge Parkway.
xv
III.
Marketing
Because tourism is such an important economic driver to Ashe County, the county
has coordinated with other counties in the area to form the High Country Host. This
organization provides marketing circulars to the region’s hotels, maintains a
thorough website with events and local draws, and shares tourism funds for
marketing purposes through occupancy taxes.
Ashe County was able to jump-start its development as a tourism hub through the
collection of occupancy taxes and the infusion of grants. Ashe County used its
unique status as a small, rural town with a strong agricultural history to apply for
grants specific to small town and rural economic development as well as mountainbased economic development. Grants applications submitted by Ashe County were
as specific as funds for an audio tour of the patchwork farm houses in its country
side, or rehabilitation of its streets in order to add lamp posts and get rid of hanging
electrical wires to improve the aesthetic beauty of its small towns. These small
changes not only empowered the community to support tourism in the area, but also
helped to draw larger hoteliers and retailers to the area.
IV.
Recommendations
From the example presented by the National Committee for the New River, several
recommendations can be made for Beaufort County. One, Beaufort County could
form a similarly strong relationship between PTRF and Beaufort County Commission
leadership. For example, NCNR has a spot on the Ashe County County Commission
and provides an environmental stance on economic development proposals.
Another recommendation Beaufort County could pull from the rural development
experienced in Ashe County is pursuing relationships with adjacent counties who
share the same goal of promoting ecotourism. Such examples include, but are not
limited to, reestablishing the “Inner Banks” (IBX) initiative, creating a partnership
with Pitt County to develop tourism along the Pamlico River, exploring similar
partnerships with other adjacent counties such as Hyde and Tyrrell counties to the
east and north, and expanding its roles within the Northeast North Carolina
Commission.
The final recommendation from Ashe County is funding. Ashe County was able to
fund many of its marketing ventures through occupancy taxes. Another source of
funding for Ashe County has been specific grants to improve the aesthetic nature of
the county or to provide unique experiences to individuals who visit the area. These
small changes bolstered the community’s support of the changing industry and
helped draw investors and tourists to the area. Beaufort County can apply for
similarly specific one-time grants to provide unique educational experiences for
visitors or to revitalize some aspect of the riverfronts of its municipalities.
For More Information:
ncnr.org
http://www.ashechamber.com/
http://highcountryhost.com/
xvi
Southeast Tennessee Tourism Association- 10 Southeast
Tennessee Counties
Southeast Tennessee Tourism Association was founded as a means of coordinating
tourism efforts across county lines in the area. The local leadership in SETTA
realized they needed to market the rich historical, cultural, agricultural and
ecological resources found in the area. Geographically, southeast Tennessee is made
up of 10 counties and is located on the southern edge of Tennessee along the North
Carolina border and the Blue Ridge Mountains. This gives the region a rich and
varied landscape for local residents and tourists alike to enjoy.
I.
Marketing
As part of their comprehensive tourism initiatives SETTA has established several
innovative marketing strategies. For one, SETTA has a comprehensive and detailed
website which discusses all the important landmarks and attractions in the area (see
http://www.southeasttennessee.com/www). The website essentially plans trips for
individuals wishing to explore southeastern Tennessee. The website is broken down
by accommodations, shopping, attractions and outdoors. Accommodations give trip
planner the option of choosing to book with bed and breakfasts, cabin or cottages,
hotels or inns, or camping grounds for the more rugged explorer. Shopping gives
visitors the choice of looking for major malls to shop in (like the more
commercialized Northgate Mall) or to shop in more local antique shops around
southeast Tennessee. Attractions include the traditional tourist sites found
throughout the region ranging from historical landmarks to museums and wildlife
havens.
The most intriguing section of the website for the purposes of this study is the
Outdoors tab on the home page. This tab lists dozens of option for outdoor activities
including hiking, biking, camping, horseback riding, paddling and hunting. The
website also boasts a blog which is updated by three regular contributors. Another
innovative piece of SETTA’s structure is an interactive phone application visitors can
download onto their smartphones. This application guides smartphone owners on
tours around southeast Tennessee.
II.
An interesting ecotourism initiative southeast Tennessee was undertaking was
designating the Hiwassee River as a National Blueway. The 60 mile stretch of the
Hiwassee River that leaders are looking to designate is located near Reliance,
Tennessee and ends at Blythe Ferry. The river is a prime destination for fishing,
paddling, canoeing and kayaking. While the National Blueway Program was recently
disbanded, it has brought to light new programs with similar ecotourism benefits.
One such program is the National Water Trails System. The National Water Trails
System is a network of waterways throughout the United States noted for their
recreational contribution to their community. National Water Trail designation
means that the leadership responsible for a particular body of water is devoted to
promoting it as a recreational resource, community building resource, educational
resource while maintain the body of water. Further, the management entity of a
National Water Trails system is dedicated to ensuring the water way is
environmentally sound through protection and restoration measures.
xvii
III.
Recommendation
SETTA provides Beaufort County with a promising model to consider. For one,
SETTA is an establishment of 10 counties in southeastern Tennessee who work
together to promote tourism for the area. Beaufort County already has existing and
strong ties to Pitt County, the Northeastern North Carolina Commission and the
Mideast Commission. All these partnerships are important to growing tourism in
Beaufort County. For example Beaufort County shares potentially important water
recreational resources along county lines with Hyde County and Pitt County. These
connections can help Beaufort County strengthen relationships with these areas and
share resources for maintenance as well as marketing purposes.
SETTA also gives a great example for Beaufort County through its use of
marketing. The website used by SETTA is incredibly user friendly and gives visitors
all the options they may need to visit the area. Beaufort County can establish a
similar website to showcase to individuals visiting the area the varied ecotourism
assets they hold. For example, a website for Beaufort County could include maps and
resources specifically for individuals interested in a weekend paddling trip. This
resource could include outfitters who rent paddling equipment, access points for
paddling, as well as maps of paddle trails with points showing visitors where
paddling platforms exist and how they can rent them for the evening. SETTA’s
website also shows the importance of working in regional multi-county
partnerships. While an individual site can work well for Beaufort County, there will
be more revenue and resources created through the pooling of collective resources
across counties. Beaufort County could lead the way in establishing a cross-county
tourism initiative, similar to the Innerbanks (or IBX) marketing campaign.
The final recommendation Beaufort County can draw from SETTA is its innovative
use of technology. SETTA gives visitors the option of using their smartphone to tour
the area using a free mobile application. Beaufort County could apply for a grant
(similar to the one obtained by Ashe County) to hire a programmer to establish a
long-lasting and adaptable application for the area.
While the National Blueway system has recently been disbanded, it is still an
important consideration for Beaufort County to consider pursuing similar
certifications, such as the National Water Trail System, to promote visibility of area
resources.
For more information:
http://www.southeasttennessee.com/www
xviii
Resources Consulted
Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain (LTMCP)
http://www.ltmcp.org/
http://www.ltmcp.org/recreational-trails/jackson-county/old-fort-bayoublueway/ Information on the LTMCP and how it began, land restoration projects,
teacher resources and recreational activities.
Judy Steckler - Executive Director
(228) 435-9191
judyltmcp@aol.com
Suwannee River Wilderness Trail
http://www.floridastateparks.org/wilderness/
Information about the wilderness trail including a list of activities, maps,
reservations and regional hubs.
Trail Office
(386) 294-1120
http://suwanneerivervalley.webs.com/
Information about marketing practices and events taking place in the Suwannee
River Valley.
Columbia County Tourist Development Council
(386) 294-1120
Cody Gray - Administrative Assistant, Columbia County Tourist Development
(386) 758-1312
tdc@columbiacountyfla.com
Louisiana Tourism Coastal Coalition/Visit Louisiana Coast
http://www.visitlouisianacoast.com/
Information about the coalition, attractions along the Louisiana Coast, lodging,
dining and ecotourism.
http://www.visitlouisianacoast.com/sites/default/files/LTCC_Media_KitDownloa
d.pdf
A brief history of the coalition as well as it’s mission, and campaign information.
Elizabeth McDougall, Executive Director
(504) 982-6278
Roanoke River Partners
http://www.roanokeriverpartners.org/Default.aspx
http://www.roanokeriverpartners.org/maps/RRP-Map-4.jpg
Information on history the organization, how to get involved and how tourists can
plan a trip along the Roanoke River.
xix
Carol Shields-Executive director of the Roanoke River Partners
(252) 826-5719
director@roanokeriverpartners.org
National Committee for the New River and Ashe County
http://www.ncnr.org/
Information on the New River, history of the National Committee for the New River
and how to get involved with environmental projects along the New River.
George Santucci- Executive Director of National Committee for the New River
(866) 481-6267
george@ncnr.org
Carol Coulter- Director of Operations of National Committee for the New
River. Also, holds a seat on the Ashe County Chamber of Commerce Tourism
Commission
(336) 846-6267
carol@ncnr.org
http://www.ashechamber.com/
Provides information for travelers wishing to visit Ashe County like common
attractions and a calendar of events.
http://highcountryhost.com/
The multi-county Western North Carolina initiative provides general information
and travel guides for individuals wishing to explore the high country of Western
North Carolina.
http://www.southeasttennessee.com/www
The multi-county Southeastern Tennessee marketing initiative website provides
general information as well as extensive and targeted travel guides for individuals
wishing to explore Southeastern Tennessee
Jenni Frankenberg Veal- Tourism Coordinator for Southeast Tennessee Tourism
Association
(423) 424-4222
jveal@sedev.org
i
Policy Recommendations
We drew policy recommendations from interview discussions with leadership from best
practices sites. From our best practices sites, we developed the following
recommendations:






Marketing Strategies
Educating Public
Connecting to Regional Tourism Groups/ Stakeholders
Certification as National Water Trail System
These recommendations were drawn from practices, which worked well in the areas we
studied. In all of the areas we studied, we noted the importance of creating a tourism
commission within the county. A tourism commission for Beaufort County will serve as
a hub for all tourism initiatives for the county. Another recommendation noted from
each of the areas we studied was connecting to local groups. Connecting to local groups
is a means for the Beaufort County Tourism Commission to pool ideas and strategies for
economic development through tourism. Connecting to other organizations is
important because it emphasizes the importance of working with other organizations
with unique expertise, shared assets and similar resources. Further, it will allow
Beaufort County to share ideas, resources and skills with organizations varying from
Pamlico Tar River Foundation and Pitt County to the Mideast Commission.
These recommendations were also a result of what we learned about practices that did
not work well in the areas we studied. For example, two recommendations- Educating
the Public and Small Business Development Plan- were a result of discussions with
Roanoke River Partners. Along the Roanoke River, leaders in Roanoke River Partners
realized that businesses were not sustainable along the river. These two
recommendations are potential solutions to the sustainability problem Roanoke River
Partners is facing. Leaders were unsure if lack of sustainability was a result of a lack of
education among the general population or among small business entrepreneurs.
Further, leadership was unsure if young, school-aged employees who left after peak
season were the cause of a lack of sustainable business along the Roanoke River. The
recommendations of education and a small business development plan were evaluated
as a means of preventing Beaufort County from experiencing a similar problem.
Finally, recommendations were developed from a combination of discussions with
stakeholders in Beaufort County as well as strategies we learned from other areas. In
particular, marketing strategies were developed from a combination of suggestions from
best practices and discussion with stakeholders, such as leaders within Washington,
Belhaven, and Aurora. Strategies include a website, promoting packaged tourism
attractions and rebranding the region through multi-county organizations.
ii
County-wide Tourism Commission
One of the consistent lessons for Beaufort County from all the other best-practice
examples we found was the value of a county-wide tourism commission. A county-wide
tourism commission serves as an important hub for all future tourism initiatives within
the county and partnerships beyond the county.
For a county-wide tourism commission to be successful in Beaufort County, the makeup
of the membership will need to be considered. These members should include, but not
be limited to, leadership from each municipality, local business leaders, local non-profit
leadership and interested community members.
Looking to the example of Ashe County, the comprehensive membership of the
Chamber of Commerce Tourism Committee includes partners from local leadership,
local non-profits like the National Committee for the New River, and local business
owners. These groups work together to pursue tourism initiatives, such as grants and
comprehensive marketing campaigns. Each partner has a particular stake in tourism for
Ashe County. Local leaders want to build the economy through industry in Ashe
County. The business leaders want to draw tourists to Ashe County in order to expand
their businesses. And non-profit organizations, like the National Committee for the
New River, are seeking to promote the New River as an asset as well as ensuring the
river is protected for future use. Together these partners all have the same goal:
promoting their assets to bring individuals to the area. Other examples include the
partnership between the Louisiana Tourism Coastal Coalition and the counties the
coalition serves. LTCC utilizes a tourism commission for representation and feedback.
Beaufort County can benefit from a similar model in order to promote the goal of
drawing tourists to the area. Local leadership from Washington, Chocowinity,
Belhaven, Aurora, Bath and Pantego can present the assets in their individual areas as
well as promote the potential growth opportunities in their areas to promote job
creation through ecotourism related industries to the tourism commission. Local
business leaders related to ecotourism, such as restaurant owners, bed and breakfast
owners and outfitter owners can represent the needs of the business community as the
commission focusses on expanding tourism in the county. Finally, non-profits such as
the Pamlico Tar River Foundation and Partnership for the Sounds are important
stakeholders because they share goals of promoting the growth of businesses in the area
in ways that benefit from ecotourism while protecting the ecology of the Pamlico and
Tar Rivers and the sounds. Working together to develop an integrated county-wide and
regional strategy for ecotourism-based economic development, these stakeholders can
achieve far more than even Washington can on its own.
While the varied membership of the tourism commission may have the same goal of
drawing tourists to the area, it is important that the shared goals and responsibilities of
the tourism committee are outlined. First, some potential responsibilities the Beaufort
County Tourism Commission should consider include defining a statement of purpose,
implementing a comprehensive marketing strategy to attract tourists, providing small
iii
businesses with guidance, and seeking sources of revenue such as both seed-money
grants and more ongoing funding streams. A statement of purpose will solidify the
representatives’ common goal of attracting tourists to Beaufort County. Second, a
comprehensive marketing plan will allow the county partners to coordinate strategies to
create interest in the river as well as attract interested individuals to spend time in the
county. Third, through the creation of a small business development plan the County
Tourism Commission should place an emphasis on supporting new and existing
ecotourism related entrepreneurs. Using the resources of the economic development
center, and local partners such as the Committee of 100 and the Mideast Commission,
the tourism commission can establish mentoring relationships between interested
entrepreneurs and existing business leaders. Further, partnerships between
government and private organizations can also provide classes and seminars to help
foster important skills such as finance and management for area tourism-related
entrepreneurs.
iv
Marketing Strategies
Thus far, Cross Sectional Collaborative has developed an asset map, identifying
ecotourism-related resources the county offers its citizens and visitors, and six studies of
best practices for multi-county regional river-based ecotourism initiatives around the
southeast. Based on the attractions the county features and what we have learned about
successful practices elsewhere, there is an opportunity to market the county as a whole
focused on river-based ecotourism to get people to know the Beaufort County name.
Cross Sectional Collaborative suggests a three-tiered marketing plan for Beaufort
County, including:
1. Developing a Beaufort County ecotourism-based website
2. Promoting “packaged” tourism attractions
3. Rebranding the region through a multicounty organization
Beaufort County has a number of great assets that can be shared with a variety of
ecotourists around the country to spur economic development and small business
growth in the region. By developing an ecotourism based website, Beaufort County can
promote “packaged” tourism attractions, and rebrand the region with a new, effective
marketing initiative.
I.
Beaufort County Ecotourism Website
Establishing an online presence for Beaufort County river-based ecotourism will
promote the Pamlico-Tar River and its recreational assets while drawing interest from
potential state, regional and nationwide visitors to the county and each of its
municipalities. An online resource has the potential to reach millions of interested
visitors at a relatively low-cost with simple yet active marketing of the county’s
attractions. The full website mockup can be viewed at
www.crosscollaborative.wordpress.com.
Compared to print resources, which become outdated almost immediately as they are
printed, a centrally-located active website will be immediately available to potential
visitors from around the world. The two types of marketing materials can complement
each other. For instance, showcasing the county’s attractions will draw interest, while
print materials at a visitor’s center will be provided for actual visitors.
Currently, there is only a government designated website, www.co.beaufort.nc.us. While
this is a useful resource for community engagement with county leadership, it is not
targeted toward those outside Beaufort County. The marketing initiatives that
Washington has taken (www.littlewashingtonnc.com ) provide relevant examples of a
recent website development that attracts visitors to its river-based assets. The city
therefore provides a citizen-based website in addition to its tourism page.
There is great importance in creating conversations, interactions and relationships with
citizens, stakeholders and visitors of Beaufort County. These connections are the driving
force in keeping things active. A simple way to maintain this activity is through the use
v
of social media. By developing a social media strategy, including Beaufort County
Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages, the county and regional tourism commissions
can determine exactly what visitors want to see.
A number of pages on the website will promote each facet of the county. The mockup
website that Cross Sectional Collaborative has created highlights the history of Beaufort
County, each of its municipalities, the numerous ecotourism and other recreational
activities, dining and accommodations options, a list of “50 Things to Do”, a list of
regional partners and a “contact us” form. In addition, page 40 of this book shows a
photo gallery and a county events newsletter. These last two items give an interactive
display for a relationship to form between county and tourist, in a way that a photo
draws their attention and an events newsletter prompts their visit.
Another benefit of creating a regional ecotourism website is increased visibility and
reach. The development and active maintenance of the website will yield keywords and
tags which will increase Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Thus, every time a user
searches for “hunting in the south” or “North Carolina sailing”, Beaufort County’s
ecotourism website would be tagged as a high search result.
There are a number of available URLs that can host the website. One of these, to be
decided by Beaufort County government or a county tourism commission, will feature a
tagline to draw visitors. Possibilities include beaufort.travel, visit.beaufort, beaufort.nc,
gobeaufort, beaufortvacation, discoverbeaufort, beaufort.org and more. This decision
of branding will be discussed in CSC’s third marketing recommendation.
As previously mentioned, a county-based tourism commission could serve as a primary
organization responsible for implementing the website and for developing further
initiatives in support of a county-wide ecotourism strategy. Potential groups that can be
contracted to design and manage the website are Beaufort County Community College,
students at the college or a county staff member. The Beaufort County Commission, its
economic developers and possible tourism commission can collaborate, whether
through academic credit, internship, part or full-time job status, to produce, post and
maintain the website.
II.
Packaging Tourism Assets
There are numerous types of ecotourism attractions throughout the county, shown in
the asset map. As previously mentioned, Beaufort County is most poised to promote
river-based ecotourism. However, Cross Sectional Collaborative has also identified
multiple agrotourism and cultural tourism attractions that accommodate both hard and
soft visitors. County leadership should recognize both hard and soft tourists, those who
enjoy active recreation and leisure, respectively. Just as much, the county must
distinguish each type of asset package. Every marketing campaign has a target audience,
and while the county and region can be marketed as a whole, each recreational activity
entails a specific target audience:
vi
Hunting- traveling sportsmen are often based in the Southwest, Southeast and
South Atlantic. Looking for ducks, bears and deer within Beaufort County. Could
be obliged to camp.
Fishing- a niche group of sportsmen, often visiting from along the coastal US,
who may or may not have their own sail or motor boat, could also look to rent a
boat or be taken on a charter.
Trailing- visitors seeking sustainable living during their stay. May seek camping
options.
Wildlife photography- another niche community whose members are found
across the country. Would seek to trail and kayak the river. May stay in camping,
B&Bs or motel/hotels.
Sailing- often defined by affluent, avid and knowledgeable boaters, usually
coming from along the east coast. Some bring their own boats, either in transit
via Intracoastal Waterway or seeking year-round moorings; others may seek
rentals or charters. May sleep on board or stay in a local B&B.
Kayaking- an activity both for avid kayakers and amateurs. Trailing the
waterways could be an all-weekend activity, or just one activity within the trip.
The aforementioned recreational activities provide anchors for the rest of the county’s
tourism development. Both hard and soft visitors alike can enjoy the dining, living,
shopping and leisure the county has to offer.
A possible venture for growth can be promoting Beaufort County as a wedding
destination. Centered on the activities along the Pamlico River, this is a micro-strategy
in and of itself. Many young couples and their friends are often active sportsmen and
may like to include these activities in their wedding plans. Dinner cruises, sailing,
kayaking and trailing outings are examples of opportunities for the county’s businesses
to offer to this target audience. The Washington Tourism Development Authority plans
to focus on this effort in the upcoming year because its ROI (return of investment) can
be measured. This effort can be applied to a county-wide effort.
III.
Rebranding Beaufort County
Like the other ecotourism partnerships we identified around the southeast, Beaufort
County can benefit from a partnership with a regional ecotourism group in creating a
marketing initiative and website. A rebranding initiative to market the county and
perhaps the region as a whole will promote a shared common asset in ecotourism- the
Tar-Pamlico River. Marketing the area at a macro level will give visitors the ability for
autonomous trip planning that can increase business opportunities for each
municipality.
vii
As mentioned in Cross Sectional Collaborative’s presentation and within this book, Ashe
County’s model of regional partnerships to develop a promotional campaign provides an
example of what Beaufort County can do. Ashe County Government’s collaboration with
the National Committee for the New River led to the creation of the “High Country of
North Carolina” initiative. Their website is user-friendly and dynamic, while
highlighting the activities of the region. The site does not explicitly feature Ashe County,
but instead touts the Blue Ridge Parkway as its centerpiece.
Just as much, Beaufort County can forge partnerships with regional organizations to
market its central asset, the Pamlico River. The Pamlico-Tar River Foundation is a
strong asset for the county, whose commitment to the river, its activities and its
sustainability make them the most river-oriented organization. Another potential
partner is NC Land Over Water (NC LOW), a promising new non-profit organization
initiated by ECU coastal geologist Dr. Stanley Riggs, which is solidly focused on
ecotourism as an economically promising and environmentally appropriate
development strategy. Finally, Wings Over Water, a multi-county partnership between
Hyde, Tyrell and Dare Counties, promotes the Outer Banks and Eastern North Carolina
region during a six-day event by hosting wildlife enthusiasts from around the country.
These community organizations are all regional partners with whom local government
can develop a branding initiative to market the area.
One of the most prominent branding initiatives that Eastern North Carolina has seen is
the “Inner Banks” or “IBX” movement. The group FOReNC, who began the campaign
eight years ago, has since dissolved, but the bumper stickers and their message, often
found on the back of a car, are all that remain. One option could be to rebrand this
initiative in a new and formal campaign. The idea of the “Inner Banks” has its benefits
because of its colloquial and geographic neighbor, the “Outer Banks” whose prominence
is already established. Moreover, the term applies to multiple counties, granting the
opportunity to make regional partnerships under a uniform foundation or organization.
If Beaufort County leadership, along with its regional partners, decide that the IBX
brand is a feasible marketing strategy, there are a number of available URLs to develop a
website: innerbanks.com (domain for sale), theIBX.com (domain for sale),
theinnerbanks.com, visitIBX.com, travelIBX.com.
viii
50 Things to do in Beaufort County
50. Enjoy the Tar-Pamlico Rivers on a free pontoon boat ride from the NC
Estuarium
49. Paddle the Tar River Blueway and camp on a waterside tent platform
48. Eat lunch at Bill’s Hotdogs in Washington
47. Watch the sunrise/set along the Pamlico River in Bath
46. Tour a colonial home in Bath or Washington
45. See a show at the Washington Turnage Theater
44. Visit the home of Blackbeard the Pirate in Bath
43. Dine during sunset at On the Waterfront in Washington
42. Duck hunt with Ducks Unlimited in the Pungo backwoods
41. Revisit Eastern North Carolina’s history at the Belhaven Memorial Museum
40. Take your boat out on the river through a number of marinas and boat access
ramps
39. Visit the Aurora Fossil Museum
38. Kayak through Blount’s Creek
37. Tour the NC Estuarium
36. Nature watch at Goose Creek State Park
35. Drink and eat at Backwater Jack’s
34. Go back in time by visiting the oldest town in North Carolina, Bath,
founded in 1712
33. Sail along the Pamlico River and International Waterways
32. Attend the Fossil Festival in May
31. Buy a new favorite item at an antique store
30. Take the ferry two-miles across river from Aurora to Bayview
29. Shop for home grown, homemade meats at Raised in a Barn Farm in
Chocowinity
28. Celebrate the Fourth of July along with water featuring fireworks in Belhaven
27. Hunt for bear, deer and wild turkey
26. Spend time at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, the oldest church in North
Carolina
25. Photograph wildlife along the river and trails
24. View and buy local art at the ArtWalk
23. Have seafood for dinner at the Fish Hooks Café in Belhaven
22. Stay at a Bed & Breakfast in Washington or Bath
21. Dance the night away at the annual BoCo Music Festival
20. Don’t miss the PTRF Oyster Roast and Auction in November!
19. Picnic, fish and play at Haven’s Garden in Washington
18. Tour the classical North Carolina architecture of the Bonner House in Bath
17. Bike the Pamlico Scenic Byway from Washington along the river to Belhaven
16. Let your puppy run around at the Off Leash Dog Park in Washington
15. Swim and lounge at Goose Creek State Park
14. Tour the numerous Civil War sites throughout the county
ix
13. Take a trip along the water on the Belle of Washington or the Jeanie B
12. Get dirty in Pantego’s Fourth of July “Mud Run”
11. Walk and shop along Washington’s Main Street
10. Visit by boat and tie up along Washington Docks
9. Hike a trail in Goose Creek State Park
8. Rent a kayak or bike at IBX Outfitters
7. Fish for perch, bass, trout, red breast and more along the water in Chocowinity
6. Propose to your partner along the waterfront
5. Visit Terra Ceia Farms in Pantego, a major producer of blooming flower bulbs
4. Spend down-time in a community park
3. Plan your vacation at the Washington Visitors Center
2. Golf at Cypress Landing in Chocowinity
1. Go Beaufort!
x
Another potential responsibility for the Beaufort County Tourism Commission is the
small business development plan. The Beaufort County Tourism Commission can
partner with Beaufort County Community College, The Mideast Commission, the
Committee of 100 and other valuable business partners to help recruit and train
potential entrepreneurs. Further, well-established business leaders in the community
can serve as mentors to aspiring entrepreneurs.
A small business development plan ensures Beaufort County river-based entrepreneurs
do not face a similar fate to the entrepreneurs along the Roanoke River, who were
unable to sustain business along the river. Carol Shields, the Executive Director of the
Roanoke River Partners noted that businesses along the river came quickly and left just
as quickly. While an exact reason has not been identified as the sole-contributor to the
lack of sustainability along the Roanoke River, several potential causes have been
noted. These potential causes may be a result of the seasonal nature of employing high
school and college students during the summers but having few employees during
school months or a lack of entrepreneur training. While the lack of maintenance of high
school and college students in the local workforce can be addressed by other policy
recommendations, such as education, the problems of lack of entrepreneur training is a
problem that can be addressed by a small business development plan. A small business
development plan would provide education, training and mentorship to aspiring and
new entrepreneurs.
In order to jump start a small business development plan, the Beaufort County Tourism
Commission can provide guidance in the form of using county resources, like the
economic development skills center, as an innovation hub. Further the Beaufort County
Tourism Commission would have a strong stake in promoting environmentally friendly
small businesses and ventures that promoted tourism initiatives. The Beaufort County
Tourism Commission can share responsibility of the small business development plan
with The Mideast Commission and the Committee of 100 for their valuable business
acumen. The Tourism Commission will also find incredibly valuable assistance from
Beaufort County Community College. The college can help train entrepreneurs with
relevant management and financial knowledge necessary for owning a business. The
college can also serve as a strong base of potential future entrepreneurs for Beaufort
County.
Finally, the Beaufort County Tourism Commission can invite existing tourism-related
business leaders to serve as mentors to aspiring entrepreneurs. A small business
development plan ensures Beaufort County river-based entrepreneurs do not face a
similar fate to the entrepreneurs along the Roanoke River, who were unable to sustain
business along the river. Sustainable tourism industry along the Pamlico and Tar Rivers
ensures a thriving tourism-based economic for Beaufort County.
xi
Education
In order to create the most impact for ecotourism, education at both the school level and
professional level is integral. One of the most important examples of education at the
professional level occurred with Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain. Here,
education was used as a means to drive enthusiasm for the nonprofit's efforts and
community projects. LTMCP has learned that by educating residents of the benefits of
conservation and environmentally friendly activities, community support for their
initiatives to protect and promote the local ecology have been made more successful.
Education at the adult and professional levels can take several shapes through
numerous partners. As noted with LTMCP, educating the population is important to the
success of any ecotourism initiative. Beaufort County should place a focus on
contracting partners, such as the Pamlico Tar River Foundation and the Partnership for
the Sounds (the Estuarium) to provide interested residents information, in the form of
workshops and printed information regarding the cultural, recreational and economic
benefits of the rivers.
Another resource Beaufort County can use to educate older and more professional
populations includes organizations such as the Beaufort County Community College, the
Center for Sustainable Tourism at nearby East Carolina University, and the economic
development skills center. These organizations could host special training sessions for
individuals interested in pursuing occupations along the river and occupations related
to ecotourism. As noted in the example of Roanoke River Partners, ecotourism
businesses along the Roanoke River have been difficult to sustain. Beaufort County can
avoid this problem by educating aspiring ecotourism entrepreneurs and professionals
both in the skills for their chosen occupation, and in the specialized knowledge of the
area’s rivers and sounds, wildlife and ecosystems, natural and human history, and their
recreational and economic benefits.
Roanoke River Partners has recently begun reaching out to local elementary school
students to engage younger generations with the river. Carol Shields, the Executive
Director of the Roanoke River Partners, believes that getting students interested in the
natural and recreational aspects of the river will encourage them to consider jobs along
the river once they graduate from high school or wish to return to river industry after
they graduate from college. Educating a younger population on the importance of river
resources will be important because these young people are the future economic drivers
of Beaufort County. They will be the ones who will work in the area, play in the area and
one day, and raise their families in the area. In order to ensure that young populations
stay in Beaufort County, they need to be educated about the value of the environmental
resources, how to protect these resources and what these resources mean to them and
their futures. Partnerships with the Estuarium, PTRF and the Beaufort County school
district will be important initiatives to insure that students are educated about the value
of the Pamlico and Tar Rivers.
xii
Connecting to Regional Tourism Initiatives
Regionalism is an important strategy Beaufort County can use to promote economic
development based on ecotourism initiatives for the county. Looking to the examples of
the Southeast Tennessee Tourism Association, the Louisiana Tourism Coastal Coalition
and Ashe County’s relationship to High Country Host, there are a number of useful
lessons for Beaufort County. In the case of the Southeast Tennessee Tourism
Association, 10 Tennessee counties have joined together to share marketing strategies
and work together to draw a variety of tourists to partake in a wide array of exciting
tourism activities. In the case of the Louisiana Tourism Coastal Coalition , leadership
from this non-profit joined with local government leaders not only to protect the
valuable resources along the Louisiana Coast, but also to promote and educate the
individuals and tourists in the region. Finally, Ashe County partnered with other local
counties to form High Country Host. This organization shares funding strategies, such
as grants, and extensive marketing strategies such as trip planning guides for interested
potential tourists.
In addition to its current discussions with counterpart officials in Greenville and Pitt
County, below are several examples of multi-county organizations with which Beaufort
County would benefit from formulating closer connections. The Mideast Commission is
of course also an important regional resource for developing multi-county economic
development initiatives which could include ecotourism.
Coastal Wildlife Refuge
The Coastal Wildlife Refuge is an educational and environmental protection non-profit
organization founded in 1989 by a group of concerned local residents. The society for
the Coastal Wildlife Refuge is located in Manteo, NC, but operates in Pea Island and
Alligator River National Wildlife Refuges. Presently the Coastal Wildlife Refuge funds
educational opportunities for school-aged volunteers and interns. They also help with
trail maintenance around the local wildlife refuges and provide educational brochures
and pamphlets for visitors to the refuges.
One of the biggest events sponsored by the Coastal Wildlife Refuge is the annual Wings
Over Water Wildlife Festival. Each year, for a long weekend in October, hundreds of
visitors come to experience the wildlife, history and recreational opportunities of the
Outer Banks and adjoining Eastern NC counties. The festival takes places in Dare,
Currituck, Tyrrell and Hyde Counties. Beaufort County shares borders with Tyrrell and
Hyde Counties.
Beaufort County could benefit from a relationship with the Coastal Wildlife Refuge,
especially as it relates to their annual Wings Over Water Wildlife Festival. Beaufort
County’s location, rich wildlife resources, and special recreational opportunities make it
an optimal potential future partner for the Wings Over Water Wildlife Festival, and the
Belhaven area could perhaps particularly benefit from its proximity to these activities as
a base and restaurant venue for tourists participating in these events.
xiii
North Carolina Land Over Water (NC-LOW)
East Carolina University geology professor Stan Riggs is in the process of creating an
umbrella organization for government leaders, business leaders and educators which
focuses on promoting the water resources of Eastern North Carolina. The title of the
organization comes from his geological study of the land in Eastern North Carolina. He
has noted that the land in many eastern North Carolina areas sits on top of the water.
With the ever-changing coastlines and water borders, Riggs knows it will be important
to consider sustainable business, governmental and crisis response models which can
respond accordingly. Considering the economic crisis in Eastern North Carolina, the
unique geographical relationship water has to the land is an important tourism asset.
The geography of Eastern North Carolina, and Beaufort County in particular, lend to its
ability to host low-wetlands for unique hunting terrain. The NC-LOW organization
offers a potential new opportunity for regional ecotourism-based economic development
that is particularly suited to the environmental conditions and ecotourism opportunities
Beaufort County and its neighbors offer. Beaufort County could become an integral
voice in a transformative organization for Eastern North Carolina.
xiv
The National Water Trails System
The National Water Trails System brings together new and existing water trails into a
national network of bodies of water across the country. In order to apply for the
National Water Trails System, the “management entity,” of the body of water must
submit a formal application and letter of support from the state trail administrator. A
management entity is a group that currently maintains the body of water and will
continue to do after designation as a National Water Trails System. A “management
entity” can range from a non-profit to a governmental organization. In the case of
Beaufort County, the local management entity could be the Pamlico Tar River
Foundation with the support of Beaufort and Pitt Counties.
The formal application process for the National Water Trails System begins with a
formal application where the management entity discusses the mission statement for
the intended water trail and details how the intended water trail will meet the criteria
for The National Water Trails System. Criteria for the National Water Trails system
include openness for public use while ensuring the waterway stays well maintained and
follows property and environmental law. Openness for public use is a very strict
criterion, which is a benefit for the National Water Trails System over other programs,
such as the, now defunct, National Blueway System. The National Blueway System
faced harsh criticism because private lands could be appropriated for public use through
this system. The National Water Trails System avoids the problem faced by the National
Blueway system because all access points must be owned and in the preliminary
application, applicants are asked to provide owner consent to potentially use their lands
and water rights for public use. Further criteria for the National Water Trails System
include the promotion of recreation, education, conservation, community involvement
and creating extensive plans to maintain and promote the waterway.
Once the aforementioned criteria have been met, the application is passed along to an
interagency review committee who determine if the applicant waterway meets the
criteria for designation as part of the National Water Trails System. In most cases, this
designation is presented by the Secretary of the Interior.
The main benefit of pursuing certification as a National Water Trails is that Beaufort
County leaderships and community partners can obtain guidance and further best
practices from existing and well-established Water Trails Systems from around the
United States. Further designation as a Water Trails Systems provides visibility and
promotion of the river. A new awareness to the Pamlico and Tar Rivers will bring
tourists and help stimulate the ecotourism economy in Beaufort County.
xv
Resources Consulted
Cross Sectional Collaborative Beaufort County Ecotourism Website
http://crosscollaborative.wordpress.com/
Created by Cross Sectional Collaborative, this page is a custom-made mockup for a
Beaufort County ecotourism-based website. It’s pages and links serves as examples of
what an ecotourism website can look like for Beaufort County and its regional partners.
Wordpress
www.wordpress.com
This free online platform allows users to create blogs using original design templates.
Wordpress is a viable option for many middle-tier organizations and allows easy
managerial access.
Lynn Lewis- Director of the Washington Tourism Development Authority
www.littlewashington.com
The updated Washington website gives a relevant example of an effective local webpage.
Its development and management is a valuable resource in planning the construction of
a Beaufort County website.
Randall Travel Marketing
2008 Randall Travel Marketing Study
The most recent study to date on marketing strategies for Washington, of which many
can now be applied county-wide.
*accessible by Lynn Lewis
Foundation of Renewal for Eastern North Carolina (FoR ENC)
Fall 2006 Newsletter
The newsletter of the now inactive organization gives the most recent official use of the
IBX brand.
*accessible by Mark Little
Mark Little
http://www.ncgrowth.unc.edu/
senior research associate for economic development for the Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute
of Private Enterprise. Provided guidance on other entrepreneurial initiatives in the state,
specifically in Eastern North Carolina.
North Carolina Tourism Department
http://www.visitnc.com/
This website is another example of a regional marketing initiative that can be used as a
model for Beaufort County’s ecotourism website.
NC WEEKEND Paddling Beaufort County UNC-TV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcLAxNzpj-w
xvi
National Water Trails System Certification
http://www.nps.gov/WaterTrails/Home/About
This is an in-depth FAQ about the NWTS and how to apply for certification.
http://www.nps.gov/WaterTrails/Home/Apply
This is the portal to the application for NWTS. Links for application instructions are
also provided at this link
Coastal Wildlife Refuge
Coastal Wildlife Refuge Society
http://www.coastalwildliferefuge.com/index.html
Website provides general information regarding the society, its mission and its
purpose. The site also provides links to related organizations.
Wings Over Water Festival
http://www.wingsoverwater.org/
Website provides general information on the festival as well as proposed itineraries for
this year’s festivities.
NC Land Over Water (NC LOW)
Stan Riggs- ECU Geology professor interested in water-based geography of the Eastern
North Carolina region. Also main contact for NC LOW initiative.
riggs@email.ecu.edu

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