Blowing Rock travel spending edges up
By Scott Nicholson
nicholson@wataugademocrat.com

Tourism spending is up in Blowing Rock, with occupancy taxes showing an 8-percent increase for the last fiscal year.

A year-end review of Blowing Rock Tourism Development Authority (TDA) activities reflected continued tourism growth. Executive director Tracy Brown recently met with the TDA board and town staff at an annual retreat, assessing TDA programs and planning for future activities.

“Tourism-generated dollars wind up easing the burden on local taxpayers,” Brown said in a press release.

“Money from tourism helps the town repair streets, improve sidewalks, landscape and beautify the town center, maintain Memorial Park and buy directional and regulatory signage. And the TDA has contributed more than $200,000 to help build the much-needed new parking facility at the American Legion.”

Blowing Rock’s TDA revenue was up from $710,000 in the 2006 fiscal year to $778,000 in the 2007 fiscal year. As required by state statute, one-third of that amount can be used by the town for infrastructure improvements designed to boost tourism and improve visitor experience. The remainder is earmarked for tourism promotion and marketing.

The TDA created and distributes the Blowing Rock Visitor Guide and the Blowing Rock Visitor Map, showing the location of all tourist-related businesses, and provides support for events like Sunday Concerts in the Park, Cruisin’ and Jammin’, Winterfest, the Blue Ridge Wine Festival, N.C. Symphony at Chetola, Art in the Park, Mitford Days and parades.

Brown reported that visitor-center traffic was up 6 percent from last year, with more than 17,000 people using the center. Telephone inquiries were up 14 percent for the year to nearly 14,000, and the center sent out more than 30,000 visitor information pieces.

Southern Living Reader’s Choice Awards named Blowing Rock as a top mountain destination for the second consecutive year. The TDA owns and operates the visitor center and hosts the Blowing Rock Chamber and the Blowing Rock Arts and History Museum in its facility.

Watauga County has also reported increasing occupancy-tax revenues, with $748,000 collected in the first fiscal year. For the first four months of the current fiscal year, revenues had increased by $40,000.