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Thursday, 01 December 2005 05:43 |
Our fair city has a new slogan to draw in those oh-so-vital tourism dollars. Goodbye ?®Land of Sky?∆ and hello ?®Any way you like it.?∆
After a $200,000 study, which decided that ?®Land of Sky?∆ was apparently too stodgy and outdated, the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority launched a new publicity campaign for Asheville on Oct. 18.
The new campaign, intended to be ?®outside the box,?∆ features the city??s name spelled out in colorful letters, as well as commercials with such interesting spectacles as mountain bikers rolling down the grand staircase at the Biltmore House.
The campaign will debut next February to the tune of $1.7 million.
While we sympathize with the need for tourism dollars and a fun, savvy advertising campaign, we have to wonder how the new slogan might be perceived by those coming to Asheville.
Any way you like it?
Not for every major developer who wants to come in with a massive and inappropriate project, we can hope.
Any way you like it?
Well, that depends: Do you enjoy being asked for change by three different people while walking down
Biltmore Avenue?
Any way you like it?
Unless you like a bus system that works efficiently and on time.
Any way you like it?
Well, if you like Wal-Mart supercenters, that is ?±?± or paying among the highest water rates in the state.
All joking aside, the more serious point here is that while it??s all
well and good to go after tourism dollars and put out the message about
Asheville??s unique side in all of its weird and wonderful variety,
maybe it??s time to start questioning the sacred cow of tourism.
We acknowledge that Asheville always has been, and no doubt to some extent always will be, a tourist town.
However, an old adage about eggs and baskets comes to mind when
considering what appears to be the current approach to try to pump the
economy full of tourism dollars.
We should also not forget those who live here year-round. Sometimes it
seems that in the rush to attract tourism dollars, the needs of regular
Ashevilleans often are forgotten.
The tourism market is fickle, not to mention seasonal. Asheville has
learned that in its past as well. A truly thriving city??s economy needs
a little bit of everything.
In fact, that??s not a bad idea for a tourism slogan. After all, isn??t
that what makes Asheville??s culture, media, restaurants, landscape and
city streets a place where people want to live, visit, or build?
Not to mention, it sends a better message, emphasizing what we have to offer rather than our willingness to
bend over backwards for everyone else.
Asheville: a little bit of everything.
Now where??s our $200,000?
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