Mayor holds workshop on local tourism industry

HARLINGEN — Tuesday’s Mayor’s Harlingen Tourism Summit & Workshop may have shed new light on regionalism and partnerships for the local tourism industry.

The special meeting hosted by Mayor Chris Boswell at the Harlingen Arts & Heritage Museum featured guest speakers Steve Moore, president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Convention and Visitors Bureau; Bob Phillips, director of visitor services for the town of Addison, Texas; Julie Chase, chief marketing officer for the Office of the Governor for Economic Development & Tourism; and Scott White, executive director of the San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau.

State Sen. Eddie Lucio and city leaders including Commissioner Jay Meade, who helped organize the event, also attended.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for us to learn how to better market our city,” Boswell said. “Harlingen is a great place with great strengths to offer visitors.”

Each of the guest speakers took turns talking about their city’s CVB roles in attracting tourism and what business plan works best for them.

Moore said Harlingen has a huge portfolio of attractions, with Valley International Airport being the hub. Moore also talked about creating a brand for the city and partnerships within city businesses that generate money from visitors such as auto dealers, grocery stores and “white-cloth” restaurants, as well as with other cities.

“Create a vision and create partnerships,” Moore said.

Ruthie Ewers, interim president of the Harlingen Area Chamber of Commerce, said that working together with other cities like Brownsville and South Padre Island to draw tourism to the Rio Grande Valley is one of her main goals.

Moore also said that the $7.5 million soccer complex will create many opportunities for tourism in Harlingen.

“That is a huge business and you’re about to get a lot more out of it because of the investment you’ve made,” Moore said.

Chase said Harlingen needs to “assess, assess, assess,” and better package the city’s and surrounding attractions to draw more visitors.

“It has to be a regional approach. The opportunities are here,” Chase said. “We have to sell the next destination. A visitor isn’t going to stay at one location. They have to sell Harlingen for a three- or four-day stay, then go down to the beach, and come back and stay in Harlingen.”

“There’s a range of opportunities but there has to be a better package,” Chase said.

Phillips said the city of Addison, located about 12 miles north of downtown Dallas with a population of 14,000, generates about $5 million in hotel/motel tax revenue each year because of special events that draw about half a million people. Phillips said the Addison CVB reports directly to the city manager and does not have an advisory board, but it does work closely with Addiston’s hotels and motels.

“To make things work, you really have to communicate,” he said.

Phillips also talked about the importance of regional partnerships and how working together to attract people to an area can benefit several cities. Phillips said some Addison businesses and hotels play off the Dallas Galleria, which is a couple of miles from town.

Addison is part of the Dallas/Fort Worth Area Tourism Council made up of 32 counties working together to attract tourists to the area, Phillips added.

White also stressed regional cooperation and capitalizing on proximity of cities where people can drive from place to place.

“You’re stronger in numbers especially when you have a small budget,” White said.

Developing a visitor’s guide is also important, he said, because it serves as a voice and a front door to communities.

Michelle Helgren-Garza, president of the Harlingen Lodging Association and manager at Best Western motel, said after the summit that there were many good ideas presented and that she hopes the healing process between the HLA and the CVB will follow.

“We’ve already been (boycotting) for months and it’s not helping the city and it’s not helping us,” Helgren-Garza said. “We have to look into a process where we can work together.”

Tony Silvestro, HLA vice-president and manager at Country Inn and Suites, said he hopes the CVB and the HLA can take some ideas presented and follow through with them for the betterment of the city.

Ewers said the immediate plans are to establish an advisory committee for the CVB and work closer with Boswell, city commissioners and the HLA.

“I’m working on a business plan and I want to work with hotels to get their input,” Ewers said. “Everyone needs to do their part.

“I hope we can start on a clean slate and go from here.”