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Vocational students train in public safety domainsMay 01, 2010 (Star Beacon - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- GENEVA-ON-THE-LAKE -- Improve communication, put forth a positive image and educate residents about all the county has to offer: Those are three threads that emerged from a day of weaving ideas on how to take tourism to the next level in Ashtabula County. The Civic Development Corporation sponsored the summit, held Thursday at the Lodge and Conference Center at Geneva-on-the-Lake. CDC wants to make the gathering an annual event and also create a tourism council. Both projects will be funded by CDC until they become self-sustaining. Thursday's interdisciplinary summit brought together local tourism-industry representatives with those from other sectors to share ideas and address threats to progress in the county. Melinda Huntley, tourism program manager for Ohio State University Sea Grant, said that while she has done other tourism summits, they've usually been restricted to tourism representatives. She called the concept of an interdisciplinary summit "a really great idea" that was "very invigorating." Up to 88 persons participated in the summit at some point during the day. Many of them stayed for the entire eight hours, a commitment praised by the organizers. "I'm glad to see they plan to make this an annual event," said Don Woodward, Geneva-on-the-Lake businessman. "I'm tickled to see the CDC recognize tourism and make it part of their campaign." Donniella Winchell, executive director of Ohio Wine Producers, said the summit showed her that other sectors of the county are finally waking up to the magnitude and potential of tourism as an industry in the county. The industry employs 4,700 people for a total annual payroll of $75 million, said Mark Winchell. "People are getting the message tourism is not a hamburger flipper!" she quipped. Huntley said a document will be produced from the ideas that emerged from the group discussions held throughout the day. The information will be melded with the document being produced by an economic development steering committee to produce a strategic plan for growing the county's economy. Bob Taylor, who is heading up the steering committee's effort, expects the document to be released later this month. The economic future of the county is riding on these documents. "It has to become a living, breathing document," said Mark Winchell, executive director of the Ashtabula County Convention and Visitors Bureau. "We have to get it out there and make it happen." Winchell said a key theme that he heard from participants was the need for communication among all sectors. To that end, presenters from each group suggested setting up a clearinghouse for county information, creating social media sites promoting festivals and other attractions, and establishing list servers for networking specific subindustry groups, like hospitality and dining. Participants also pointed out the need to communicate more effectively to visitors, all that the county has to offer. Suggestions ranged from signs pointing motorists to lake access points to electronic communications delivered via the Internet, cell phones and iPads. CDC's initiative to create several tourism information kiosks in the county was applauded as a positive step in that direction. The need to educate residents about all that the county has to offer also was brought up as a critical component of taking tourism to the next level. Bob Frisbie, director of the Ashtabula Maritime and Surface Transportation Museum, said he often hears from visitors that a tourism worker was unaware of his museum or unable to point them to other county attractions. One campground worker told a museum visitor "there's nothing to do here." "That's a fallacy our group is trying to fight," Frisbie said of the museum group, which is drawing up a map and brochure to distribute to businesses that might have contact with tourists. The pervasive negative attitude of residents and fighting within government and business were also brought up as threats to tourism's success in the county. Participants repeatedly mentioned the lack of cooperation as a roadblock to economic development. Huntley pointed out that tourism is very much an economic development tool and that, by preserving the natural areas and historical sites that draw tourists, communities also position themselves well to attract other industries and businesses. "It's not just about tourism; it's about all of it," Huntley told those attending CDC's kickoff dinner Thursday. "You visit a community where people want to live and work; they are also going to want to play there." She said the book "Who's Your City?" shows that aesthetics trump other things, like basic services and leadership, when it comes to people selecting a place to live. Frank Litchtkoppler, OSU extension specialist with Ohio Sea Grant, said the summit was a dynamic way to help others recognize local natural assets and their potential to revive the economy. "(Tourism) is one of the top three industries in the county, and if you don't work with it, then you are missing out on one-third of the opportunity," he said. To see more of the Star Beacon or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.starbeacon.com/. Copyright (c) 2010, Star Beacon, Ashtabula, Ohio Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. 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