Editor’s note: This statement was submitted by the Carolina Foothills Chamber of Commerce to the Polk County Board of Commissioners. The Bulletin plans to run it in two parts for space concerns.
Polk County recently has been considering the possibility of turning over the management of Travel and Tourism to the Carolina Foothills Chamber of Commerce. In the days since this news became public, some inaccurate statements have made their way around the community. We would like to correct these inaccuracies and clarify our position.
First, what is the chamber of commerce?
The chamber is a non-governmental non-profit organization, funded by membership dues and special event funds. It promotes commerce in the areas of business, tourism, economic development, education, agricualture, healthcare, and government, among others. Because the local economy encompasses both Polk County and the Landrum area, we include Landrum businesses as an essential component of the chamber.
Our members—nearly 400 as of this writing—join the chamber and pay dues because they believe in themselves, in their businesses and in their communities. They know that we are stronger when we work together. Ours is a local chamber, not affiliated with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Overlapping efforts
Now, as regards travel and tourism: The county manager approached us and asked if we would have an interest in potentially taking on this important responsibility. We responded positively. The vast majority of North Carolina’s county tourism offices are managed through local chambers of commerce. The stated purpose of a chamber of commerce is to promote a healthy business climate in its local area; this aligns with travel and tourism’s mission, and in fact the efforts of the two organizations overlap in many areas.
We have a wonderful facility on Highway 108 in Lynn, including a beautiful lobby full of information and maps. Our cheerful staff and volunteers already answer countless questions from a steady parade of visitors. Before arriving, they seek out our website and other online resources.
We hold four successful fundraising events every year, each of which is a tourist event in its own right. One of those, the Blue Ridge BBQ Festival (now in its 18th year) has won wide acclaim and nationwide publicity. With an annual attendance pushing 20,000, it is one of the leading drivers of tourism to our area—and this year promises to be better than ever.
Let us be clear: Polk County came to us with this idea; we did not initiate it. We have not finalized  plans for how we would manage the task. We are currently developing a broad outline, but as of this writing, nothing has been decided.
A unified approach
What appears to be clear is that, if the chamber were to take on this job, we would need to maintain a separate staff position, website and budget specifically for Polk County travel and tourism. This would afford the necessary and appropriate accountability for the tax dollars provided by the county.
Does this mean that, if a visitor were to show up and ask about attractions in Landrum, the staff would refuse to talk to them and send them away empty-handed? Absolutely not. But, because Polk County tax dollars would be involved, that staff person’s main job would be to promote tourism in Polk County.
We do not subscribe to the notion that Polk tourism can best be served by taking a solo approach, i.e., pretending that other towns and counties do not exist. We believe that success is best achieved through cooperation, not isolation.