Question 18

[Charlotte Chamber]

Which of Charlotte's new attractions will have the greatest impact on tourism and why?

[Alyson Hilal]

Likely to be the NASCAR Hall of Fame, due to the brand loyalty of the fans.

Case studies continue to prove their dedication.

[Chris Conlon]

Charlotte needs to make sure that the visiting and resident public knows about all the attractions in the area, not just the new ones. The thing that is going to make us succesful as a destination for tourists and continue to get residents out into the community is diversity. When planning a visit to another city for vacation, most families, couples and groups are all looking for venues that can keep mulitple ages and diverse interests occupied. Locals may be looking for something new and different to do while with visitors or on their own. We already have a great number of unique places that fill the bill but may not be as well known since they are not in the center city. (i.e. Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens, the Raptor Center etc.) We have some great sports and shopping destinations, and those are huge assets, but we should also continue to highlight what makes Charlotte unique, and cannot be had in any other place. As a complete package with the new things that are being added, that may be the thing that gets someone to try Charlotte, love it and tell their friends and associates about it. It would be fantastic to think that a visitor might come for one of the new venues, look around, and then go home from here and say that there was just too much to do.

[UNCbrr]

My vote would be the NASCAR Hall of Fame, because its something unique only to Charlotte and has a prominent location. However, the US National White Water Park has potential to be a contender, because its another thing unique only to Charlotte (and it promotes an image that is positive for Charlotte - that there is a lot to do outdoors). The nice thing about the USNWC is that it is for both locals and tourists. I recently moved back to Charlotte from Atlanta, where they have built several new tourist attractions like the Aquarium, World of Coke, etc. What I observed is that these destinations cater mostly to tourists, not locals. Sure, many Atlantans will visit these places (maybe once, or at best twice a year), but they do little to bring local residents downtown on a regular basis. These projects have been successful at attracting tourists, and as a result, Atlanta's downtown is becoming more of a destination for visitors than its own people. Of course this argument is oversimplied and there are other dynamics at play in downtown Atlanta; however, its worthwhile to consider that tourist projects, unless they have Charlotteans and tourists in mind, do little to make Uptown a better place for its own citizens.

[Spencer]

Not if everything keeps sprawling out into the burbs...Charlotte needs to densify quick.