| Chanel Atwood, newly selected information specialist discusses tourism possibilities with Norma Dean Hawkinson, Emery County Travel Bureau Director at a recent gathering in Price. |
Chanel Atwood was officially introduced to area tourism officials a couple week’s ago when several tourism partners gathered at the CEU Prehistoric Museum and the Castle Country Regional Information Center. The group gathered for a discussion and brainstorming session on how to effectively promote more tourism in the area. Chanel, who worked for the Bureau last year as a part-time employee had an opporutniy to outline her goals in the new full-time position.
One of her main goals is to network with the tourism communities.
In order for CCRIC (Castle Country Regional Information Center) to be successful and productive it is vital to have an active network to exchange information, ideas and literature to promote visitor services. This includes Federal and State agencies, city and county officials, businesses, museums, travel bureaus, visitor centers and other interest groups. Atwood says she plans to personally meet with these people and get to know them and the services they have to offer and also encourage them to visit CCRIC.
A second goal is to have an awareness of business. She extended a special invitation to tourism related businesses to visit the information center. “We need to gain the attention of these businesses and make them aware of our location and what we have to offer,” said Atwood, adding, “it would also be to their benefit to provide CCRIC with literature that fits the services they have to offer tourists. We can help businesses reach these out of town visitors and get them to stay in the area. We want to change the perception that not many tourists come to Castle Country. We hope to meet with these businesses personally and encourage them to actively take a part in CCRIC.”
Public awareness is also an area that Atwood discussed.
“We would like to make the local population aware of our location and the resources CCRIC has to offer them as well as out of town visitors.,” she stressed, adding, “we would encourage people to visit the information center or attend any of the programs we will offer. CCRIC will advertise our public programming through the local newspapers, radio stations and interest groups.”
A final key area Atwood plans on developing is public programming.
CCRIC would like to partner with other interest groups to provide lectures on a regular basis and possibly some field trips and exhibitions. CCRIC exists to not only provide information but also to educate people about the area including recreation resources and opportunities, cultural history (prehistoric and historic), and natural history (paleontology, geology, plants, birds and wildlife). Atwood concluded by adding, “we would use local resources as well as those from out of the area.”