Getting the tourism industry on the same page? A cup of coffee should help

Apr. 29—A lot hinges on whether tourists will post a coveted five-start review of Haywood County — whether it's the warm smile of the barista serving your morning coffee upon your arrival in town, or the helpful shop owner who guides you to the nearest waterfall for a refreshing break.

More than 2,000 people work in the $300 million tourism industry in Haywood County, and each plays a role in how the destination is perceived by travelers — and whether they'll come back or recommend it to others.

But there hasn't been a forum for tourism businesses plying the same trade and selling the same destination to collaborate on a regular basis, until now. A monthly brainstorming and networking session called 'Mountain Mornings' is being launched by the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority.

Blake Yoder, of co-owner of Cultivate Garden shop in the Frog Level Historic District of Waynesville, was quick to jump on the bandwagon.

"Mountain Mornings is the first time that we are really sort of digging in and involving ourselves with a community group that feels like we can get together as merchants and other folks in the community and try to take action on some change," said Yoder.

Yoder said businesses often operate with a bias towards their own storefront. Mountain Mornings will give them a platform to think collectively as an industry and share concerns or questions.

"Coming at this from a unified front and one common voice, we feel like we're going to offer a better experience to not only the folks that come here and contribute to our tourism dollars, but also the locals that live here as well year round," Yoder added.

It will also be an opportunity to get ideas in front the county tourism agency, which holds the pursestrings for how $3 million in tourism dollars are spent annually. And the more diversity coming to the table, the better.

Many tourism businesses are so busy with their own daily grind they don't get a chance to come up for air.

"Most folks that own small businesses have packed schedules and so finding even the time to connect as a group is a tough friction point in and of itself. Putting people in the same room is really, really important," Yoder said.

Amie Newsome, social media & content manager for the TDA, launched 'Mountain Mornings' based on feedback from focus groups in an ongoing tourism master plan process.

"We've been hearing from partners that there's a need for connection in the community," Newsome said. "Tourism related businesses can come together, network, brainstorm, figure out different ways to collaborate, because we felt like there wasn't a space yet in the community where there was that cross county collaboration."

It's also an opportunity for tourism business to piggy back off each other.

"We're hoping people will just be able to get out and talk to each other and see, you know, 'I offer this tour service and you offer this lodging property, how can we potentially partner together?'" Newsome said.

Better together

Yoder is a proponent of a rising tide lifts all boats.

"We feel like there's there's a real opportunity to sort of move forward as a unified voice with things like walking maps, streetscaping, beautifying areas of town with things like community centric cleanup days," Yoder said. "There's things that we can do that we feel like are going to contribute an outsized amount of value for the effort that we're having to put into it."

Mountain Mornings is open to pre-existing tourism partners in the community, along with those who want to collaborate with the TDA moving forward.

"It could be anything from retail businesses to lodging, to restaurants, really anybody who wants to get involved with bringing visitors into the area," Newsome said.

The event also aligns with the TDA's tourism master plan.

"That cross county destination master plan, that will benefit all of us. Making sure that we're not just all these individual towns, we can really work together and we're stronger and better together, " Newsome said.

But the first step is building bridges.

"Oftentimes, people come into this with a perspective of 'Here's the problems that I see that I want to be addressed,' but oftentimes we need to build trust first," Yoder said.

The first Mountain Mornings will be held from 8-9 a.m. Thursday, May 23, at Panacea Coffee Company on Commerce Street in Waynesville. The week coincides with National Travel and Tourism week. The TDA intends to make it a quarterly meeting at a different location.

To RSVP or learn more email amie@visitncsmokies.com.