Karen Fraley envisions visitors to Manatee County having a centralized source to find various attractions, activities and nature-themed tourist packages.
If Orlando can do it, she figures, why can't we?
Fraley, owner of Around the Bend Nature Tours and eco-tourism representative for the Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, is working to make that vision a reality.
This week, she and about 40 businesses met to discuss how they could better market themselves to visitors.
"The initiative started a couple of years ago with an inventory," Fraley said. "We contacted people to see who was out there. This is a new step because we brought industry leaders together in one room."
The concept entails bringing a variety of attractions, such as museums, nature tours, canoe trips and fishing trips, together on hotel Internet sites and on a "micro Web site" the Convention & Visitors Bureau plans to unveil by next year.
"The hoteliers can promote the site on their property management (Internet) systems and we'll be able to promote it on our site," said Sharon Kingston, manager of sales and sports-related endeavors at the bureau. "In 2009, we're going to host a micro-site that will be dedicated to eco-tourism or geo-tourism and that's what we're getting prepared for. The hoteliers can get these packages together and then they can also have the packages at local chambers of commerce."
Ashok Sawe, owner of the Palm Tree Villas resort on Holmes Beach who attended this week's meeting, was encouraged by what he heard.
"I think it's something the CVB should promote, because there is so much around here that people can enjoy," Sawe said. "I would like to see what they will be able to do and if I can be part of that, that would be great."
Fraley often travels out of the area in her role and attends tourism conferences. More often than not, Orlando is the topic of discussion when it comes to Florida. That presents a challenge, she said.
"Orlando has all the attractions and the packages," Fraley said. "So we need to create our own packages and show that we are a unique destination in Florida."
For instance, Fraley, whose business is giving walking nature tours to mostly school children, points to the absence of any centralized source to find charter fishing tours in the area.
"Charter fishermen are hard to get ahold of," Fraley said. "We find they are an independent breed and there is no list and that's one of the things we're working on, is to get a list so people can contact them."
Surprisingly perhaps, Capt. Russ Schnering of Bradenton Fishing Charters, doesn't necessarily think the lack of such a list is a bad thing.
Schnering, who was invited to the recent meeting, but didn't attend, already advertises through the local tourism agency.
He likes that there's only a handful that do.
"I'm fortunate enough to be listed with the visitors bureau and that has helped me with business a lot," Schnering said. "Selfishly, I haven't told a lot of captains that. I don't know if I'd be all for it or not."
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