Comments on: When things get tough, remember we live in Hampton Roads http://smartregion.org/2009/10/when-things-get-tough-remember-we-live-in-hampton-roads/ Mon, 06 Sep 2010 21:53:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: J. Tyler Ballance http://smartregion.org/2009/10/when-things-get-tough-remember-we-live-in-hampton-roads/comment-page-1/#comment-1138 J. Tyler Ballance Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:33:59 +0000 http://smartregion.org/?p=2425#comment-1138 We could add a BILLION dollars to Virginia's tourism revenue if our leadership would promote Confederate era tourism. From organized re-enactments to tours of former battle sites, an organized approach to marketing our natural association with the Confederate era would dramatically increase tourism and local jobs. The folks in Plymouth do not shun their Pilgrim era tourism because the Pilgrims exploited the Indians. It is ludicrous for Virginia's leadership to ignore a sure money maker in the form of Confederate era tourism. I do NOT advocate reducing our Confederate history to a token, "Confederate History Month." Instead, Virginia should stage a series of annual events that travel agencies could depend upon, for which they could build tour packages around. We could add a BILLION dollars to Virginia’s tourism revenue if our leadership would promote Confederate era tourism. From organized re-enactments to tours of former battle sites, an organized approach to marketing our natural association with the Confederate era would dramatically increase tourism and local jobs.

The folks in Plymouth do not shun their Pilgrim era tourism because the Pilgrims exploited the Indians. It is ludicrous for Virginia’s leadership to ignore a sure money maker in the form of Confederate era tourism.

I do NOT advocate reducing our Confederate history to a token, “Confederate History Month.” Instead, Virginia should stage a series of annual events that travel agencies could depend upon, for which they could build tour packages around.

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