Wilson Hotel Blog

We’re changing our Blog to a NEW format - Visit us at:

WilsonHotel.blogspot.com

Yesterday we posted about the eight main reasons “why” tourists shop.  There are seven reasons “why” they don’t shop as well. 

1. Can’t Take it With Them ~ Travelers have concerns about transporting their purchases or having to deal with difficult shipping issues. 

SOLUTION: Make shipping easy and display prominent signage that states, “We ship anywhere!”

2. It’s Not Unique or Special ~ Visitors don’t want to shop for things they can find at Wal Mart.

SOLUTION: Merchandise with a clear point of view and share the unique stories of your merchandise via your sales staff or visual merchandising.

(more…)

 In our last post we shared that we have been collecting extensive data to support the developing trend of Centralia being promoted as great heritage tourist destination.  Here is some more information from the recent study published by the Shop America Alliance.    

The SAA focuses on implementing marketing strategies to bring shoppers to tourism related areas.  The SAA report indicates that most tourists are motivated to shop by a combination of the following factors:  

1. Unique ~ Tourists are looking for merchandise that can’t be found “back home,” merchandise that evokes a sense of place, is part of a special event or experience, or is simply something that they do not have access to elsewhere, i.e. artwork, books on a favorite topic of interest, jewelry, etc…
2. Value / Price ~ “A better deal than back home” is a very strong motivator for international visitors, especially when the exchange rate is in favor of the visitor.

(more…)

One of the aspects of the Wilson Hotel rehabilitation that we have recently been developing through our business plan model in order to secure infrastructure financing, is the element of the project that addresses the future value of Centralia being a “tourist destination.”  We have been collecting data to support that end, primarily in the area of heritage tourism and the draw that historic districts bring to the traveling public at large.   

  Through the process of building our data bank of research for our project, we sometimes stumble across interesting information that is related to the greater picture of historic Centralia.  One recent resource we discovered was the Shop America Alliance web site.   The Shop America Alliance represents hundreds of the nations premier shopping & dining destinations, which offer tourism programs specifically designed for travelers from both domestic and international ports of origin.  This organization partners to offer a wide variety of entertainment options for travelers of all ages from coast to coast.

  The SAA founded a study called, “Tourism 101: Basic Information for Selling to Tourists.”  We have included several noteworthy discoveries documented in this study in our business Performa for the Wilson Hotel project.  We wanted to take the opportunity to share a few highlights here on the blog since we found this information helpful in understanding the importance of the retail sales community in tourist destinations both historic and modern day.

  $703 billion is spent annually in both domestic and international markets on tourism

$1.3 TRILLION in direct, indirect and induced travel expenditures, including international travelers’ spending in the United States alone 

This spending accounts for $105 billion in tax revenue for local, state and federal governments 

Direct spending averages $1.8 billion per day in the United States; $75 million per hour; $1.2 million per minute; and $21,000 per second Shopping & dining are the top two travel activities in the United States 

Cultural and heritage tourism is # 3 !!! *wow* 

Travelers who engage in shopping and cultural or heritage tourism spend more, stay longer and have better travel experiences overall    (more…)

One of the most wonderful assets of the community of Centralia, Washington is the existence of Centralia Community College.  Centralia College is the oldest continuously operating community college in the state of Washington. Founded in 1925, the college has a rich heritage of professional, technical, transfer, and basic skills programs serving the community. The college has an enrollment of approximately 10,444 head count with 2,580 FTEs. There are approximately 212 full-time employees. The college is located in the center of the town of Centralia on a tree-lined, 29-acre campus.  

10,444 people are involved with the college in the backyard of the downtown historic district in Centralia.  As the revitalization process of downtown continues the new Centralia Downtown Association is looking for innovative ways to connect with the college community and bring the student and faculty body downtown. 

  Currently there are discussions happening on S. Tower Avenue about creating a “breeze way” type of pathway to lead students from the campus right on to Tower Avenue.  If the pathway were to be created, this would perhaps lead to greater pedestrian foot traffic during the day patronizing the S. Tower businesses and increasing the utilization of the businesses located in the historic district. (more…)

Washington Extends Federal Solar Tax Credits in December 2006. In its waning hours, the 109th Congress passed legislation that would extend the 30% solar energy investment tax credit for homeowners and businesses for one additional year, through the end of 2008. The bill contains the following provisions: (1) Residential Solar Tax Credit: Extends a 30-percent tax credit, created in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, for the purchase of residential solar water heating, photovoltaic equipment, and fuel cell property. Expires after December 31, 2008; and (2) Business Solar Tax Credit and Fuel Cell Tax Credit; Extends a 30-percent business credit, established in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, for the purchase of fuel cell power plants, solar energy property, and fiber-optic property used to illuminate the inside of a structure. After December 31, 2008, the credit reverts to a permanent 10-percent level.

The Washington State Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation web site is a phenomenal resource for information about how Historic & Cultural Tourism can directly impact the economic condition of a downtown sector once it is revitalized.  The following excerpt was taken from the DAHP web site – the link to the Executive Summary of this report is listed at the end of the excerpt.

 The cultural and historic resources of a community tell the story of its past and make any single community distinct from other places.  These resources provide tangible connections to the people and events that have shaped our communities and our collective histories.  Preserving the physical reminders of our past creates a sense of place and community pride.  Historic preservation also generates a wide range of economic benefits in Washington State.  Economic benefits include those associated with the rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of historic buildings and heritage tourism, as well as the impacts that historic designation has on neighborhood character and property values.  Other benefits include the role that historic preservation plays in economic development and downtown revitalization.  (more…)

iped ~ The Institute for Professional and Executive Development 2008 Conference Dates Announced 

The iped 2008 calendar of events has recently been published online. Upcoming conferences relating to historic preservation and tax credit education are as follows: 

Feb. 7-9, 2008

Historic Tax Credit Developer’s Conference sponsored by Nixon Peabody LLP & the Reznick Group 

Don CeSar Beach Resort, St. Pete Beach, FL  

Sept. 24-26, 2008

National Historic Tax Credit Conference 

The Blackstone Hotel, Chicago, IL 

The full iped calendar and event information can be view at: http://www.ipedinc.net  

NA&RA Resources The National Housing & Rehabilitation Association also holds quarterly educational conferences relating to historic rehabilitation and the process of using historic tax credit benefits for development. 

May 14-15, 2008

NH&RA Spring Forum

Hyatt Regency Century PlazaLos Angeles, California

 More information about the conference details can be found at: http://www.housingonline.com  under the events section of the web site. 

“The Creative Economy is a catalyst for the creation of new jobs in Maine communities. People who create jobs want to live in places that have a diverse cultural mix and an innovative and educated workforce. Maine will be competitive economically if we continue to capitalize on the synergies between entrepreneurship, education, the arts and quality of life.”

-         Governor of Maine John Elias Baldacci

 We thought this was a quote worth sharing with relation to the renaissance taking place in historic Hub City Centralia.  Revitalization is a process of developing a “creative economy” - - creating a business district full of distinguished unique retail shops with a mix of traditional mainstream businesses like banks, insurance and law offices, coupled with artisan businesses like glass studios, art galleries and mixed media ~ those are the elements that comprise a “creative economy.”  Growing the business mix in downtown will bring new opportunities that will produce new jobs and impact the quality of the downtown district and overall community.  These advances will bring a greater quality of life for all who visit and call Centralia home.

Official news has been reported that the El Rancho tavern/bar on N. Tower Avenue across from our Wilson Hotel rehabilitation project is now closed.  The building has changed ownership.  Future plans for the building include a family style restaurant.  As more details become available we will pass the news along.  We are excited for the future prospects of the building and are looking forward to the eventual new business being located there.