[MTK1]

Not a good sign especially with the current economy.

WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Study: Vt. Tourism Stagnant

[Summerz]

They need to start focusing more on the people who live and work here anyways.
and quit depending so much on tourism as it can always vary for many reasons.

[GypsySoul22]

Originally Posted by Summerz

They need to start focusing more on the people who live and work here anyways.
and quit depending so much on tourism as it can always vary for many reasons.

I agree with you. Time to move away from tourism and toward more manufacturing. It can be 'green manufacturing' and 'positive items.' Maybe people can get wages more in line with 2009...all this tourism butt kissing for $$$ seems very undignified.

[flu189]

What I found interesting is that the rate of tourism has actually been flat for almost a decade. Tourism for a state such as ours has tradionally been a major economic driver and in fact has been a motivator to influence folks to move here. In this light it is important to market Vermont, because Vermont just does not have the necessary attributes in place to create and foster real and sustained economic growth which will lead to the amount of well paying jobs to bring folks out the sphere of just existing day to day. Granted, four season tourism is not the saving grace, but it is one of the most sustainable qualities we have to bring money into the state. To replace tourism would require a major shift in current thought and operation, something which we just will not see for quite some time, if ever.

[LisaMc46]

While tourism brings much needed meals, room, sales and alcohol tax revenues to the state, it doesn't create well-paying jobs for Vermonters.

I work in Stowe. Most of my coworkers work more than one job just to pay their bills. The average wage in the service sector around here is $8-$10 per hour, far less than the $17 per hour "livable wage" that economists say is necessary to afford basic housing, food and living expenses. A "good-paying" job around here would be advertised with much fanfare in the local newspaper as paying $12 or $14 an hour.

I think the state should create a large research/technical center similar to the Research Triangle in N.C. They should offer the nation's best research and tech companies tax breaks in exchange for providing good-paying jobs.

As far as the flat tourism statistics are concerned, I think that there's more competition than there used to be now that N.H., Maine and upstate N.Y. have ramped up their tourism campaigns. So, Vermont gets a smaller slice of the pie.

Anecdotally, tourism here in Stowe seems extremely light, which is odd for this time of year ---- peak ski season. I've heard the mountain has been busy on weekends, but most of the business is generated by day trippers and second home owners who won't necessary drop money in the local restaurants and shops. In the village there are more vacant store fronts than occupied ones. It's sad. It's starting to look like a ghost town.

[harry chickpea]

I've been getting reports of midweek ski lift loads of maybe one in twenty chairs occupied at Smugglers, and fantastic skiing. Looks like the expensive ski vacations are one of the first cutbacks people make.

Tourism promoters would do well to bring back the idea of tent and car camping, like was popular in the 1930s. The whole tourism gig worked from the 30s to 70s because people didn't like to travel too far from New York or Boston, and could easily travel by train or car to Vermont in a day or less. From the 80s onward, international travel helped tourism. Now with New York and Europe both suffering, trips to Vermont are getting turned into savings and food and rent money.

[chrismpv]

Tourism may have been flat for the past 10 years but it faired much better than other state. Disregarding tourism complete would be cutting our nose off. We still need those dollars. Do we also need manufacturing, etc? Certainly, but each part of the pie is important. A lot of big companies can't find the staff to work for them for decent wages; it's a vicious circle. Put disregarding tourism woulb be a mistake.

[mustmove]

Originally Posted by harry chickpea

I've been getting reports of midweek ski lift loads of maybe one in twenty chairs occupied at Smugglers, and fantastic skiing. Looks like the expensive ski vacations are one of the first cutbacks people make.

Tourism promoters would do well to bring back the idea of tent and car camping, like was popular in the 1930s. The whole tourism gig worked from the 30s to 70s because people didn't like to travel too far from New York or Boston, and could easily travel by train or car to Vermont in a day or less. From the 80s onward, international travel helped tourism. Now with New York and Europe both suffering, trips to Vermont are getting turned into savings and food and rent money.

I've been laughing for years about the cost of skiing in the East. A ski weekend (w/airfare) out West costs the same as a ski weekend in VT. Tourism is a dumb thing to base an economy on but at least it is 'green'

[mustmove]

C'mon Chris no one still believes that line about companies not being able to find workers.

[Sherylcatmom]

Originally Posted by mustmove

C'mon Chris no one still believes that line about companies not being able to find workers.

This has been the case for the organization I work with and others in our sector, not just in Vermont but throughout New England. One organization had a position open for nearly a year, which I'd have gladly taken if it wasn't such a long drive from me. Finally, they hired two people who, together, fill the job opening needs plus other needs. But no fully-qualified person even applied.

Eventually we hire the best folks we can find, but it's been a challenge to find qualified workers.

Obviously, there are also many good workers who can't find jobs. So there's a mix-and-match discrepancy, too.