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A new tourist attraction for Columbia


krazeeboi

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Frankly, I think most of your suggestions should be categorized under 'improvements', not real tourist attractions.

What are some tourist attractions you can think of from other places that are worth while? I'm not saying we should imitate them, but try and look more analytically at what kinds of things somebody from out of town would want to visit.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I was just reading a study from the Moore business school about the impact of the arts on SC's economy. I'm not saying Columbia should try to put on anything the scale of Spoleto, but we shouldn't neglect that people come to events/festivals and spend a lot of money. AND a flourishing arts scene contributes to creative people wanting to live there. What events does Columbia have that would draw people from out of state to visit?

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it's strange for me to think of a tourist attraction being built in a city that has marketed itself partly on its proximity to other "touristy" areas (only 2 hours from myrtle beach, charleston, the mountains, etc.). but strangely, i think the lack of a big "tourist trap" (i borrowed that from simcity4...i love that game!) is a good thing here.

i agree that perhaps the best way to increase columbia's profile is to build on its existing assets--namely, the riverfront. i would love to see some kind of walking trail or network of pedestrian bridges along the meeting of the 3 rivers. and some shops and restaurants along the congaree between cci and the state museum. the city is trying to use the rivers as the core of its identity, so it seems like a natural fit to use the riverfront property that way.

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There's a big difference between a tourist trap and an tourist attraction in my book. My associations of a tourist trap is something overly commercial, over priced, somewhat tacky/kitch, something locals wouldn't care about. A real tourist attraction is something that attracts people from elsewhere, like the Eiffel tower, Bilbao museum, Sydney opera house, ancient architecture, places of historical significance, festivals (like Spoleto), or a cultural or social 'scene' (South Beach, NYC, Hollywood, Aspen), or a spectacular natural environment, resort atmosphere... or a place that just has a cool fun vibe.

What's the purpose of creating a tourist attraction? To make people stop for a day on their way to somewhere else and spend a bit of money to boost the local economy? To attract talented and creative people to a place, and hope they like it enough to settle and start businesses (including keeping graduating students)? To make life more enjoyable for locals? To put a place on the map?

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Here's a great article in the Free Times about the untapped potential of ecotourism in the Midlands. When you think about it, the natural amenities of Columbia and surroundings areas are unmatched by many other cities/regions its size throughout the nation. The Congaree, Broad, and Saluda rivers; Lake Murry; Dreher Island; Sesquicentennial; and Congaree National Park all combine to form an ecological treasure in the area. I don't think that many locals or even South Carolinians realize this great potential, especially since it's not along the coast. Mike Dawson, director of the River Alliance, says once he bumped into a man from Germany at Congaree National Park a couple of years ago when a new visitors center was opening at the park. The man told Dawson he was visiting three places in the United States: Disney World, Vicksburg, Va. (for Civil War sites) and the park.

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That was a great article! I also liked how it was mentioned that attractive natural areas and ways to enjoy those areas are a selling point in attracting talent to an area. It's not just about tourist bucks.

"...the Greenway exemplifies the sort of amenities a community must possess in order to be a magnet for high-skilled workers in the new, information-driven economy..."

When my family moved to Columbia a few months ago we were hoping to find a downtown loft near the river but realized we probably had to wait 5 - 10 years for development. Also, when we realized that lake Murray is largely inaccessible to the public except for a few boat ramps here and there, we decided to buy a house at the lake instead and commute - for now at least. The natural surroundings of Cola really do have a lot of potential, but the infrastructure is definitely not there yet. Walking trails are also barely inexisting, or a joke.

I'm thinking it might be to Cola's advantage that it has been behind economically for years. Otherwise there would be so much more suburban sprawl. Now we might be able to leapfrog other areas by doing a conscious effort of keeping the natural areas beautiful and encourage higher density urban living.

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  • 1 month later...

That was a great article! I also liked how it was mentioned that attractive natural areas and ways to enjoy those areas are a selling point in attracting talent to an area. It's not just about tourist bucks.

"...the Greenway exemplifies the sort of amenities a community must possess in order to be a magnet for high-skilled workers in the new, information-driven economy..."

When my family moved to Columbia a few months ago we were hoping to find a downtown loft near the river but realized we probably had to wait 5 - 10 years for development. Also, when we realized that lake Murray is largely inaccessible to the public except for a few boat ramps here and there, we decided to buy a house at the lake instead and commute - for now at least. The natural surroundings of Cola really do have a lot of potential, but the infrastructure is definitely not there yet. Walking trails are also barely inexisting, or a joke.

I'm thinking it might be to Cola's advantage that it has been behind economically for years. Otherwise there would be so much more suburban sprawl. Now we might be able to leapfrog other areas by doing a conscious effort of keeping the natural areas beautiful and encourage higher density urban living.

All good thoughts. Last point is very true. Let's hope we can...

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  • 9 months later...

More on the potential of ecotourism in the Columbia area. From the latest edition of the Free Times:

Influx of Athletes Shows Ecotourism Potential

A rowing team from Georgetown University will be in Columbia beginning Jan. 2 for pre-season training on the Broad River, followed by teams from the University of Michigan, Syracuse University and more. The teams are part of an influx of more than 500 athletes between January and April, demonstrating the potential of Columbia's rivers to draw outside visitors. "This is valuable business for the Columbia Riverbanks Region," says Columbia Regional Sports Council Director Scott Powers in a news release. The sports council estimates the athletes and their coaches will spend nearly $700,000 in the Columbia area. Marketing Columbia's rivers is an important part of developing an ecotourism strategy for the region. "People are naturally drawn to water," Columbia Convention & Visitors Bureau Vice President Dave Zunker told Free Times in a February story on ecotourism. "This is a direction that has great potential."

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This isn't in Columbia, but it is in the metro area: Carolina Adventure World, the brand-new, 2,600-acre motorized recreation park off, recently previewed in Chapin. It's been described as "a Disneyland for outdoor enthusiasts." The park is set to officially open in the spring.

The preview day drew enthusiasts from as far as NC and GA. Everyone interviewed seemed to be quite impressed with the park, with one guy from NC even saying that it makes him want to move to the area.

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This isn't in Columbia, but it is in the metro area: Carolina Adventure World, the brand-new, 2,600-acre motorized recreation park off, recently previewed in Chapin. It's been described as "a Disneyland for outdoor enthusiasts." The park is set to officially open in the spring.

The preview day drew enthusiasts from as far as NC and GA. Everyone interviewed seemed to be quite impressed with the park, with one guy from NC even saying that it makes him want to move to the area.

Just to be clear... it's not in Chapin, it's in Fairfield County off of Interstate 77

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