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Adair Tourism has big increases in '05; now $8.5 million annually An interview with Sue Stivers, Executive Director, Columbia-Adair County Chamber of Commerce Adair County has diverse draws: Lakes, Lindsey, Giles, the Fair, history architecture, and Adair County roots. Director would like to see more sidewalks, bikeways, and buried utility lines. Thinks tourism will benefit greatly from new road system and somewhat by later school start By Ed Waggener Tourism is big business in Adair County. And Columbia-Adair County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Sue Stivers says it is growing rapidly. In 2005, $8,573,724 was spent in Adair County in tourist related businesses. That $8.-plus million dollar total still places Adair County a distant third behind Taylor County's $35,382,186 tourist revenues and Russell County's $32,252,143 2005 total. But it is well ahead of Casey County's $5,361,929, Cumberland County's $5,252,143, and Green County's $2,918,061 tourist economy in 2005. The data Stivers cites was received from the Kentucky Travel Council, which put Kentucky's tourism economy at $9.4 billion annually. This summer, tourism is getting a small boost from an unexpected source, the delay of Adair County school opening for two weeks. Tourism industry leaders like a later school start. "August has always been a major tourist month," Stivers said. "When I was a county extension agent, I always saved vacation time for August, and tried to take a vacation in late August so that I could also get the long Labor Day weekend," she said, adding, "a lot of people did the same thing." Stivers is hoping for a state law, along the lines of the one advocated by the Save Our Summers organization, which would mandate a later school start, nearer to Labor Day. "The figures we've received show a 5.9% increase in 2005, and 9.7% for the 2003-2005 period," Stivers said. Adair is drawing tourists from diverse elements Stivers notes that Adair County draws tourist from a diverse group. "It isn't just lake and recreational travel, though we do get a lot of people going to Green River Lake or passing through on the way to Dale Hollow and Lake Cumberland." "More and more people are coming for the architecture. The numbers coming to see Begley Chapel is growing, and many people find the new Fugitte Science Center as just as interesting. But you know," Stivers said, "I hope Adair Countians can realize just how much of an architectural gem the old Adair County Courthouse is, and how important it is to tourism." Stivers said that she gets refill requests from area tourist bureaus who want more brochures with the courthouse on it. A number of colleagues along the Louie B. Nunn Parkway tell her of people who drive specifically to Columbia to see the courthouse. "My favorite story," she says, "is of the woman who stopped by to see the courthouse. She was about to photograph it when she remembered she'd left her camera at home. She didn't do anything else but drive to our Wal-Mart, buy a camera, and shoot pictures of the Adair County Courthouse. But the story didn't end there, Stivers said, "She didn't just sit home and look at the pictures. She comes back at least once a year to see the courthouse again." "I can't tell you the number of people who say our courthouse is the most beautiful public building they have ever seen." One of biggest boosts to tourism could come from utilities Stivers said that the biggest problem, right now, with drawing tourists to the Square is the utility lines in the downtown area and on Lindsey Hill. "People love to take pictures," she said, "and pictures individuals take of our town are actually free advertising, free brochures. But every photographer complains of the unsightliness of the utility poles. One of my main goals is to get the companies and local governments to bury the utility lines. It would make all the difference." Wants more walking and biking trails Stivers does applaud the work of the City of Columbia, with the most ambitious sidewalk program in the community's history. "A lot of tourists are wanting to visit a community where just strolling is really enjoyable. The new sidewalks will be a great help. I'm hoping that one day, we can tell people they can register at a hotel here and walk on a sidewalk all the way to any destination in Columbia." She also thinks that the city and county should build on the national reputation of the mountain biking teams at Lindsey Wilson. "We need more bike racks around downtown, at the library, all public buildings, and at local restaurants," she said. "Bikers spend money here, too." Genealogy research, Giles House, Trabue-Russell help The executive director noted that Adair County's economy is helped by the tourist dollars created by those in search of their roots, whether it is to visit the genealogy room at the library, to search in the county court clerk's office, or to just drive the county to see land of learn more about their heritage. "The Trabue-Russell house is a big resource," she said. "There's are wonderful artifacts there, and the history that Mrs. Kolbenschlag (Vonnie) has done is tremendous. If anyone wants to take a low-cost, learning vacation, they ought to call City Hall for permission to visit the house." She is thankful for the events at Giles House, the fair, and Lindsey Wilson. "A lot of people may not realize it, but the events calendar in Columbia is really broad. And it's not just for Adair County people. The Giles House draws people from many states to its events. And every week there is something at Lindsey Wilson College which brings visitors to Columbia. And of course there's the Adair County Fair. It just gets bigger and bigger. It's like a county reunion. Many of our calls from out of town are about the fair. Biggest tourist dollars will come with bigger attractions Can Adair County ever catch up with Taylor and Russell Counties in the race for tourist dollars. "It would look to be impossible now," she says, "but a lot of factors are on our side. I look for growth in the number of hotel rooms as the new highway system is built. If Wal-Mart really takes a look at where growth is coming in South Central Kentucky, it wouldn't be surprising to see them build a really big Super Center here, maybe even a Sam's. "And as people learn about how much time can be saved going from Louisville, Indianapolis, and Chicago to Tennessee, Atlanta, and Florida, but taking a route through Columbia, I think we're going to see some really big development come here, like a Bass Pro Shop or Cabello's, and that would vault Columbia and Adair County into a top spot." This story was posted on 2006-08-01 09:13:21
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