>>
Coming up on need to know the PGA championship brought
visitors to the region but what will bring tell back?-
Toronto says it will dock a fast ferry to Rochester but what
attraction would draw Canadians?-
How about the wineries and waterfront of the fingers fingers.-
Officials believe they have an opportunity to capture more
visitors.-
We will look at the drive to market the finger lakes.-
We also have our weekly edition of the business section with
the Democrat and chronicle on need to know.-
-
>> Thanks for joining us.-
I'm Michael Caputo.-
If you don't think tourism means big business more than 80,000
people in the central fingers fingers region are employed in
tourism activities.-
They are making more than $167 million in annual payroll.-
That is according to the New York state economic development
department.-
So with a stagnant upstate economy it easy to see why tourism
appears to be a place to create employment.-
Some see great potential in the 14-county fingers fingers
region close to Rochester, Syracuse and Ithaca.-
23 million people are estimated to have visited the region last
year.-
That according to a regional study.-
But are they staying?-
Not as much as tourism planners would like.-
They say the time is right to entice visitors linger in places
like Canandaigua, Hammondsport and Geneva.-
They see opportunity in a post-9-11 world where people are more
apt to travel by car than plane.-
But there are hurdles.-
Among them how to balance making the fingers fingers a visitor
destination while keeping it a comfortable place to live.-
Also, how can the region attract needed tourism investment
dollars?-
And another question, how does the region avoid conflicting
marketing messages that con fause tourists?-
A coordinated marketing effort has started to happen.-
An agency dedicate to the area called finger lakes tourism has
reorganized and become more focused on a regional marketing
pitch after a first of its kind study that looks at the finger
lakes region as a whole.-
We will get to that discussion in a moment.-
Will you first need to know's Alicia Clausell and Martin
Kaufman introduce us to one place that's trying to become more
visitor friendly, the city of Geneva.-
-
>> It is known as the gateway to the fingers fingers and
the
Seneca wine trail.-
Geneva lies dead in the center of the region and is considered
a great starting point when traveling through central New
York.-
But people are driving by and through Geneva heading for
Hammondsport, Naples and Skaneateles, all well established
tourist towns.-
Geneva has struggled with suburban development and commercial
sprawl.-
And is fighting to become a city where tourists will stay
overnight, visit local restaurants, and take advantage of some
of its attractions, like the Smith opera house, Hobart William
Smith college, and most notably its positioning on Seneca
lake.-
The deepest and widest of all the finger lakes.-
Richard rising is the city manager for Geneva.-
He says they are working to I will prove the downtown area.-
Then link that to its neglected attractions.-
Like the shore at Seneca lake.-
-
>> Lake front is close to downtown and one of the key
priorities for the community is to undertake activities that
can link the downtown area with the lake front.-
Downtown has undergone separate revitalization, a lot of
historic renovations and new retail stores opening.-
Created a second hotel about 70 or 80 rooms, a passenger rail
station that will be associated, we hope, with fingers fingers
railway and provide passenger rail service in the area and
eventually we help to connect with the main line.-
-
>> Lake front can be a town's hottest attraction but in
Geneva
downtown and the lake front are separated by routes 5 and 20.-
With heavy traffic and speeding cars it is deterrent to
pedestrians, a problem that is in the easily resolved.-
-
>> Rick Hauser, an architect and professor at Hobart William
Smith college, has studied and evaluated Geneva as part of a
class he teaches at the school.-
Routes 5 and 20 are perceived as a barrier that difert.-
City.-
>> It is more than uninviting, it is is repelling.-
You feel comfortable when you are in downtown.-
There are buildings that are human scaled, other people,
there's parking that slows down traffic and stop lights that
slows down traffic.-
It is an inviting atmosphere.-
You turn the corner, leave exchange treat to head this and
immediately you feel like you have left.-
The place for people and you have entered the realm of the
automobile.-
The sidewalks, while ago not ending, are less inviting.-
Then you have to cross over a railroad track.-
Then you get to an intersection which is clearly an automotive
intersection which people are interfering with the flow of
traffic.-
And you dash across really what end up being about 80 feet of
asphalt to arrive at the other side where there's still no
sense of the human scale.-
-
>> Hauser and his students have looked at creating pedestrian
walkways.-
These bridges over routes 5 and 20 have long been discussed.-
But they are expensive.-
The alternative, calm the traffic on the highways.-
-
>> Our approach really has been to bring the ling front
and
downtown together a number of other ways largely bringing it
together along 5 and 20 in its entirety as opposed to just one
point of crossing.-
The other aspect of that is to work with DOT as we are now to
try to lower the speed limit across this section, perhaps get
another traffic light at one of the cross streets that would
slow traffic town.-
-
>> Geneva is also looking to increase tourism through
the
arts.-
Last year the city commissioned a study that calls for
chanchingse in their promotion of arts and culture.-
Some results have been the creation of a arts development
council and the first Geneva arts festival, a month long event
that end this weekend.-
The community has more long range goals like permanent office
space for the council downtown -
>> We've got a grood idea, a new cultural arts center,
particularly in Geneva where you have the lakes, the beautiful
scenery, wine country.-
All of the tourist attractions that are here.-
And filling it with artistic and cultural events will be
another major draw in the area.-
Everybody knows that the arts are good business.-
It feels like Geneva is right on the edge of just exploding
right now back with the whole cultural Renaissance.-
-
>> The town hopes to link itself more closely with the
Seneca
wine trail.-
Voters in the town of general general which surrounds the city
approved a referendum to establish a winery on land of Belhurst
castle.-
But lake front is the key to bringing in visitors.-
For years towns like Skaneateles have capitalized on their lake
front by building restaurants and shops close along the
waters.-
The why is Geneva only now jumping on the bandwagon?-
-
>> I think a lot of it has to do with the evolution of
our own
planning here in Geneva particularly on the lake front and
renewed efforts to improve downtown and redevelop part of
downtown.-
Part of it I think is what is happening in the region as a
whole.-
The increasing interest in the wine industry and visitations
to
the area.-
-
>> It didn't decline overnight and it's not going to come
back
overnight.-
The important thing I think to note is the momentum.-
And almost anyone you talk to would agree the tide has turned.-
The momentum now is toward revitalization.-
-
>> We tear this conversation from Geneva to the entire
fingers
fingers region and invite our studio guests, Lynn herzig
tourist person and past president of the tourism agency.-
Gene pierce president of Glenora wine cellers and Lois
Kozlowski owner of wizard of clay.-
Thank you all for coming.-
Let me ask this right off the bat.-
It is a question about mixed messages.-
What is going to motivate whether it is 14 counties in the
region, a lot of, you know, single operations working in that
area.-
What will motivate everyone to come together under a common
regional marketing scheme?-
Let me ask that first Lois of someone who owns a business.-
-
>> That's why we will come together because we will benefit.-
The whole will be greater than the sum of parts if we work
together.-
I as an individual property in the fingers fingers can extend
my marketing effort within maybe a 60 or 70-mile radius.-
I need to go farther happen that to support the kind of income
that I need to make to stay in business, especially in this
economy.-
Go farther than that with what I can afford to spend on
marketing my effort will be weak at best.-
Where if I can combine my efforts with the other individual
properties in the fingers fingers region through a coordinated
regional effort and bring people into the region from Toronto,
New York, Cleveland, Pennsylvania, places where we are reaching
out to as a region, once they are in the region I will do my
job.-
I will get them to my property.-
-
>> Is it a sales job at the outset to people like you?-
-
>> Yes.-
-
>> To say this is how we are going to do it?-
Mr. herzig, would you comment?-
Is it first to the 14-county region to get them to buy in -
>> It sure is.-
I think one of the great opportunities for sales in that
response is greed.-
People saying I need more money.-
I have to make more money to make my end meet and here is an
opportunity that I cannot afford to do on my own and I have
to
be able to reach more people this more places in order to take
that, to get those folks to come see me.-
-
>> Why hasn't it happened before?-
Why has this coming together not happened until recently?-
-
>> Well, I think there's a lot of reasons, but perhaps
as far
as I'll concerned the best reason would simply be that we have
not had the education necessary.-
People have been satisfied with the status quo.-
People have been satisfied with saying, well, I did OK last
year.-
I can probably do OK next year.-
And that will be good enough.-
And that just isn't good enough in today's economy.-
Today's economy is very difficult, very competitive.-
-
>> Do you agree with that, Mr. pierce?-
-
>> Definitely.-
There's no question people are recognizing the value of working
together and what we are also finding, there's a thought
process of people looking beyond their own area.-
Loots of times people, the 14-county region by itself was
almost a single provision and a lot of the counties were
marketing their own counties and this has been pointed out so
many times, there really is no such thing as a county line in
the visitors' mind.-
He or she is coming into the region and we are really learning
that by promoting the region that we are going to benefit.-
The area that we are still a bit weak on is I don't know that
we have clearly defined what the region is or what the brand
is
that we are trying to market.-
-
>> How would one define this region?-
I did call it a -county region.-
I said it went -- 14-county region.-
From Rochester to Syracuse do you know to Ithaca.-
How would one define the region?-
-
>> As we move along you have boundaries tar physical.-
But I think that you find today visitors are coming more by
the
experience as opposed to just the region itself.-
The fingers fingers association which started in 1919 has done
an admirable job of putting information out there that there's
a fingers fingers.-
What we need to do now is take the experiences that can be had
while we are in the region and move them forward.-
The winery experience.-
The shopping experience.-
The boat cruising experience.-
Whatever that might be.-
Put it together in some format package or otherwise where
people can really understand it and then enjoy it.-
-
>> Let me ask you this question, Lois.-
You are somebody that works right there in the midst of the
finger lakes region.-
It is quiet.-
It has to be a nice place to work.-
Got to an great place to live.-
I would think the biggest difficulty in developing tourism in
this region is how to balance it between development and a nice
way of life.-
Where do you see the biggest pitfalls as things are being
pushed to develop tourism now in terms of keeping that
balance?-
-
>> You are right, it is definitely a challenge.-
One of the factors you need to keep in mind is that those of
us
who are involved in development also live there.-
So we have the same concerns as the residents who say no, we
should not go forward with any development.-
We moved here to be quiet.-
So did we.-
So a lot of people need to come into planning who have vested
interests in the area not only as residents but as business
people.-
And the balance will evolve.-
The fingers fingers don't lend themselves to smokestacks, they
don't lend themselves to big box factory complexes.-
They lend themselves to small, independent businesses in many
cases that can maintain an appropriate profile for the
environment and appropriate profile for what the community
needs and wants.-
And in many cases they have already done that, they have
blended in, and we just need to the prove to the communities
and planning people that what we are doing enhances the
community, it brings people in who buy gas and buy groceries
and stop at the camping area and leave money and go home.-
They don't tax our roads, don't tax our schools.-
We are going to look for an industry that imports money.-
-
>> But people in general, I think this is something when
you
bring up the word tourism, people typically think amusement
parks, Disneyland.-
Am I right that that is a public perception?-
And how do you deal with it?-
-
>> Absolutely.-
And that's one of the things that makes this area unique.-
Jurgs the name fingers fingers is an implication of lakes and
natural beauty and that sort of thing.-
And a lot of the reason for people to come to the area is
because of things like that.-
The gorgeous, the lakes, some of the other things.-
The wineries.-
There is no question that the wine industry has been a very
big
draw.-
There are many people beginning to focus on that.-
All of those things, in order keep the area viable, need to
be
maintained.-
We need to keeping a curl land in production.-
And by planting grapes that in itself protects the land.-
We often say if you will build a house, the house is just taken
out about 40 acres of viable grape land and that really does
protect our area.-
People are not coming here, this is not Disneyland in the sense
of the big theam amusement park.-
What we do have to be careful of, though, is the fact that as
this area is growing -- and it is growing -- there's going to
be a need for infrastructure.-
We are sadly lacking in infrastructure in the fingers fingers
region.-
Large hotels that are convenient.-
That is where we are going to have the outsiders come in that
don't live here that may not have as much value on the area
as
we do.-
-
>> And there you are talking about investment.-
And let's talk a little bit about investment.-
We were talking just before when we came on about I love New
York and a campaign that, I think, has been thought of as a
successful campaign.-
Yet, am I right, Mr. herzig, the state has cut back on this.-
The investment is not there on a state level or local level
for
tourism to grow.-
-
>> You are right that the state has cut bag on tourism
development funds just as so many other things because of the
budget restraints we are faced with.-
But when you get down to it the funding always comes back to
the private sector, the business people that are willing to
put
their money into that.-
Then it has to come the next step through the county, through
the region, in order to gather as many of the funds together
as
they can in order to promote their products.-
>> It's a tough time.-
-
>> It is.-
-
>> It is a tough time if you are looking for money even
from
the private sector.-
Again it sounds like a sales job, sales job, with people who
live in the fingers fingers to try to get them to accept
development.-
What is the sales pitch to get money from government?-
To golet investment from government?-
-
>> I have no successful sales pitches for getting funds
from
the government, unfortunately.-
I really wish that I could spring one on you, but I really
don't.-
That is a tough one.-
-
>> The person who is out there watching this living in
Rochester maybe has a family member that lost a job at Kodak,
we have seen some manufacturing downsizing in the area.-
They see tourism jobs as being something that's not going to
pay a lot.-
Another thing that might be a perception out there.-
What would you say to the person who says come on, that's not
a
manufacturing job.-
-
>> It certainly isn't a manufacturing job, but the
opportunities are still there to, wherever you begin at the
pay
structure level, you still have the opportunity to improve and
increase and make it a very good living at tourism
development.-
Not all jobs are the same.-
And that's the same with tourism.-
There are some jobs that Kodak don't pay a lot either.-
-
>> Mr. pierce, I wouldn't mind you commenting on that,
too.-
Wouldn't that be the perception?-
-
>> I think that is absolutely correct.-
And there is some truth to that.-
A lot of the folks that work in our industry are college
people, entry level people, and we are providing them with a
great opportunity to get in on the ground floor and grow.-
On the other hand, when you have restaurants, you need
executive chefs, chefs, hotel managers, and I battle with this
every day.-
Retail shop managers.-
And these are very well paid positions that people are not
aware of that are available if you are living in Rochester,
less than an hour away.-
-
>> You are nodding your head, Lois.-
You agree?-
-
>> I am.-
Speaking from an individual property, the people who I'm happy
to share work space with are skilled and we try to pay them
commensurate with a good living wage.-
They are not entry level jobs.-
It is not all fast food operations.-
There are fairly high sophisticated skills available a lot of
people contact.-
Tourism is a people business.-
And good people people can command a good salary.-
Do you think the city of Rochester is get being the link with
the fingers fingers, getting that they ought to jump aboard
on
this?-
Are we getting it out here?-
-
>> I think we are moving in the right direction.-
I have always enjoyed talking with folks who live here and who
say when we go on vacation we are going forth fingers fingers
as if this is not part of fingers fingers but it is.-
We are back to the boundaries but it doesn't make any
difference.-
If we can bring visit torps and with the new ferry service that
will bring us closer.-
-
>> What about the ferry?-
Do you see that as an opportunity?-
Some people think we won't bring anybody here.-
-
>> Well, I think it is an opportunity.-
Anything that will create interest and excitement in the region
and publicity is a very positive thing.-
And the folks that are coming with ferry are coming in a car.-
So they will drive around romp and drive through the fippings
fingers and I think that is a really positive thing.-
They are here and they are going to have a vehicle to move
themselves about and the fingers fingers to Rochester is the
farthest point.-
-
>> I want to thank you for taking the time to be with
us.-
We want your thoughts. You can give them to us either on the
web at wxxi.org/ntk
or you can email us at need two know at
needtoknow@wxxi.org.-
Now
here is the business section with "THE
DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE."
>>
With us is Ben Rand reporter for the Democrat and chronicle
business section.-
Thanks for being with us.-
-
>> You are welcome.-
-
>> We talked about the fingers fingers and tourism.-
Let's talk about the wine industry.-
Which has boomed over the last few years, whether it has
staying power.-
-
>> It really looks to us like it's one of the more impressive
economic developments in our region over the last number of
years.-
Hard to say how it will turn out, but it has gone from a
handful of wineries up to about 70, which is a pretty good
critical mass.-
You have people who are quitting good corporate jobs to come
who the region to to open wineries.-
They are showing up on New York City restaurant tables.-
There are scouts looking for land in the area.-
So it looks good.-
It has a ways to go to compete with napa valley which has four
times as many wineries as the fingers fingers.-
-
>> This is a question that was asked earlier.-
Has Rochester itself bought into the fingers fingers in terms
ofing can -- finger lakes in terms of connecting itself with
the wineries out there?-
-
>> I really think it looks to us like that is something
that is
just happening now.-
We are starting to awaken -- awaken to the possibilities of
linking it to the fast ferry.-
There is discussion about whether that would bring people from
Canada.-
Some talk about it as a pass-through, deliver people from
Canada to here on their way to the fingers fingers or to points
east -- finger lakes to point east and they stop for a tank
of
gas or to eat.-
-
>> How are officials looking at it in Rochester in terms
of
what they can accomplish?-
Are they working with the finger lakes tourism to be part of
the marketing scheme?-
Are they involving themselves that way this are they trying
to
do something in can Democrat with them this what have you
heard?-
-
>> Absolutely, the Rochester visitors association has
had a
couple of initiatives to try to make the link and sort of as
a
pass-through.-
I don't think anybody is looking at the finger lakes as a
solution to Rochester's economic problems.-
But it certainly is part of a solution, a way for everybody
to
benefit.-
-
>> Who are some of the biggest wineries up in our region,
the
ones that have really made an impact this I would imagine bully
hill is sort of the fore runner for the whole growth.-
-
>> Our reporting showed that they were sort of the catalyst.-
About a decade ago they had about 400,000 visitors and last
year -- or 2000 it was around 3 million.-
So they are Probably the best known.-
There are a lot of lesser known ones.-
But that is not unlike napa valley which has family owned
wineries up to corporate operations.-
-
>> We visited the city of Geneva.-
They have put aside land, they are going to build themselves
a
winery.-
The thought there was let's bring it closer.-
Let's bring the wine country closer to us because they want
to
connect somehow.-
I would assume when you talk about people who are giving up
those high paying corporate jobs, that this is what they are
opting out for.-
-
>> Exactly.-
-
>> To they make a go at it?-
Is it a touch add go thing?-
I would imagine any self-employed enterprise is touch and go.-
-
>> A lot of them are new so time will tell.-
And they are low grade, family owned so had he don't require
the infrastructure of a big corporate winery per se.-
But a lot of the infrastructure, the things that will deliver
more visitors are starting to build up.-
There's a hotel going up that will allow people to take day
trips and spend their money there.-
And the statistics from napa valley show that an overnight
riftor spends something like $300 a day on food and lodging
and
transportation.-
Now, who knows whether that figure will transfer here.-
But clearly there's an attraction.-
-
>> Should give it a shot.-
You covered Kodak.-
I wanted to ask if the reorganization of up are management,
is
that a sign they are getting away from sales?-
-
>> Looking that way.-
Starting a commercial printing division, sell machines that
would crank out catalogues and other high quality print
material.-
It remains to be seen how quickly they will go away.-
But they are acknowledging very strongly for the first time
that they are not going to be the -- that film is not going
to
be the major part of their future.-
The little yellow box is not going to be the marquee.-
-
>> Come up Sunday, in the paper, you are going to do something
on Jefferson road and shopping?-
-
>> The overall retail.-
There's quite a bit of investment, the big one is east view
mall, a $20 million expansion.-
But the plaza has an expansion and there is a kohls going in
and all with an eye toward building entertainment, not just
shopping but places to go to dine and have fun.-
-
>> Thank you for being with us.-
Visit our discussion board on the web at wxxi.org/ntk,
or you
can email us at needtoknow@wxxi.org.-
Next week just before Labor Day we look at how labor is being
affected by free trade policies in the U.S.-
Are they fair?-
We will see you then.-
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