NOVEMBER 19, 2009 ISSUE
Barbee, Host Move Forward with New Marketing Initiatives, Members’ Input
High Country Host Holiday Open House at Visitor’s Center December 8
Having run High Country Host from 1994 to 2000, Millie Barbee accepted her second invitation to fill the post on October 1. Barbee believes in using better communication and partnerships to pull the High Country tourism industry through the current economic downturn. She and her staff will host a Holiday Open House on December 8. Photo submitted In 2010, it will have been 30 years since the High Country found itself feeling the effects of a national economic downturn. To combat the struggling economy three decades ago, local leaders decided to build partnerships rather than splinter and fight alone, forming a tourism marketing organization called High Country Host.
Today, the High Country finds itself in similar circumstances. Yet this time, the High Country tourism industry has an established safety net—the time-tested High Country Host. At the helm of this safety net is Millie Barbee, who is almost two months into her second stint as the Host’s executive director. Barbee is dedicated to promoting better communication between her members so that tourism in the High Country will rise out of challenging times, grow and prosper like never before.
“I’m big on building consensus, building partnerships,” explained Barbee. “The High Country has always been a leader in the tourism industry, and to continue that I want to build lasting partnerships with our TDAs and chambers. We all need each other.
“The world keeps changing on us, and the best ways to move forward are to involve more people, new people, new initiatives and try new things,” Barbee added.
Barbee’s Back
Barbee, the Host’s executive director from 1994 to 2000, began her second term at the post on October 1. Barbee retired from the Hickory Convention and Visitors Bureau three years ago and was residing in West Jefferson when the opportunity presented itself.
“It’s been fantastic to be back,” said Barbee. “I’ve had lots of folks stop in and visit and have good conversations that are helping me get back in the mix of things.”
Barbee has been busy over the past 1.5 months. She has met with her board and members to review the basic tenants of the organization and its mission statement and traveled to Raleigh on multiple occasions to meet with elected officials and staff of the N.C. Division of Tourism.
Last week, Barbee and the Host unveiled its new website, www.MountainsofNC.com, which was created using input from Host members. The new site contains information on lodging, attractions, festivals, shopping, restaurants, heritage events and outdoors activities. The website also features a blog, calendar of events, a section for specials and deals, High Country maps and a downloadable vacation planner.
“This new site pulls together all the key information visitors need to plan a trip to the High Country,” said Barbee. “And, it is user-friendly. There are multiple ways of navigation to quickly find what you're looking for.”
Truly a member-created site, the Host has hosted multiple educational focus sessions since the beginning of October with members to collect feedback and ideas on the website.
“During these educational focus sessions we get suggestions from members about what they would want to see on the website. We gather their input because we want to reflect the need [members] bring to us so we can serve them the best we can. If their needs are met, then the tourists needs are met and the tourists are happier,” explained Barbee.
Because most of the sessions—which are held in each High Country county—took place during the busy leaf season, Barbee said the Host would repeat the sessions after the first of the year so more members can take part.
Barbee is also knee-deep in preparing the Host’s annual visitor’s guide. The guide will not be out until March 2010, but already Barbee is hosting committee meetings and crafting the guide’s focus on the Blue Ridge Parkway’s 75th anniversary year.
“The Blue Ridge Parkway has been a major factor in tourism growth up here,” said Barbee, “and we want to feature its past, current and future impacts on our tourism industry.”
Barbee is anxious to share information with members on new marketing initiatives that the Host is currently working on with local tourism development authorities and chambers of commerce. To that end, Barbee and her staff will host a Holiday Open House at the High Country Host Visitor’s Center, located at 1700 Blowing Rock Road in Boone, on Tuesday, December 8, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Holiday Open House December 8
“I hope there will be a great turnout,” said Barbee. “[The open house] will not only showcase the services of [High Country Host] but also the new marketing initiatives we are working on.”
Admission is free to the open house and all Host members, as well as the general public, are welcome and encouraged to attend, said Barbee. Attendees are encouraged to either bring an unwrapped child’s Christmas gift or a check made payable to Santa’s Toy Box.
The event features an all-day meet-and-greet with the staff, interactive information sessions on the new website, door prize drawings featuring goods donated by members and snacks donated by members.
“We want to be available,” said Barbee, “and we are anxious to keep up with our members, their ideas and suggestions.”
For more information on High Country Host, call 828-264-1299, 1-800-438-7500, or click to www.MountainsofNC.com or www.highcountryhost.com.
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