CC alerts residents to the

importance of tourism

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM--"Company's Coming ... Are You Ready?"

Don't worry; you don't have to vacuum the rugs or do an emergency groceries run. The lawn signs popping up around town are one of the ways the New Ulm Chamber of Commerce's Tourism Committee is alerting New Ulm residents to the importance of tourist traffic.

It's a part of National Tourism Week promotion launched recently by the committee, chaired by Lois Stadick. While the actual tourism week starts today and runs through May 12 (an eight-day week), a number of activities designed to educate residents about the value of tourism to the community have already been held, Stadick said.

For example, tours were set up for sixth-grade public and parochial school students several weeks ago to fit in with school schedules, Stadick explained. Students traveled by bus to visit popular local tourist attractions like the Hermann Monument, Lind House, Wanda Gag House, Cathedral Church, Brown County Historical Society Museum, Schell's Brewery and the Glockenspiel on North Minnesota Street.

In a stop at the Chamber of Commerce office, these students received a lesson in tourism "economics."

"By tearing a fake $100 bill into pieces, we showed them how a $100 bill is split up in the community," Stadick said.

Last week Stadick and Opal Dewanz, another committee member, went around to schools, explaining to students what tourism is, what the benefits to the community are and "how to be a good host to our visitors."

The committee also had statistics to show how many real $100 bills come into the community through tourist dollars spent on food, lodging and entertainment.

"We had a dummy check made up which is made out for $20,187,002 to illustrate the estimated amount of tourists' money which flowed into the community in 2001," Stadick, who also manages the Lind House, explained.

That figure was derived from the 1998 Minnesota Sales and Use Tax report provided by the Minnesota Department of Revenue, said Terry Sveine, the chamber's tour coordinator.

Stadick said the check total is before it is multiplied seven times, the standard by which the economic impact of "new" money upon communities is measured. That means the total economic impact upon the community could total as much as $140 million.

"The (Minnesota) Department of Tourism has a statistic that I think is important," Sveine said. "The department says if Minnesota didn't have tourism, it would mean that each family in the state would have to pay an additional $568 in taxes."

In addition to the lawn signs, posters proclaiming the campaign's slogan for placing in local businesses, advertising explaining how local businesses like Kraft Foods, making cheese for McDonald's Restaurants, are involved in tourism, and "tent" cards explaining the effects of tourism on New Ulm for restaurant tables are all part of the campaign to raise resident awareness of tourism.

Also, a "Company's Coming" song written by Judy Sellner and Stadick will be played on local radio, a promotional video will be shown on local cable channels and a paycheck flyer is going out to businesses to be included in employees' paychecks.

If that were not enough, Mayor Arnold Koelpin has signed a proclamation designating May 4-12 as New Ulm Tourism Week and calling upon New Ulm residents to observe "this week with appropriate ceremonies and activities."

The mayor also will act as guide on a "Buergemiester" motor-coach tour of New Ulm's attractions Monday, May 6, starting at 6:30 p.m. Reservations are required and can be made by calling the chamber office at 233-4300.

"What we're trying to do through this campaign is to educate local people on the importance of tourism, and what New Ulm has to offer as tourist attractions," Stadick concluded.