Thanks to fans of Chatham County, and officially Neha Shah at the Pittsboro-Siler City Convention & Visitors Bureau, tourists are discovering what residents and businesses here have known for a while: Chatham is an interesting, beautiful and special place to discover.
Last week’s report announcing that Chatham County tied with Davidson County for the highest increase in revenues from tourism dollars in the state in 2011 — and a 10.8% increase from 2010 — should make us all proud. Let’s take a moment and note that people seeking to travel for experiences that can’t be duplicated in their hometowns or in strip malls have voted with their wallets and like Chatham’s rich history, our gorgeous natural areas like Jordan Lake, and quaint walkable towns. Tourists will obviously pay to enjoy original creative experiences like the upcoming NC Hops and Roots Festival, Silk Hope Old Fashioned Farm Days, the Chatham Artists Studio Tour, Bynum Front Porch Summer Concert Series (shown in photo) and ChathamArts’ ClydeFEST Folk Art Carnival for Kids.
Chatham County is ideally situated between major metropolitan areas in the state and we boast good roads that lead day-trippers and RVers to our local wineries, delicious and one-of-a-kind restaurants, and scenic byways. Tourism dollars are spent here by people seeking what we have that is truly Chatham County so let’s all keep this in mind: 1) often tourists are business leaders seeking to relocate, and 2) tourists can turn into residents. Let us all conserve, enhance and celebrate Chatham County.
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