By William Marshak
Staff note: With part two of “Happymont” by Panashe Matemba-Mutasa running in this issue, we saw a connection to Bill Marshak’s editorial from January 29, 2013, proposing a visitor’s bureau to promote truly local features. There is much to see and do within Fremont and the surrounding cities, and the charm goes beyond shopping and consuming. Why not have a central place for visitors to find out what’s unique to the area?
One of my pet peeves is the notion that without a “big brother” or “big sister” neighbor, such as Silicon Valley, San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, etc., the greater Tri-City area has little to offer. I have heard countless times that we are simply a “bedroom community” for more affluent and recognized areas. In my opinion, this is not only untrue, but an indication of a basic inferiority complex that should not be tolerated. The emergence of our area as a vital and essential component of the San Francisco Bay Area is not a recent phenomenon; this area has been a critical resource of the peninsula and cities of San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose for over a century. Agriculture, manufacturing and recreation have excelled here as well as leadership in water conservation and environmental preservation. Our problem has not been the lack of resources, quality of life or innovation in arts and sciences, rather the promotion of these virtues.
Although business-oriented Chambers of Commerce currently exist in each of our cities and focus on supporting an important sector of our economy, a regional perspective including promotion of a rich quality of life and venues would appeal to visitors and enhance our own self-image. Actions by city-oriented economic development personnel have produced successful outcomes at times including the recent groundbreaking of Whole Foods in Fremont. However, a different, complementary organization – a Convention & Visitor’s Bureau – has been used in other locales with success.
It is time to consider a Visitor’s Bureau for the Greater Tri-City area. It will not only promote the valuable qualities of our corner of the world to visitors, but reinforce positive aspects to residents. Ever check out local hotels and see what they promote in brochures and literature for those who visit? Very few, if any, speak of the local amenities. “Local” for many visitors means traveling – and spending their money – many miles from their hotel to cities in the greater Bay Area without much regard for what is available within steps.
A Visitor’s Bureau would be tasked with identifying and promoting what we have without municipal bickering. If something is worth promoting, whether in Fremont, Newark, Union City, Hayward or Milpitas, it will be done. This means that visitors will be more likely to hang around at least for a day or two and spend their money in our cities. Instead of slogans of “Shop – (fill in the city)”, we would actually promote the beauty and offerings of our area. Over time, the multitude of unfulfilled, dusty plans for museums, convention centers and performing arts venues would not only be revived, but find support, funding and become reality.
