Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 8:19 pm
I think it misleads to lump tourism and conventions together. Tourists don't want to go to meetings, and conventioneers are too busy in meetings to spend much time on tourist activities. There is some overlap, as both want food and lodging, so having sufficient hotel rooms, for example, would help both activities.
In all my sentient years here, Cleveland has never impressed me as a tourist destination. There are occasional events, such as sporting events (I think specifically of the auto races and occasional sailboat races, that attract people to come here, but such events are seasonal and won't draw people year round, which is what the restaurants and hotels need. I would frankly question the wits of someone from Chicago or Toronto, or further, who would travel here to see the R&R hall of fame, ceremony or not. So unless we can come up with some bonafide tourist attractions, such as a larger theater district or (and I'm not pushing this, gambling and prostitution), we won't become a tourist mecca. A few good museums just won't cut it. Those who advocate opening up the lakefront apparently don't realize that our lake is unswimable, unsurfable, and the beaches are so rocky no one would go there to watch the dead fish rot.
The river district already has all the destination bars and restaurants you would want, with the added excitement that you are likely to get shot, or see a murder, if you spend time there.
That leaves the question of conventions. When I was young there were far more conventions here, but most have left. The politicians say that is because our facility is outdated; but I recall that the common complaint of exhibitors was expenses, due to our high cost of labor, and the monopolies on labor. I recall one exhibiter complaining that he needed to relocate an extension cord, which he could have done himself, but instead he had to wait around until the official electrician showed up, and paid quite a bit for what he thought was work that required no talent. When people ask where our industries have gone, the answer is that they have all moved to places where labor costs less. Our union leaders thought they had the golden goose, but held it so tightly that they killed it. We still have that problem; look at the Cleveland public schools (or whatever they are calling that snake pit these days), which has a surprising amount of money, but manages to spend it all on non-educational work, and cannot even afford classroom materials.
So we can build all the convention centers and medical marts we want, but until we do something to address our high labor costs, the facilities will not attract conventions who can get the same services elsewhere for substantially less.
In all my sentient years here, Cleveland has never impressed me as a tourist destination. There are occasional events, such as sporting events (I think specifically of the auto races and occasional sailboat races, that attract people to come here, but such events are seasonal and won't draw people year round, which is what the restaurants and hotels need. I would frankly question the wits of someone from Chicago or Toronto, or further, who would travel here to see the R&R hall of fame, ceremony or not. So unless we can come up with some bonafide tourist attractions, such as a larger theater district or (and I'm not pushing this, gambling and prostitution), we won't become a tourist mecca. A few good museums just won't cut it. Those who advocate opening up the lakefront apparently don't realize that our lake is unswimable, unsurfable, and the beaches are so rocky no one would go there to watch the dead fish rot.
The river district already has all the destination bars and restaurants you would want, with the added excitement that you are likely to get shot, or see a murder, if you spend time there.
That leaves the question of conventions. When I was young there were far more conventions here, but most have left. The politicians say that is because our facility is outdated; but I recall that the common complaint of exhibitors was expenses, due to our high cost of labor, and the monopolies on labor. I recall one exhibiter complaining that he needed to relocate an extension cord, which he could have done himself, but instead he had to wait around until the official electrician showed up, and paid quite a bit for what he thought was work that required no talent. When people ask where our industries have gone, the answer is that they have all moved to places where labor costs less. Our union leaders thought they had the golden goose, but held it so tightly that they killed it. We still have that problem; look at the Cleveland public schools (or whatever they are calling that snake pit these days), which has a surprising amount of money, but manages to spend it all on non-educational work, and cannot even afford classroom materials.
So we can build all the convention centers and medical marts we want, but until we do something to address our high labor costs, the facilities will not attract conventions who can get the same services elsewhere for substantially less.