South Mobile County tourism could get a boost (editorial)

Dauphin Island can be a more secluded option for beachgoers.

A NEW tourism authority in south Mobile County can be a great way to promote and develop the area, but reaching its full potential depends on cooperation with existing agencies.

The Mobile County Commission and the municipalities of Dauphin Island and Bayou La Batre are backing the South Mobile County Tourism Authority, which will extend south from Interstate 10. The authority is an outgrowth of a private corporation formed after last year’s BP oil spill.

A lack of revenue initially prevents a splashy advertising campaign and the hiring of a full staff, but the authority can be an advocate for a part of the Gulf Coast that visitors sometimes overlook.

Dauphin Island’s beaches aren’t as developed as Baldwin County’s, and Bayou La Batre is known primarily for its annual Blessing of the Fleet. But some tourists prefer a quieter atmosphere, relatively secluded accommo- 

dations and a chance to visit smaller places.

The Mobile Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau doesn’t ignore the south county; currently a classically attractive beach photo graces the top of its website, and Dauphin Island events are listed.

The South County Tourism Authority need not attempt to duplicate the bureau’s role, but rather should complement what’s already being done while highlighting its unique attractions.

Likewise, the Mobile bureau and the Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau can work together and with the south county group to market the Alabama Gulf Coast region, from Mobile’s historic sites to the beaches of both counties. Ticket packages and shuttle services are among the ways tourists can experience more in the region than just the place where they happen to be renting a condominium for the week.

Until the south county authority can organize and develop a revenue stream, it can be a resource for travel writers, business interests considering a move to the Gulf Coast and anyone who wants to make a movie or shoot an episode of a TV show.

It can also lobby for fair treatment from BP and claims czar Kenneth Feinberg as the oil spill recovery continues, and it should insist that the environment be protected at all times.

The South County Tourism Authority has the chance to distinguish itself while becoming an important asset to the overall coastal tourism industry.