Published: September 25, 2009 10:19 pm         

Many aspects bring people to town

TERRE HAUTE — The Terre Haute Convention and Visitors Bureau has gone from near obscurity — Executive Director David Patterson recalls his first office was nearly hidden from view on the third floor of the then-Terre Haute First National Bank building on Wabash Avenue — to highly visible.

Fourteen years later, just this year, the THCVB opened a new Welcome Center along East Margaret Avenue near the confluence of Indiana 46 and Interstate 70.

Patterson remains at the helm, and he’s seen firsthand how local tourism has grown during his tenure. The new building, Patterson is quick to say, was not built with taxpayer dollars.

“Not one dime of local tax money went into this [building],” he said. “It showcases our community with no burden at all. These monies are left here by people passing through and it’s just a gift to the community. So it’s our charge, in effect, to reinvest to get other great events.”

The Visitors Bureau’s sole source of income is the innkeeper tax. When Patterson took over as executive director in 1995, the organization’s annual budget was just more than $200,000.

That amount has risen every year, with about $1.2 million derived last year from people staying in local hotels or at Indiana State University, Rose-Hulman or St. Mary-of-the-Woods. Patterson admitted the jury is still out for an increase this year due to the sluggish economy.

Tax monies raised have been reinvested in a variety of ways to promote local tourism.

Some of the bigger-line items are parking lots for Fowler Park’s Pioneer Village, helping with locker rooms at Rose-Hulman for Colts Camp, and close to $400,000 for buildings at the Wabash Valley Fairgrounds.

Sporting events bring people to the city

“I’m a sports guy,” admitted Patterson. “We’ve got a distinct thing going. This is the second time we’ve hosted two National Collegiate Championships [cross country and track] in the same year. It’s a positive effect on our community.

“We’ve hosted 11 Colts Camps. That says we’re capable. We’ve hosted 14 national collegiate championships in 15 years. That says we’re capable. I’m a firm believer that you reap what you sow. The more good things you get out there, the more good things that you’re considered for.”

Patterson says there is an indirect, non-sports benefit to the community from hosting Colts Camp.

“People come down that hill, they’re thrilled to be there for the Colts. But don’t think 99 percent of those people [aren’t thinking] ‘Wow! Rose-Hulman’s got this going on,’” he said. “You can’t put a number on that. That’s something, in essence, we pay to keep happening. It’s a good investment.”

Tourism even includes tourists not coming to an event in Terre Haute. Because of laws limiting motorcoaches to how far or how long they can travel daily, Terre Haute makes a likely stopping point.

“One call to our office sets up their meals for the evening, lodging,” he said. “That motorcoach planner isn’t making five calls, they’re making one call to our office. That’s what separates us from Plainfield and Effingham.”

New choices in hotel accommodations

Three new hotels — The Hilton Garden Inn and Candlewood Suites, downtown; and Springhill Suites just south of Interstate 70 — have opened in Terre Haute in recent years, giving visitors and travelers more options on accommodations.

“The smart money is to have all [hotel] amenity levels covered,” Patterson said. “Prior to those three coming in, I would tell people we didn’t necessarily have a shortage of rooms, we had a shortage of upscale rooms.”

Several existing hotels have undergone extensive remodeling, including the Holiday Inn and Hampton Inn. Terre Haute’s newest hotel will be a Holiday Inn Express, set to open in fall 2010 on the city’s east side. “In that grove of trees over there,” Patterson points out his new office window at the site chosen for the new hotel.

Patterson is appreciative of his new surroundings in the Welcome Center and of its prime location.

“This place serves what has been our weakest link, the casual traveler,” he said. “[Travelers] pull off the beaten path off I-70, their first glimpse of Terre Haute is this professional, great-looking building. At some point, I just think over a lifetime, that changes the perspective about your community.”

Dennis Clark can be reached at (812) 231-4227 or dennis.clark@tribstar.com.