gchildress@heraldsun.com; 419-6645
CHAPEL HILL -- When visitors come here, the thing they ask about most is whether the town has guided tours to show off its arts and cultural treasures.
Currently, the answer is no.
But Laurie Paolicelli, executive director of the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau, wants to change that.
Paolicelli believes the town should create an 11-mile guided tour to show off the town's treasures.
In all, the tour, which Paolicelli has named The Chapel Hill Loop, would originate at University Mall and make stops at 10 key destinations, including the N.C. Botanical Garden, the Carolina Basketball Museum, Weaver Street Market in Carrboro. UNC Memorial Hall, the Chapel Hill Museum and other attractions.
Visitors would pay $2 for the tour.
"What people ask for and are willing to pay for and stick around for is a 10-minute tour that stops at 10 destinations in the area," said Paolicelli, who pitched the idea to the Town Council on Monday. "We have an opportunity to elevate the level of our visitor services to satisfy customers on a level Asheville and similar towns are, and I hope it's something the council will consider."
The proposal received a warm reception from the council, which directed staff to take a closer look at it to see if it is feasible.
If the guided tours are approved by council, visitors would likely climb aboard transit buses to see the town's sites.
There has been some talk about purchasing trolley cars, but under the current economic conditions that might not be feasible.
In an interview Tuesday, Councilwoman Laurin Easthom said she would prefer trolleys to buses if the council decided to move forward with the tours.
"I think there's something different about a trolley versus a bus," Easthom said. "We're not talking about another bus route. But there may be a funding issue. It might be that we would have to start out with a bus."
Councilman Jim Ward, who serves on the Visitors Bureau board of directors, said UNC and Carrboro would also have to buy into the concept.
"I think tying together those cultural entities for a Saturday, in particular, would be a great service for our community," Ward said.
Michael Davis, a citizen who spoke at Monday's council meeting, said the tours are a good idea, but warned officials to think outside of the box to make sure the tours are of interest to the broader community.
"The tour is a wonderful idea. Tours tend to be staid and stodgy," Davis said. "I think if you really want to generate excitement, you need to focus on variety."
Davis added that several tours should be planned to take advantage of niche markets. That way, he said, the tours could be rotated so they do not grow stale.
Paolicelli also shared that Chapel Hill is facing challenges landing tourists due to the economic downturn causing less consumer travel. She said consumers have more choices and that there is increased competition within the state, including a 35 percent growth in hotels within 10 miles of Chapel Hill.
