Shopping--The Third Activity Tourists Look for When Choosing a Tourism Destination

NOVEMBER 6 SHOW SUMMARY

Shop on the Treasure Coast ‘until you drop' was today’s topic with guests Roberta Murray, the local leasing representative for Simon Property Group responsible for both the Indian River Mall in Vero Beach and the Treasure Coast Square Mall in Jensen Beach, and Stephanie Young, director of marketing for Harbour Bay Plaza located in Sewall’s Point.

With Talkin' Tourism host Gary Guertin in the "cone of error”, (hurricane talk courtesy of Hurricane Ida), co-host Robin Hicks-Connors clarifies that shopping is the third most popular visitor activity. Every type of shopping experience, from large regional malls to boutique plazas to unique mom-and-pop specialty shops, provides visitors an opportunity to satisfy their need to shop. The economic impact is huge! Besides providing a shopping experience, malls and shopping plazas are an integral part of the Treasure Coast cultural and social experience. Listeners who tuned in to the show know why. They also heard more about some of the great events coming up that occur at area shopping venues.

Gary also touched upon the Sebastian Clambake Festival. Interesting festival facts uncovered included: the festival will go through 3,400 lbs. of clam strips and 400 gallons of clam chowder. If you're interested in the number of fish fillets and more details, download or listen to the show HERE.

Last, Gary and Robin discussed details on the Bahamas International Film Festival. If you missed the show, see the link above to listen to it on your computer.

Coming up this week on Friday, November 13: Safety tips for travelers.

Thanks for tuning in. 'See' you on Friday!

Let's Go Shopping!

Historically, shopping is a very highly rated activity within the tourism industry in terms of what people do on vacation. Despite the challenges of a recuperating economy, shopping is a must.

As stakeholders in the hospitality industry of the Treasure Coast, retailers have much to gain by participating in the promotion and marketing of our Treasure Coast destination. From regional malls to boutique shopping plazas to unique mom and pop shops, the potential appeal of a destination can me measured by the variety of shopping experiences offered.

This week join Talkin' Tourism host Gary Guertin and co-host Robin Hicks-Connors as they explore Treasure Coast shopping. Roberta Murray, of Treasure Coast Square Mall in Jensen Beach, will share the studio with Stephanie Young, director of marketing for Harbour Bay Plaza located in Sewall’s Point. Are they optimistic about the upcoming season? Are they planning anything special or introducing unique sales promotions for this winter season?

As usual, Gary and Robin will also discuss all things tourism that you need to know. More offshore drilling updates, activities and events you won't want to miss, an update of the Florida/Bahamas Golf Championship, and more are all on this week's show agenda.

Believe it or not, after listening to the show, you will even know how many pounds of clam strips and how many gallons of clam chowder are expected to be consumed at the Sebastian Clambake Festival, which happens this weekend.

Tune in to WPSL 1590 AM or http://www.wpsl.com/ tomorrow at 10 a.m. to hear the show live!

What's Tourism have to do with Bootlegging and Oil Rigs

OCTOBER 30 SHOW SUMMARY

The Real McCoy Rum Runner Party to celebrate the grand opening of the Maritime and Classic Boat Museum (formally known as the Maritime and Yachting Museum for Florida) spawned a conversation between Talkin' Tourism host Gary Guertin and co-host Robin Hicks-Connors about the real 'Real McCoy' and his legend on the Treasure Coast as a fisherman and part-time bootlegger/rum runner. There were some amazing and interesting tidbits of info tht can be very useful at a cocktail party this Season.

Anne Schmidt, chairperson for the Real McCoy Rum Runner planning committee and Allison Partin, a committee member specializing in recruiting local restaurants to provide samples of their specialties at events, described what is going to be a great event. The party takes place at Indian Riverside Park on Friday, November 13, begins at 6:30 p.m. and will "last until the rum has run out!" (That's the official wording straight from the postcard invitation!)

After the rum talk, the discussion turned to tourism's impact upon the Treasure Coast community. Host Gary Guertin expressed his opinion on whether the local community truly really appreciates and understands the importance of the tourism industry or not.

A few statewide issues surfaced during the hour. Not pleased that Florida is considering allowing the drilling for oil on the state's west coast? Then you may want to learn about 'Hands Across The Sands,' a grassroots effort fighting the drilling initiative. Next, listeners learned what has 1,094 brand new guest rooms and sits directly in the middle of International Drive in Orlando. If you missed the October 30 show, you can download and listen to it HERE.

Coming up this week, tune in to find out if Francis Langford aka 'History Lady' was a smash at the Meet Me at the USO party in downtown Stuart on Halloween night. Until then, be safe, have fun, and enjoy life and living on Florida’s beautiful Treasure Coast!

A new legend unfolds....