| New 2008 South County Style Vacation Planner |
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 The new and improved 2008 edition of the South County Style Vacation Planner has arrived!
We hope you will agree that this year's edition of expanded individual town maps, refreshed editorial, even more spectacular color photography selected from South County Tourism Council's Photo Contest entries, combined with a clean, elegant design, truly capture the essence of South County, both creatively and resourcefully. The 2008 South County Style Vacation Planner is sure to entice vacationers to come and enjoy the region for a day, a weekend or a week any time of the year.
Special thanks are in order for the outstanding assistance provided by Exeter Job Corp students with the off-loading of 70,000 copies of the 2008 publication at our Wakefield office. Distribution of the publication has already begun via direct mail, tourist information centers, T.F. Green Airport, Kingston Train Station and travel shows. Circulation of an additional 30,000 copies is accomplished through direct shipment to various distribution points in South County's key feeder markets of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts. |
| South County Bridal Show a Success |
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 South County Tourism Council and Southern Rhode Island Weddings presented the first not-for-profit South County Bridal Show on January 6th, exclusively featuring South County's wedding industry professionals from East Greenwich to Westerly.
Invitations were sent, the venue was staged, the brides, grooms and families attended. South County Tourism Council is happy to report a resounding success at the South County Bridal Show!
In addition to coming away with plenty of ideas for a South County Wedding, all brides received a copy of the South County Wedding Planner to help them every step of the way. If you are a bride-to-be or know someone who is, please call us at 800-548-4662 for information on how to obtain a copy.
The heart and soul of all weddings are built on solid partnerships. South County Tourism Council and Southern New England Weddings are proud to have partnered with the South County's Bridal Show vendors, which included: Amalfi Fine Catering of Narragansett, Basketcase of Wakefield, Bridal's by Liz of Wickford, Bridal Finery of East Greenwich, The Coast Guard House Restaurant of Narragansett, East Greenwich Formals, The Grand Finale, Hampton Inn of Coventry, Hampton Inn of South Kingstown, Meadow Brook Inn of Charlestown, Melissa Ashley Brides, Ltd. of Westerly, Music Mixers DJ Entertainment, Nana's Ice Cream & Gelato Cafe, Seth Jacobson Photography, Susan Sancomb Photography, Three Sisters Boutique of Exeter, The Towers of Narragansett, Weedweavers of Wakefield and West Bay Gourmet of Narragansett.
By promoting South County as an intimate wedding destination, brides are offered endless possibilities in Charlestown, Coventry, East Greenwich, Exeter, Hopkinton, Narragansett, North Kingstown, Richmond, South Kingstown, West Greenwich and Westerly. Myrna George, President of South County Tourism Council, praised the "collaboration and creativity of staff and vendors who once again provided timeless memories in presenting South County for what it is: a jewel of the state"!! |
| Global Insights Research Data |
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According to a recent study released by the market research and forecasting firm Global Insight, tourist-related spending generated $5.4 billion in economic activity in Rhode Island in 2006 and accounts for 14.2% of total employment in the state. Kenneth J. McGill, Executive Managing Director Travel & Tourism Consulting of Global Insight, reported that "if tourism did not exist, each household would pay an additional $1,140.00 in taxes to maintain current tax receipts". South County Tourism Council, together with the RI Tourism Division and the other six tourism districts in the state, financed and participated in the study. Utilizing Tourism Satellite Accounting, the international standard adopted by the United Nations and World Trade Organization as a method for measuring the contribution of tourism to an economy, South County's regional share of statewide tourism was 14.5% of the state share in 2006. Accommodation data includes seasonal second home rentals, which creates significant differences in share from state room tax data. Other categories include Entertainment at 10.4%, Food at 14.7%, Retail at 17.2% and Transportation at 4.78%.
Charlestown, Coventry, East Greenwich, Exeter, Hopkinton, Narragansett, North Kingstown, Richmond, South Kingstown, West Greenwich and Westerly together are greater than the sum of their parts and the numbers prove it! |
| South County's Golf Coast Featured on State Map |
 Collaboration with the State Tourism Division in the production of the new RI State Map provided a unique opportunity for the South County Tourism Council to promote our region as a "golf coast".
As one of the sponsors funding the official state map, South County Tourism Council seized the opportunity to feature the region's 17 public golf courses on the 2008 Rhode Island State Map. The South County Golf Coast section presents a golfing destination offering seaside settings, windswept greens and the map to get you there. All 265,000 copies of the new map will be distributed at hundreds of sites, including the Welcome Centers on I-95 and I-295, regional tourism offices, chambers of commerce offices, hotels and museums. It's given free of charge to visitors, college students, business travelers and residents. With such high visibility, the South County golf courses are sure to be "on the map" in 2008! |
| South County Tourism Council's Holiday Luncheon |
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On Tuesday, December 18, 2007, Casey's Grill provided a surf, turf and pasta buffet for a festive gathering of Board members, advisors, tour guides, friends and staff as the Council hosted their traditional Holiday Luncheon. Merry good wishes and hope for the New Year echoed throughout. |
| Blood Drive on February 28th |
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Do you know that there is someone who needs blood every 2 seconds? 43,000 pints are donated annually in the United States. South County Tourism Council is sponsoring a blood drive on Thursday, February 28th from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Join us...It is a great way to start out the new year! |
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Did You Know?
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In 2006 tourism generated $462 million in state and local government taxes.
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Tourism is the 4th largest private sector employer in Rhode Island with 38,956 direct full-time jobs in 2006, providing $1,031 million in wages and salaries.
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It takes only 239 visitors to pay for one Rhode island public school student for one yearly.
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Sixty one percent of each tourism dollar spent in Rhode Island is retained in the state.
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