House of Cards - Florence Tourism Style

House of Cards or Sinking Ship?

The definition of a “House of Cards” is a structure built out of playing cards precariously balanced together. Or an insubstantial or insecure situation or plan.

This seems to be a very fitting definition of what the once thriving and growing Florence/Lauderdale Tourism Office has become. In just a few months the staff has gone from five full-time and two part-time employees to now a meager two full-time, one part-time, a contract social media person and contract sports marketing person. No one seems to know where the full-time accountant has gone. Word on the street is that he is away on a secret mission for the foreseeable future.

It appears that Robby Baby can add “Master Juggler” to his resume, right after the “Dreaming of becoming a world-famous musician in Nashville” line. He has been answering the phones, directly answering messages from the tourism Facebook page, has actually been seen out in the community and has been MIA from the YMCA during usually lengthy lunch breaks. This must mean he is having to work to earn his $118,500 salary.

Honestly, we can find no other tourism organization, around the state or region, or with a similar budget, with so few employees. We can only assume that if a President/CEO chooses to operate with a small staff, it is out of necessity to save money. Tourism should be booming and revenues increasing, however, there were the last five years of tourism leaders not being fiscally responsible. It will take many more years to be successful and financially sound again. A large outstanding line of credit, no reserves, begging numerous agencies and government officials for funds to pay for outlandish marketing ideas should be glaring red flags that something is wrong.

What does all this really mean to Florence, Lauderdale County and the hospitality industry? They are not being properly marketed and promoted. The revenues are coming in, but not being spent effectively. The perfect example, even though it is a sore subject, is that an organization this size should be taking a leadership role in the new Ag Center. Like it or not, it can and needs to be successful. If you have a Sports Marketing person on contract to only service the events as they take place, how can you ensure the destination is being marketed and venues booked for sporting events two to five years down the road? Also, if there is no one making the sales calls or attending trade shows, how much future business is the area losing to other cities?

We have a few scenarios that could potentially play out over the summer:

1. Rob writes a top song and moves on to live his dream as a musician from The Shoals. Not going to happen. Ever.

2. Rob convinces some other clueless board he’s the greatest thing in tourism, is hired and moves on to decimate another destinations budget.

3. Remember that loophole in the tourism legislation that basically says if the board becomes insolvent, the board could vote to dissolve and the City would then own all of the assets? In other words, the City would absorb tourism and the visitor center into another department, leaving Rob out of a contract.

Number 3 seems more realistic every day. It appears that under the current leadership, or lack thereof, tourism is a house of cards that is about to come tumbling down. Or maybe Robby Baby is the last band member still playing as the Titanic sinks.

The Unsinkable Molly Brown