Distasteful Tourism

[biscuit]

The Chamber of Commerce of Sommerset County, Pennsylvania, site of the Flight 93 crash site and last years Quecreek Mine rescue, has decided to re-christen and market the the county as "America's County" - obviously for tourism purposes.
Here's the story

Does anyone else find this a tacky and kind of distasteful way to grow tourism and economic development?

 

[Queen B]

Or is it just part of the sweep of patriotism that has happened since 9/11?

 

[Seabishop]

Seems distasteful to me. All their recent publicity has been from tragedy (with subsequent rescue of the miners).

I don't like this statement much - "We're a rural county that I think represents the values of America,"

Why can't an urban area represent America? - God knows cities are more diverse in terms of . . . well, everything. I don't like it when people think that rural folks are dumb, but I also don't like it when rural folks think that they are Pure, True Americans and the rest of us are not because we have deviated from their ideal lifestyle.

 

[Cardinal]

It is tacky. We do build tourism markets off of horrible events (Gettysburg, Peshtigo), but usually have the tact to wait a few decades for the feeling to subside. I think they will find this a losing proposition. The event does not have the significance to draw people over a sustained period of time.

 

[Wannaplan?]

Does anyone else find this a tacky and kind of distasteful way to grow tourism and economic development?

If you ask me, it's not tacky or distasteful at all - just lame. How can one county in Pennsylvania be, out of thousands throughout our nation, be dubbed "America's County"? As Queen B says, it is probably coming from the heart, real good, down to earth patriotism. Can't fault them for that, can we? It's the American Way - profiteering while remembering tragic events that have changed our lives. [intentional sarcasm] The retailers and their market researchers know all those President's Day sales in February tap deep into the American psyche - nothing like saving a little pocket change while we live out our morbid fantasies at Art Van Furniture or ABC Warehouse, right? [/intentional sarcasm]

 

[michaelskis]

It is tacky. We do build tourism markets off of horrible events (Gettysburg, Peshtigo), but usually have the tact to wait a few decades for the feeling to subside....

I think it is sad that it would be America's County, but then again, people wanted parts of the space shuttle when it blew up a few months ago.

York county is the home of the first capital and Philly is the birth place of freedom, this county has nothing special, other than this happened to be where the plane crashed, and the minors got trapped. What about all the minors in Upper Michigan who have died? Or what about on the grounds of the world trade center, or the pentagon. They have all had the same fate. I think this ranks up there with televised executions for ratings. Truly sad.

Gettysburg, that was tragic, but we look at it as part of our nation’s history, because it was know as the turning point in the civil war. Peshtigo, ah... they had a fire... I am not sure how that is truly a tourism thing, since San Francisco, Chicago, and Atlanta, have all burned, and rebuilt, and there it talk of it, but limited tourism activities.

 

[Chet]

I confess to being drawn to things like this (The Jack the Ripper tour / exhibit in the London Dungeon was the worst I've ever been to).

I agree with Stumpf - wait for the personal attachments to dull our senses first.

 

[DecaturHawk]

Reminds me of how the Dallas Cowboys and the Atlanta Braves have in the past tried to dub themselves as "America's Team." It never sticks for very long. They will try this, get tired of it after a few years, and then look for something else.

Besides, everyone knows that Madison County, Iowa, home of the famous covered bridges, is America's County.

 

[Mud Princess]

Distasteful AND lame.... They couldn't come up with a more effective tagline??

 

[nerudite]

I don't really mind it either way. In a rural area you have to work with what you have. The only thing that bothers me is that they tried to patent the moniker. Now that's lame.

 

[pandersen]

My feelings in two words - disappointed and disgusted!

 

[JNA]

is this any worse than say
National Park Service Johnstown Flood Memorial
http://www.nps.gov/jofl/