Delta State University
SOC 421/521 COD 521 Sustainable Development
Fall Semester 2008

Collaborative Learning Group Assignment
Group 2

 

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Group Name:   Greater Bolivar Tourism and Visitor’s Authority

 

Group Members:  Coday Anthony, Kia Howard, Josh Murphy, Carley Jefcoat (Sustainable Bolivar Representative)

 

Group Characteristics:   The Greater Bolivar Tourism and Visitor’s Authority is a commission created by the Bolivar County Supervisors to oversee tourism in the county.  You have a small office in the courthouse and a small staff to run the office.  The members of the commission represent a diverse array of people in the county, including teachers, university professors, tourism providers, travel agents, restaurant and hotel owners.  You are the executive council, the leaders of the commission.  Your job is to establish and oversee projects which would stimulate tourism, assist people who want to create tourism venues with fundraising and finding technical assistance.  You do not work directly in tourism; that is the job of the Chamber of Commerce and of private tourism providers.  Rather, you work in tourism development, and coordinate efforts to advance tourism in the county.

 

Group Perspective:  You believe that tourism is a viable means of economic development, although too much tourism can spoil the very thing that tourists come to Bolivar County to see:  blues heritage sites, civil rights sites, natural sites such as the Mississippi River, and sites where famous authors lived and worked.  It is important to plan tourism activities so that business interests can balance out protection of the sites.  Your organization defends the interests associated with tourism, which include both the business interests of tourism providers and the resources in the community that would make suitable tourism localities.  You believe it is important to make tourism a sustainable industry in Bolivar County.