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(Publication of Scenic America) Almost all of America's premiere vacation spots ban billboards and control signs. Why? Because these communities know that the more they do to enhance their unique set of natural, historic, and architectural assets, the more tourists they will attract. They also know that the more one place comes to look like everyplace else, the less reason there is to visit. Here's what state and local tourism officials have to say: "Tourists come to Tennessee to see the scenery, not the billboards." Lamar Alexander, former Governor of Tennessee "One of our greatest natural resources is our scenic beauty. Although there was some initial sensitivity that removing billboards might hurt tourism, it has had the opposite effect. Tourism is up for all businesses large and small." Vermont Travel Division "Logo signs take care of the tourism industry. Taking billboards down eliminates clutter and makes our product more attractive. Logo signs give small businesses more credibility than dilapidated billboards." Alabama Bureau of Publicity and Information "There is strong political support here for logo signs and against large billboards." Kentucky Department of Tourism "The absence of billboards in our beautiful scenic areas certainly helps our businesses. Montana is such a beautiful place and people want to see it, not the Billboards." Montana Travel Promotion Unit "We have no commercial signs on Interstate s. People say they can see the state now. Our mail shows that there is a great deal of appreciation for the fact that we have removed billboards. The initial concerns that business would be hurt have been completely unfounded." Maine Department of Tourism "We have a tough billboard law. Tourists say the state looks great. Billboards are just another form of clutter_ like the litter. We've worked on them both. Letters we get about the way our state looks are all very positive. Oregon Tourism Division "No one lost business because of sign removal. We had a lot of signs that didn't serve tourism." Office of Tourism, Illinois Dept. of Transportation "Tourism is important to the economy of our state and the state's business community understands the need to protect and preserve the beauty of the islands." Hawaii, Department of Transportation "The lack of billboards tells the nation that we are a destination with a different set of values and a very different look than they'll find at home." C. Babier, Pres., Vermont Chamber of Commerce "Billboards contribute a miniscule amount to our economic well-being, but they impose a high cost. They detract from Colorado's attractiveness to tourists and from the pleasant surroundings for our residents." Richard Lamm, former Governor of Colorado A poll commissioned by the Presidents Commission on American Outdoors
in 1988 found that "natural beauty" was the single most important criterion
for tourists in selecting a site for outdoor vacation.
Tourist Destinations Prohibiting Billboards
Scenic America
Revised June 7, 2007 |
© February 2004, Citizens for a Scenic Wisconsin, Inc. , La Crosse, WI USA. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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