ARANSAS COUNTY, Texas — The city of Rockport is looking for new ways to market their city, but before they do that, they are asking neighbors for some help.
Resident Paul Huard isn’t a local - he actually hails from New England. But he calls Rockport his home for a few months a year. This is the second winter that he and his wife have stayed in town for.
“We originally came down here as an experiment to see if we would like it here and we fell in love with the area,” Huard said.
He’s just one example of how Rockport "reels" in more neighbors. City Secretary Shelley Goodwin said the city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau is creating a tourism marketing plan.
“Rockport is a great pace to live but we also want to keep it a great place to visit,” Goodwin said.
The city is asking neighbors to give their input on how the city can better tailor to both those born and raised here and those enjoying a quick stay.
“We want to let them know about different opportunities the city will have to help them market their business but also create more tourism. Get them engaged, especially businesses. We want to hear what their concerns are, what their ideals are. We have a lot of local talent in different areas so we want to engage them to help. It will benefit everyone,” Goodwin said.
The input meetings will run over the next few months and will target eight different groups. The first is fishing.
Executive Director at the Texas Maritime Museum Michael Ables said they decided to get involved to listen to neighbors they see everyday just across the street.
“Obviously fishing is a big tourist draw here in our community. There’s tons of guides, tons of fishing, shrimp boats, oysters, it’s amazing what happens in these waters that no one knows about,” Ables said.
Ables hopes that those who want to share their ideas show up with questions and concerns already in mind.
“They’re essentially the boots on the ground. They are seeing how they are being able to draw and then they are able to ask us questions on what we can do as a community and those are exactly the questions that need to be asked,” Ables said.
Because even if it’s an idea to bring in more weekend events that showcase local vendors, it’s a possibility to sell and market the city in a way that wouldn’t have been done without you.
“You want your barber to thrive, you want your jewelry shops to thrive but you want to make sure it’s comfortable for the people who live here twelve months a year, for their culture. The people that have been here for generations, you want to keep a certain heritage and a certain history and that’s what the beauty of the area is,” Huard said.
The first input meeting will be held on Feb. 26 at three in the afternoon at the Texas Maritime Museum and will focus on fishing, the waterfront scene and marina life.
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
