Terrebonne to draw tourists to Houma

The Terrebonne Parish Council subcommittee trying to improve the marketing of Houma-area tourist attractions talked about keeping the parish’s Web site current, and promoting the building of African-American and Native American museums, at a meeting conducted Monday.

Terrebonne Parish Councilmember Christa Duplantis complained that the annual Downtown on the Bayou festival is still listed on the parish’s official government Web site, even though the festival has not been held since Hurricane Katrina.

“People see it, and ask me about it,” she said.

Parish Zoning Director Pat Gordon said that changes to the Web site have been submitted to the webmaster.

“It’s difficult to keep people on staff as a webmaster because of competition in the private field,” he said. “It’s a huge turnover. A kid out of college gets a year under his belt, then leaves for the private sector for better pay.”

“You’re dependent on them,” said Sharon Alford, director of the Houma Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. “You can’t change the site itself, only items on the site.”

Houma businessman Roger Bourgeois asked why the Visitors Bureau does not produce a regional tourist map.

“Visitors can look at the map, or go to the Web site, see all that’s going on, and make a week of it,” he said.

Alford said she will place creating a visitors map on the bureau’s list of potential projects for next year.

Meeting participants then discussed the issue, brought up at previous subcommittee and council meetings, of the parish-run Terrebonne Folklife Culture Center and the Bayou Terrebonne Waterlife Museum failing to rotate exhibits.

Main Street Manager Anne Picou pointed out that Terrebonne Parish Councilman Alvin Tillman has advocated the construction of a museum devoted to African-American history.

She recommended placing exhibits intended for the African-American museum in the Waterlife Museum temporarily.

Alford supported the idea.

“While you’re waiting, the multicultural exhibits could be placed in those museums to stir up interest,” Alford said.

She referred to the new Southern Food & Beverage Museum in New Orleans, which placed some of its exhibits in the Old U.S. Mint museum in the French Quarter.

“We could do the same thing with the Waterlife Museum,” she said.

Alford said that the Visitors Bureau has held a meeting with Tillman about an African-American Trail.

Bourgeois pointed out that the Folklife Center has a Native American display, as does Southdown House.

Alford said that rotating exhibits at the Waterlife Museum and the Folklife Center would draw visitors back several times to see something different. She said that Southdown House has a room for rotating exhibits.

But Bourgeois asserted that while the idea of rotating exhibits is a good one, he estimates less than ten percent of the parish population has visited the museums at all.

“Just look at the sign-in books,” he said. “Most are from out of town.”

Picou said she believes reducing the price the two museums charge to accommodate formal celebratory events would help the facilities attract more patrons.

The standard price is $400, which includes insurance but not the price of security. Picou feels that events like baby showers could be held for $200 if the parties were held during regular museum operating hours. The museum’s insurance policy would cover events held during that time.

Bourgeois, as at previous meetings, noted the lack of signs directing visitors to parish attractions.

Alford said most signage is provided by the state. She maintained many plain metal signs look inadequate, and that she knows of companies who produce signs having different colors.

“But they’re costlier than a (typical) highway sign,” she said. She suggested planting a small area with the more elaborate signage, then expanding.

Finally, the meeting’s participants discussed litter in Terrebonne Parish dampening the appeal of the parish for tourists.

Duplantis said that beer bottles are strewn outside of Colonial Acres Golf Club.

“Players come in and say, That’s what Houma’s about,” she said. Duplantis complained also about flyers placed on utility poles, which eventually become litter.

Alford contended that one company looking to locate to Terrebonne Parish decided against the decision because of the litter in the parish.

Another visiting group had to be routed around areas of the parish with heavy litter.

“Litter is a quality of life issue, and an economic issue,” she said.

Alford believes that anti-litter ordinances need to be more strictly enforced, and young people in Terrebonne Parish need to be educated.

“You have to go into education,” she said. “An anti-litter campaigns is a Band-Aid. “We did a festival in Colorado. People put litter in the cans. It was clean when it was over.”

“It’s habit, culture and belief,” she said. “In Louisiana, they just dump it on the ground.”

Duplantis said, “With Mardi Gras and all the festivals, we’re conditioned here (to litter).”