By Jonathan Hiskes, Brown County Democrat staff writer
Brown County tourism has weathered competition from casinos before, but French Lick may pose a tougher challenge.
One local tourism leader gave two reasons why the French Lick Resort Casino, which opened last year, and the West Baden Springs Hotel, scheduled to open in June, bring unique threats:
First, the historic appeal of the refurbished, century-old hotels will attract those who visit Brown County for its history, Brown County Convention and Visitors Commission member Rick Hofstetter said.
Second, it is a similar distance for travelers from Indianapolis, Louisville and Cincinnati, three of Brown County's most important markets, said Mr. Hofstetter, owner of Story Inn and a member of the Indiana Tourism Council.
"People aren't going to beat a path to Brown County if they have a choice," he said.
It is difficult to predict the impact French Lick will have, just as it has been difficult to measure how much riverboat casinos on the Ohio River have hurt tourism here. It may be a rapid change, with curiosity drawing guests to the new hotels. Or it may take longer, as the secondary commercial growth the hotels are expected to spark, such as smaller restaurants and shops, has been slow to develop.
Brown County Convention and Visitors Bureau president Teresa Anderson said the Orange County growth might even draw more visitors here, if travelers decide to include both stops on their trips. Hotel Nashville manager Kevin Ault said he's met some vacationers who have done that.
Mrs. Anderson also said the Orange County CVB will have a marketing budget twice the size of Brown County's by 2008, bringing more competition for the attention of tourists and conventioneers. As Mrs. Anderson said of the millions of dollars Bill and Gayle Cook of Bloomington have poured into in the French Lick project, it would be nice to have a gift like that
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