CASTING A COMMUNITY-LED VISION TO ENHANCE QUALITY-OF-LIFE, TOURISM, AND SMALL BUSINESS.
Plan Purpose
To create a community-led vision and 15-year roadmap to ensure strategic decision making and enhance quality of life throughout Bertie County.
The Destination Bertie Action Plan is funded by a Rural Transformation Grant from the North Carolina Department of Commerce and led by the Bertie County Travel and Tourism Committee.
The Committee’s goal is to responsibly promote Bertie County’s ecotourism, heritage tourism and agritourism to support business creation and expansion, cultivate diverse job opportunities, and promote downtown revitalization.
The Action Plan will provide a vision for increasing the economic impact and vibrancy of the visitor economy, improving the quality of life for local residents, and helping to attract and grow small businesses.
Plan Goals
ASSETS
Inventory existing quality-of-life assets within Bertie County and evaluate their current condition and ability to provide for a quality outdoor experience for all.
PARTNERS
Engage government, the public, and community leaders to identify projects currently being planned and developed that will enhance quality of life for locals and visitors.
GAPS
Identify new, compelling tourism infrastructure projects to promote the outdoor economy, enhance the quality of life and drive private investment.
UNITY
Identify projects that also help achieve broader community goals, such as young adult and workforce retention, small business growth, environmental quality, and active living.
VISUAL
Create a 15-year action plan that generates community interest and casts an inspiring vision by creating compelling renderings, site master plans, 3-D illustrations, and other graphics to effectively communicate recommendations.
STRATEGY
Provide the Steering Committee and their partners with clear strategies and a prioritization schedule for implementing the plan recommendations.
Plan Process
01
Research and Preliminary Analysis
The consultant team will conduct a direction-setting meeting with the steering committee to discuss key opportunities and constraints, develop a database of existing tourism assets, and assess existing resources and assets.
02
Stakeholder and Public Engagement
Conduct a series of interviews and focus groups with government and community leaders. Develop a project promotional video, advertise on social media, and compel citizens to take an online survey. Produce a project website that serves as a portal for disseminating information throughout the planning process.
03
Plan Development
With guidance from the steering committee, stakeholders, and citizens, the consultant team will create a plan framework that features preliminary recommendations for improving and expanding quality-of-life assets. The consultant team will then conduct another round of public engagement.
04
Final Plan Development
The final 15-year action plan will include all recommendations, a phasing schedule, an estimate of probable cost, and an outline of grant funding sources. Copies of the plan will be available for the public to view on the project website.
