The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-04-19
DON'T BLEED THE TOURIST
Publicity Bureau Sounds Warning
Against Excessive Prices.

I
Vermont has already become a va
cation state out of the ordinary and
the possibilities of development are
many and great The number OF peo-
pie who have become acquainted with
the many charms Of the Green Noun
tain state, both as a summer and win
ter resort. has greatly increased Of
late, and the advertising given the re
gion by pleased visitors is of great
er worth than any that can be pur-
chased at space rates.
The state should recognize that the
satisfied tourist is the best advertise
ment in the world. He tells his
friends Of the wonderful trip he made |
through Vermont and stirs up in his
nearer the desire to come and see and !
enjoy for himself In the final analy !
sis it is useless to spend money in any |
kind of advertising if the visitor is
not sent away satisfied and filled VIII
a desire to come again
That desire to come again will
inevitable in the one WuJ nnds pleas
ure in the manifestations OF beau
tiful and kindly nature, Tor the scenic
attractions of Vermont are of the first
rank, fact with which one is the
more strongly impressed the more one
has had the opportunity OF seeing
other sections Of the country. Yet
what nature does can be destroyed by
human agency and will be destroyed
il narrow minded penuriousness die
tates the policy OF those who as mat
ter OF business seek to take care of
the tourists
A ncte of warning has been issued
by the state publicity bureau 1t says
ii has received a few complaints from
summer visitors who occupy cottages
or camps relative to excessive charges
for supplies The bureau does we'll
TO direct attention to this matte.
There will be no sJrer way to stunt
the growth Of the tourist business in
the state than to have Vermont get
reputation outside its borders OF being
!
guest is locked upon as proper game
for greedy merchants
The messenger is satisfied that this
is an abuse which is by no means
widespread, Vermont merchants are
too wise as a rule to Kill the goose
that lays the golden egg, are too
sagacious to prefer a few cents more
temporary profit to the contl
stream Of increased business over a
long period Of years The average
Vermont merchant knows full we'll
that a summer colony, with its cot
tages and other forms Of property, iii.
creases real estate values in the
neighborhood, makes business better
and works for the general good OF the
community.
The few shortsighted, tight-fsted
merchants who would sacrifice the
future for the present gain ought not
to be permitted to give the state a
black eye as continued oyer-charging
certainly viii give it. The publicity
given the matter by the state bureau
ought to serve as definite cheek on
this form Ct abuse, which, being not
Widespread, ought easily to be stamp
cd out before it becomes a menace.
Hotel keepers, as well as merchants
near summer colonies, also have al
obligation. which, it may be happil
said, they seem to appreciate. In some
parts Of the country the tourist tra
cling by automobile has been looked
upon as fair game Hotels have had
two prices; the one for the guest who
arrives from the railroad station, the
other, aud higher, for those who roll
mp before the hotels doors in AN
tomObie. more or less pretentious
This is fatal practice The\ pos
session Of an automobile in these days
does not necessarily mean the pos
session Of untold wealth, and so far as
that goes the possession of wealth
= does not give warrant for oyercharg
ing, and the rich man who desires
II to pay more than the next man for
what he gets is by no means a com
mon individual And the rich man
d" from his wider experience knows
u whether he is getting stuck or not.
I y single standard of charges, higl
enough to give a reasonable return
on Investment and low enough e
10 make the tourist remember his viz
with satisfaction, is what is necessary
" AMI is what Vermont hotel men be
lieye in. If the policy is adhered t
the number of tourists and summe
lt visitors will increase year by year
No other result is to be looked for
90 But as the publicity bureau well says
High prices will Kill the project o
making Vermont the greatest vacation
&C state in the East
20 ---------