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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels August 23, 2004 Ashland again on national stage By Bill Choy Ashland Daily Tidings Ashland has made the national spotlight again, this time in a travel story in Sunday's Washington Post. The article, by travel writer Cindy Loose, provides a first-person account of the author's experience of the sights and sounds of Ashland and the surrounding area. The article mentions the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Lithia Park, the Ashland Springs Hotel, rafting tours on the Rogue River and local art galleries. Loose recommends the elderhost program at Southern Oregon University and area restaurants such as the Standing Stone Brewery, Thai Pepper and Cucina Biazzi. Loose raves about the variety of things to do and see in Ashland "Ashland is quite simply the biggest little town you'll ever see, and wish you never had to leave," she wrote. "For the soul who equally embraces the pleasures of mind and body, Ashland is like a dream," Loose added. "This has got to be the only place in the world where whitewater rafting outfitters volunteer the information that they guarantee to have you back in time for Shakespeare." Loose also had great praise for OSF. "On a cool summer's night beneath the stars, I'm treated to Broadway-quality acting as scheming characters unravel the plot of 'Much Ado About Nothing'," she wrote. Loose came to Ashland and the OSF in June on a recommendation from OSF board member Jim Risser, a friend of hers, said Amy Richard, media relations manager for OSF. "It's wonderful to have the type of article that not only spotlights the festival, but Ashland and the area as well," she said. " It does help ticket sales to some degree. It raises awareness of the festival. The Post is not just popular on the East Coast. People from all over the country read it." Richard said OSF benefited from increased tickets sales when they were profiled in Time Magazine and the New York Times last year. Within the past year or so, Ashland has made lists in several national publications that tout the city for its economic investment opportunities, quality of outdoor activities, and as a place to retire. Richard hopes the Post article will help increase ticket sales during the slower months of September and October. Mary Pat Parker, tourism and marketing manager for the Ashland Chamber of Commerce said having an article like this is vital to tourism in Ashland. The chamber is doing a survey, due in January, that tracks tourist coming to Ashland, she said. So far, the survey is showing that Ashland is suffering from the national trend of attrition, where tourist will come on several occasions, but eventually move on to other destinations, Parker said. She is hopeful the article will help attract new tourists to Ashland. "This kind of positive publicity can't be purchased," Parker said. "It's fabulous." Karolina Wyszynska, sales and marketing manager for the Ashland Springs Hotel, is encouraged the article will bring more people to Ashland and the hotel. "It's very important to us," she said. "We are hoping to get more customers, not just for the Ashland Springs Hotel, but for the rest of Ashland. It's a way to sell the whole picture." Wyszynska said the hotel had a booth at a business travel trade show in Florida earlier this month. She said the more national publicity Ashland receives, the more it will help tourism in the community. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams