Victorville newspaper takes note of Route 66 report

It took a while, but it looks like other media types are taking note of the recently released Route 66 Economic Impact Report.

On Sunday, the Victorville (Calif.) Daily Press took a closer look. And one longtime roadie, Jim Conkle, said Victorville isn’t doing enough to draw Route 66 tourism:

Conkle has seen small towns along the route flourish by bringing in tourists after they’ve redeveloped their main streets around the Route 66 theme, opening antique shops, souvenir stores and diners.

But few tour buses traveling on Route 66 stop in Victorville, he said, because there’s almost nothing related to Route 66 in Old Town other than the California Route 66 Museum on D Street.

“To attract Route 66 tourists, you have to have places for them to eat, sleep and shop,” Conkle said. “Victorville has not made itself an attraction. There are people within this city that don’t find Route 66 all that appealing. It’s just unbelievable that the city doesn’t embrace Route 66. Route 66 is here, you don’t have to invent it. Tourists are not going to come into the community unless they feel safe and they feel welcomed.”

Joe Flores, general manager of the city’s Green Tree Inn, echoed Conkle:

“Coming from a marketing background, you look at what’s the most valuable asset you have. Route 66 is just tremendous and it always has been,” said Flores, who grew up in Victorville. “No one in the area has really embraced it.”

The Green Tree will serve as the official host hotel of the International Route 66 Festival in August.

The report, once it gets disseminated more widely in the coming weeks and months, probably will serve as a wake-up call for many Route 66 communities. The figure of $127 million — the total spending that Route 66 generates each year — is bound to draw attention.

A summary of the report can be read here.

UPDATE 2/7/2012: A business beat writer for Oklahoma City also asks when business owners and merchants will exploit Route 66 to their benefit.