Chamber opening satellite visitors center

The Homer Chamber of Commerce is revamping one of its retired facilities for the summer on The Spit, and turning it into a second spot to interact with visitors and tourists to town.
    Visitors Center Manager Jan Knutson talked about the chamber’s plan on Wednesday morning’s Coffee Table.
    “We've had the halibut derby shack out in the spit for many, many years, when we had the halibut derby. We are now converted into a visitor center on the spit,” Knutson said. “We're going to have the grand opening Thursday, July 1st at 4 o'clock. Do a ribbon cutting. And we're very excited about that because as you know, if you've been down on the spit over, over the recent weekends is absolutely packed.”
    One of the goals of the second visitor center location on The Spit is to inform visitors that there’s even more to Homer.
    “And we want people who are coming to the spit to know that there's a downtown Homer and an Old Town and all the other things,” Knutson said. “And of course, people who are riding their bikes or walking their kids and babies and their strollers is perfect because it's right by the fishing hole.”
    Chamber Executive Director Brad Anderson said it’s all a part of trying to get folks to stay in Homer a little bit longer.
    “One of our goals is to try to encourage people to spend at least another day when they are planning their trips and they're looking at coming down to the peninsula,” he said. “The economic activity is very, very beneficial. If we get one more stay, especially family units that can stay and go around town and visit more of our businesses, more of our museums and trails, it just means a lot overall to our economy if we can bring more of that activity.”
    Anderson and Knudson also talked extensively about Homer Bucks, a giftcard-like pseudo-currency that can be spent at Chamber of Commerce member businesses. You can hear more on this week’s Coffee Table, available here.