Tourism is My Nature: Maddy Fritz tells Henderson's stories to visitors
Maddy Fritz, Special to The Gleaner, Published June 17, 2017 at The Gleaner.com
I love stories. From an outsider’s perspective, one might question why stories are important to a marketing director who sits at a computer desk most of the day. Let me first take a moment to introduce myself and how stories play a role in what I do.
My name is Maddy Fritz, I work at the Henderson County Tourist Commission as the marketing director. I know some of you may be thinking, "Henderson has a tourism office?"
Yes we do! Surprised? You might also want to know that our Welcome Center is located in the riverfront Depot building on Water Street (along with the Community Room and Historical & Genealogy Society). A significant number of Henderson locals do not know what is inside of the Depot building, so hopefully you have learned something new today.
Our mission in a nutshell is to promote travel and tourism by advertising Henderson County’s assets and events. This mission takes shape in a few different ways, but as a marketing director and travel enthusiast, a journey always begins and ends with a story.
I am constantly searching for stories to tell… Where can I travel with my dog?... What the heck is burgoo and where did it come from?... Did you know you can zip-line in Henderson?... These are the kind of experiences that I look for so that travelers are inspired to visit Henderson and can leave here with a memorable story.
Though most of my days have the same routine, each visitor is never the same. I have the great opportunity to meet people who have traveled from all over. Some come from California, Texas and even as far away as China, Germany and Australia. I see excitement on kids’ faces when they find out that there are hidden creatures on the Audubon sculptures downtown and I hear the different accents thanking me for the free maps and travel tips.
And every once in a while, I’ll have a visitor that blows me away.
An elderly woman named Georgia came in for a break from the summer heat. She sat on our bench in our lobby, and placed her walker to the side. I was afraid she might be lost since she had arrived all alone. But Georgia assured me she was out for an adventure and determined to explore Downtown Henderson. She then told me how she had traveled all over the world, the places she went with her husband and the sights that they saw, the wars they lived through, and pieces of postcards she remembers writing. Though the details escape me, her passion for life was intoxicating and adorable.
The romance of the story took a brief unexpected turn. She hadn’t seen her family in awhile. Her marriage unfortunately didn’t last, and because her ex-husband now lived in California, the kids and grandkids gravitated towards the coast. Though this story of hers was somber, Georgia never spoke a negative word. She smiled as she told me she was starting over, turning a new leaf, and was currently writing a book. “You are never too old to start over,” she said. Her words were the truest thing I ever heard. Here was Georgia, 70 years young and blazing a trail of adventure on her Henderson map. She told me that she was going to mention me in her book, and scribbled my name and some notes on a piece of paper before she left. I was barely holding back tears as I watched her shuffle down the sidewalk with her walker and large brimmed sun hat.
A little bit of hospitality can go a long way. I think we both left inspired that day; it’s moments like those that make me appreciate my role in tourism. We all have stories to tell. I’m glad I have a platform through the Henderson County Tourist Commission to shed a light on how Henderson is a place where people of all ages and walks of life are indeed discovering their nature.
I hope that you feel inspired to share positive experiences the next time someone asks you about things they can do in Henderson.
And if you’re looking for inspiration, pay us a visit at the Tourist Commission and let us help you discover your nature!