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EAST TEXAS (KLTV/KTRE) - Fall is a great time of year in East Texas. Hardly a weekend goes by without promotion of a local festival or some other weekend-long event.

And these events reach beyond the immediate hosting community in a mission to bring visitors to those cities and communities. And the ultimate motivation is to bring tourists to expose them to the charming culture and feel of our area. Certainly, countless times, these events create a first impression in convincing people to relocate to East Texas and then they might even move their businesses here as well.

There is a method to the madness behind tourism. And when you do the math, tourism means a lot of revenue – in the case of East Texas, it means hundreds of millions of dollars annually through hotel bookings, restaurant and retail purchases and the like. It is truly big business and tourism dollars generate tax revenue that otherwise would have to be borne by residents. But it is a fragile walk. Because as much as events and festivals build good first impressions, other factors can create negative first impressions.

Our cities need to be aggressive in viewing our area through visitor glasses – is it easy for visitors to find resources, are directional needs clear, are our streets and public places clean and in as good a shape as possible. If not, admit it, and then rally and get to work.

We need more visitors to fuel our local economies now and in the future and that will make for a Better East Texas.