As many of you know, I have been a member of the Economic Development Committee for two years. One of the first recommendations of this committee was a comprehensive Web site that would promote Wellfleet as “a town for all seasons” rather than merely a summer destination. I have come to believe that while this is a worthy goal, most tourists will stay away in "quiet" season. Chez Sven’s foreign guests start visiting the United States in March but attracting American visitors at that period of the year is much more difficult. Before the recession, we had guests in Seagull Cottage every weekend. Now no one even inquires about rates. The good in this is that Americans are saving money, rather than spending it. The bad is that running a year-round business on the Outer Cape has become even harder. Anyone who wants to open an inn or B&B here needs to know winter will be a struggle. The same is true for most restaurants. Many restaurant owners choose to close in either December, January, or February, or some combination of two of these months. As we enter 2011, I would love hearing from you with suggestions of topics to cover, or locations in Wellfleet that you care about and want to see in winter garb. Today marks the 5th anniversary of Chez Sven Blog: Wellfleet Today. Quite incredible!
