Quote:
Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas
...Austin and San Antonio both offer something very different when it comes to entertainment. San Antonio does things in a more intimate way that draws a lot of people to witness something historic and grand, while Austin does big festivals. I don't think that San Antonio's wonder is being one-upped, I just think that Austin is getting the kind of attractions that draw more people simply because that's the nature of them - that they draw a lot of people even in a short time.
|
Yes!!! I just wrote my first comment on the San Antonio forum, and it was basically about this same idea, that each city is unique and they're not in direct competition. As I said in that comment, I originally came to Texas to see both San Antonio and Austin, not one or the other. They're so close to each other that they can each benefit from the other's success, yet they're distinct enough that they don't cannibalize each other's business.
I don't see any reason for there to be envy or rivalry between the cities. They're far too unique for that. And there's a very serious danger in seeing each other as direct competition, which is that such a mentality can easily lead to inappropriate (dare I say moronic?) responses that detract from each city's unique appeal. Should San Antonio strive to dot its downtown with skinny metallic residential and office skyscrapers and attract massive pop culture festivals? I think not. Should Austin curtail development along Shoal and Waller creeks in order to preserve an intimate, warm, cozy feeling along the lines of the Riverwalk? Good luck.
I probably haven't stated that very well but i think most of us can plainly see that each city has unique strengths and weaknesses, and we're not so much direct competitors for tourism dollars as we are partners in a region that can attract visitors to either or both cities in such a way that we're not seeing the other as a threat to our identity and prosperity.