Staci Martin of the Virginia Tourism Corporation sparked interest and enthusiasm among members of local historical organizations last Wednesday, when she visited Mathews to talk about how to attract visitors to the county.

Martin will return on Feb. 15 for a longer stay to get to know the local museums better and to provide a coaching session at the library.

According to a press release from Sandy Warhol of the Mathews County Historical Museum, organizations need to begin by developing themes as part of an overall strategy to entice visitors. She asked that each museum develop an overall interpretive plan with variations focusing on four themes: 1. Watermen/women, oysters, and boat-making; 2. Agriculture and the lumber industry; 3. The 20,000 years of Mathews archaeological and architectural history, and 5. Birding.

The effort could involve museums coming together to design complementary programs and changing their styles to promote experiential visits that include demonstrations an...