This excerpt in an article in the Bloomington (Ill.) Pantagraph caught my attention:
Between June 2006 and June 2007, the tourism industry funneled about $29.5 million through neighboring Logan County. During that same time, DeWitt County counted about $9.1 million.
“I understand that Logan County is twice the size of DeWitt County in terms of population,” Wollet said. “But tourism dollars aren’t about population. It’s money coming into the county from outside. What does Logan County have that DeWitt County doesn’t and why are they drawing so much more in tourism dollars?”
Logan County’s Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau Director, Geoff Ladd, said the numbers are based on a report from the Illinois Bureau of Tourism and include money spent on lodging, meals and other items. Last year, Logan County saw a rise of 5.8 percent in tourism dollars; Ladd attributed the increase to a renewed interest in Route 66 sites.
Clinton City Administrator Tim Followell said the process of recording tourism dollars is not an exact science.
“Logan County has stock car racing, some festivals and two universities which draw people to spend the night,” Followell said. “But I also don’t understand how to explain the difference.”
Allow me.
I’m not discounting the possibility that Logan County is getting some tourism money because someone is returning a political favor in terms of tourism referrals. That’s pretty easy to believe, given the accusations against the current governor. Illinois has always been a “scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” state.
But I’m far more willing to entertain the fact that Logan County is getting more money simply because it has an effective tourism director. Geoff Ladd was the one who saved The Mill in Lincoln from the wrecking ball. He’s the one who moved the Giant Abe Lincoln in a Giant Covered Wagon to Lincoln. The tourism bureau published an attractive tourism guide. It added a Route 66 twist to an Abe Lincoln festival. It helped with the 37 Miles of Smiles garage sale.
Looking over that last paragraph, it’s pretty obvious that Logan County has a very proactive tourism chief. Naturally, that gets attention and leads to tourism dollars.
At least it seems Clinton has taken the hint. According to the article, it’s hiring a tourism director.
Amen to your comments! It makes me sad that Afton is completely clueless as to what it could do to bring in a few more tourist dollars. At this point, it’s almost too late.