|
 Nearly two years ago, the LCEDP began discussions
with municipal representatives in the Logan County gateway
communities of Atlanta, Elkhart, and Mt. Pulaski designed to
establish a Visitor Welcome Center in each city.
A plan for doing so was presented to the Tourism
Bureau Board at its 3/28/19 Board meeting. Representatives from each
of the gateway communities were on hand to answer questions and
request funding from the Bureau Board. Total project costs are
estimated to be $7,500, with each community contributing $1,000 and
the Tourism Bureau funding the balance of $4,500.
The goal of the project is to increase tourist revenue in Logan
County by establishing Visitor Welcome Centers at the entry points
to the County that are designed to motivate tourists to visit sites,
attractions, and businesses throughout Logan County – and spend
money in the process.
A place to welcome visitors to Logan County already
exists in Lincoln, at the site of the Tourism Bureau Office at the
Amtrak Station.
To complement this site and to strategically enhance
the ability of the Tourism Bureau to bring new and additional
revenue into Logan County, the project proposed that Visitor Welcome
Centers also be established in Elkhart, Mt. Pulaski, and Atlanta as
they are the main entry points into Logan County for tourists
traveling Interstate 55, Rt. 121, Rt. 54, and Rt. 66.
The community representatives attending the Tourism Bureau Board
meeting noted the importance of welcoming tourists and motivating
them to visit sites, attractions, and business throughout Logan
County at the actual entry points to the County, as well as at the
centrally located Tourism Bureau site in Lincoln. The work of all
the Visitor Welcome Centers will be coordinated to achieve the
strategic goal of increasing the amount of money tourists spend
throughout Logan County by increasing the number of places they
visit in the County.
Each Visitor Welcome Center will act as a marketing
tool for the entire County. Establishing a Visitor Welcome Center at
each of the entry points into the County will convey the perception
that Logan County is visitor-friendly, encourages community
ownership of tourism, and is working to improve the Tourism Bureau’s
ability to strategically leverage tourism for economic development
purposes.
The Visitor Welcome Centers will work to make visitors feel
genuinely welcomed in Logan County, as well as motivating them to
visit the sites, attractions, and businesses Logan County offers.
The Visitor Welcome Centers will result in a number
of benefits for Logan County, including: Increasing the probability
tourists choose to stop in Logan County; Increasing the probability
of new and additional revenue from tourists stopping in Logan
County; Providing the Tourism Bureau with data it can use to more
accurately create and target its marketing efforts; Providing data
that will help communities across the County recognize the benefits
of leveraging tourism for economic development purposes; and
Enhancing the Tourism Bureau’s ability to work with communities
across the County towards achieving tourism goals.
[to top of second column] |
Coordinated signage will be installed at each Visitor
Welcome Center site, along with “way-finding” signs to direct
travelers to the centers in each community. Each community will
staff its Visitor Welcome Center, and when not open, large monitors
will present video of Logan County attractions and sites. In
addition, outdoor weatherproof brochure racks will help make sure
visitors receive information even when a center is not open. Data
will be collected from tourists at each site in order to help
improve and enhance the marketing efforts of the Tourism Bureau. It
is hoped the Visitor Welcome Centers can be up and running in time
for the 2019 tourist season.
The Elkhart Visitor Welcome Center will be located in
the Country Bumpkin shop on Govenor Oglesby Street.
It will be housed on the square in the Mt. Pulaski
Township Historical Society’s Museum building.
In Atlanta, it will be located in the Union Hall
Building on Historic Route 66, owned by the Atlanta Public Library.
The mission of the Logan County Economic Development Partnership is
to cultivate a business environment that enhances Logan County by
expanding our local and regional economy through programs that
sustain and grow existing businesses, attract and establish new
businesses, and increase quality employment opportunities.
[Bill Thomas] |
