VISITORS BUREAU CONSIDERS NEW HELP

The Daviess County Visitors Bureau Board is considering proposals for a new manager for its operations. Board President Marilyn McCullough says the board is wanting to explore possibilities.

“The Visitors Commission Board has some new members. The board voted unanimously to put out a request for proposals to make sure the county gets the services they need to help enhance and promote tourism within the county,” said McCullough. “We are just looking at what resources are out there. Is the current contract we have a good one? Can we improve it?”

The visitors board oversees expenditures out of the county’s room tax. Most of that money goes toward promotion of local events and activities although a small portion is set aside for the creation of an event center.

Since the inception of the inn keepers’ tax the Daviess County Chamber of Commerce has been the managing organization.

“The contract has been with the chamber in the past. We are looking at all possibilities. We want to know if the county is receiving what they need for that contracted amount,” said McCullough. “We are exploring all options right now. We have a specific set of criteria we want to see accomplished. We are trying to enhance and promote tourism throughout the entire county, not just one portion but the entire county.”

McCullough says the board has reached out to other organizations trying to figure out what the best fit might be.

“Our board has spoken with the Indiana State Tourism Association, Radius Indiana. We’ve spoken with a lot of sources to gain input on what exactly we need to promote tourism within our county and to grow that,” she said. “We live in such a great area. Daviess County is great and has so much to offer, so how do we promote that to get more people to visit here?”

Daviess County has all kinds of events and activities every year, plus some unique offerings like the Amish country and the recreation available at Boggs Lake and Glendale Fish and Wildlife Area.

“It is a pretty broad description that we are looking for. We are looking for some resources to promote tourism. That’s through sports. That’s through festivals, different events we would do,” said McCullough. “It isn’t like bidding a bridge. You have to explore the proposals and consider their ideas, because people have great ideas. It may be that we don’t even know what we need. That’s why we are welcoming professionals and people with experience to help us meet our mission and our goals.”

Officials expect to spend a month interviewing firms that submitted proposals. A final decision is expected in late October.

Article published by Mike Grant for the Washington Times Herald.