New Destination Guide to Highlight Specific Areas of Calhoun County and “Drive” Visitors to the Area
Calhoun County Economic Development Corp. (CCEDC) is partnering with the Calhoun County Reminder to create a new tourism-based destination guide that will focus on retail, restaurants, places to visit and lodging throughout Calhoun County.ROCKWELL CITY, IA – Calhoun County Economic Development Corp. (CCEDC) is partnering with the Calhoun County Reminder to create a new tourism-based destination guide that will focus on retail, restaurants, places to visit and lodging throughout Calhoun County.
The theme of the guide will be “Let’s Cruise” and will showcase different routes around the county that highlight some of Calhoun County’s assets. Different types of “cruises” will be featured in the destination guide, such as cruising by classic car, motorcycle and family vehicles, or by bike or foot on trails and even cruising on the water.
“The goal is to bring back the idea of the ‘Sunday Drive’,” said Jill Heisterkamp, Executive Director for CCEDC. “I remember taking weekend drives and trips with my family, just cruising around different areas in Iowa, stopping at parks or various attractions. It seems like people don’t think about doing that anymore, so hopefully this guide helps inspire everyone to get out and cruise around.”
The idea for the Destination Guide was motivated by Heisterkamp’s recent attendance at various conferences where travel and tourism keynote speaker Roger Brooks, one of the most recognized and frequently quoted champions and speakers in the travel industry, has presented.
“The key to generating tourism isn’t to market a county but to give a call to action, something that sets your location apart from others and draws people in,” said Heisterkamp. “While driving visitors around our county, I realized just how much people miss by taking the major highways and how relaxing it can be to just cruise on the county roads between towns. Plus, other than farm equipment, you hardly encounter a traffic jam, and our roads are some of the best places to appreciate some amazing sunrises and sunsets.”
The Destination Guides will be distributed to all of the Iowa Welcome Centers and also be placed at gas stations, hotels and other locations throughout Iowa. “We want local people to check out these destinations, but we also want to encourage those in larger towns to come and experience how peaceful a country cruise can be and make it a weekend get-away,” said Heisterkamp.
This new project was made possible through an Iowa Tourism grant to help cover the initial costs for design, printing and distribution of the Destination Guide, with advertising also playing a key part in funding the project. General listings for retail, restaurant, and lodging businesses, along with attractions, will included in the Destination Guide at no charge. Businesses can purchase advertising in the guide for additional exposure, but it is not required to be listed.
Area businesses need to submit their Destination Guide listing by completing an online form at http://bit.ly/DGListing or they can request a paper form by contacting CCEDC at 712-297-5601 or the Calhoun County Reminder office at 712-297-8931. The deadline to submit information is February 18th. Ads can be purchased by contacting Jason Major at the Calhoun County Reminder at jmajor@calhouncountyreminder.com.
written by Darcy Maulsby
published Tuesday, January 22, 2019
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