Published: July 25, 2008 12:36 am            

Chamber brochure wins award

Visitor’s Guide takes top honors at gathering of Chamber execs

Chalk one up for the Chamber.

The Corsicana/Navarro County Chamber of Commerce has won a first place award from a group of chamber executives for its “Visitor’s Guide” publication.

The announcement was made Thursday at the monthly meeting of the chamber board by Tom Hecker, chairman of the Corsicana Development Commission.

The guide is published twice-yearly, and distributed throughout the area and many places throughout the state. It gives visitors to the area a look at the many activities and tourist attractions Corsicana has to offer, as well as a map of the area.

“We distributed about 40,000 of these to visitor’s centers and entry points in the state,” Hecker said Thursday.

The Corsicana Development Commission, funded by a portion of the Hotel/Motel taxes collected by the city of Corsicana, is charged with funding tourism and arts-related events throughout the area.

Hecker briefed chamber board members on the organization’s activities during the last two years at Thursday’s board meeting. He’ll present a similar report to the Corsicana City Council Aug. 5.

The CDC and the Chamber of Commerce are working on a new area map due out in the next several weeks.

“We are out of maps,” Hecker said. “We haven’t done a new map in several years.”

Other recent projects funded through the CDC include a “Walking Tour” booklet and a Corsicana post card, plus funding for the arts, Derrick Days, Youth Expo, and support for various activities.

Hecker singled out a project that he said was very successful for the area. The CDC spent $1,400 on signs for fishing tournaments held in the area. According to surveys conducted of the participants, the CDC estimates the tournaments brought about $45,000 in spending to the area.

Another project, the Commemorative Air Force “Air Sho,” funded in part with a $4,900 grant from the CDC, brought another $10,000 to $15,000 in retail dollars spent locally.

He said the organization also pays for statewide newspaper inserts twice yearly, and is working with a radio program producer to develop special tours of Corsicana and its attractions.

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Bob Belcher may be reached via e-mail at belcher@corsicanadailysun.com

        

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