Hi there! Welcome to the new community blog of the Cook County Visitors Bureau (CCVB).
You might be wondering why we are starting a new blog when we already have a blog. Here’s why: A lot of our work promoting tourism to Cook County happens behind the scenes (like assisting travel writers who are doing stories on Cook County) or in target markets outside the area (such as the Twin Cities). So folks here aren’t always clear on who we are and what we do.
The purpose of this blog is twofold:
1.) Familiarize everyone with the CCVB
2.) Provide short-and-sweet updates about what we are doing
Who we are
The Cook County Visitors Bureau is an organization dedicated to promoting Cook County tourism through marketing and events.
Tourism nourishes the economic and cultural vitality of Cook County. Did you know that up to 80% of our economy is tied to tourism? That figure includes direct tourism spending (a visitor purchases a gift) and indirect tourism spending (a resort employee spends part of his or her paycheck on groceries).
The CCVB formed in May 2010 as a management company with six partner organizations:
- Cook County Events and Visitors Bureau
- Grand Marais Area Tourism Association
- Lutsen-Tofte Tourism Association
- Gunflint Trail Association
- Grand Portage Tourism
- Lutsen Mountains Corporation
Joining forces made sense for many reasons. Here are two of the major ones:
- By combining resources, we can reach many more people than communities could individually. Our summer marketing campaign, for example, garnered over 2 million impressions.
- By marketing the county as a whole (while still showcasing the names and unique offerings of each community), we can inspire visitors to extend their stays and explore different parts of the county.
The next post will cover what we do and what we are up to now. Thanks for reading!
Sincerely
Shelby Gonzalez, Marketing Manager
