Columbus CVB Review Updated Strategic Plan

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COLUMBUS, Miss.(WCBI)-It’s been a sometimes turbulent year for the agency charged with promoting tourism in Columbus and Lowndes County. But today[Tuesday], board members retreated to the peace and quiet of the Prairie to review what they’ve done right, deal with mistakes, review Director Nancy Carpenter’s contract, which they were expected to do and try to agree on a course that’ll make for a better future.

No better place than the Burnt Oak Lodge in Crawford, for work on promotions and marketing the Friendly City of Columbus and Lowndes County as a tourist destination and convention site. An updated strategic plan discussed some seven years ago is once again on the front burner.

“And so we’ll be talking about our challenges. What are we facing to do a better job in getting visitors here. But also making sure that they have the right experience. Because they are coming here for different reasons. And then we’re going to talk about new initiatives that the CVB can take on to make sure that that’s going to happen,” said Don Anderson, Financial Consultant.

Now that there is new industry and some more revenue through the food and beverage tax, CVB officials hope to build on an updated economic initiative. They hope that plan will be a road map for where they want to go and for spending taxpayer money.

“So we are developing a tourism plan on the behalf of the community of Columbus and this county. And that way we’ve heard from everyone and we’re going to make sure that this plan then includes all those opportunities that we shouldn’t neglect, that we should look at to drive more visitors here,” added Anderson.

CVB board of directors were in session behind closed doors for the most part of Tuesday morning. In coming months they are sure to be mulling over ways of wooing people and businesses to the Friendly City.

“I’m going to share with the board what other destinations in this country do to draw more visitors, and that way we can probably draw out some new ideas,” said Anderson.

Upon approval of any strategic plan, a Visitors And Convention Bureau public meeting is planned for September.