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Denison CVB director reports tourism-designation efforts, visitor-center traffic; Main Street and Lake Texoma groups give updates
Summary
At the July 14 Denison CVB meeting, staff reported progress on state tourism designations and group-sales planning, said the visitor center recorded 311 visitors in a month with about half from out of state, and partner groups gave event and fundraising updates.
At the July 14 meeting of the City of Denison Convention and Visitors Bureau, CVB staff reported on work to secure state tourism designations and on visitor-center activity, while Main Street, Chamber, and Lake Texoma partners provided event and fundraising updates.
Jordan, CVB staff, said Denison is pursuing a tourism-friendly designation through the state’s “Bridal Texas” program administered out of the governor’s office; the designation requires three letters of recommendation from hotels, elected officials or attractions and culminates in a proclamation with the mayor and city council. Jordan said the CVB is also pursuing a digital-media-friendly certification in addition to existing film- and music-friendly designations, which would place Denison among a small number of Texas cities holding all three designations.
Jordan told the board the visitor center is drawing a “decent amount” of traffic but not yet at desired levels; staff have recorded 311 visitors in a recent month, with as many as about 50% from out of state. Jordan said a late recreation season at the nearby lake and ongoing construction may have reduced visitation but that the CVB is working on marketing and group-sales services to build business: “I really want us to become a group sales destination... we are working on that process right now,” Jordan said. Jordan also announced a hotel-occupancy-tax training session on Aug. 18 from 2 to 4 p.m. featuring a lawyer from the Texas Hotel and Lodging Association to explain allowable uses of hot-tax funds.
Jordan described plans to pursue legislation in the 2027 session to create or qualify Denison for a statutory category that would allow use of hot-tax funds to upgrade sports facilities, explaining the CVB will need guidance to draft a bill in future sessions to make facility improvements that could support larger tournaments.
A Main Street representative reported Music on Main has had two remaining shows and steady crowds, and organizers plan a visioning and mission-statement workshop this month to refresh downtown goals ahead of a council review in September. The Main Street representative outlined an Aug. 19 “Good Morning Downtown” stakeholder event in which downtown groups, the police department, parks and recreation, and others will answer questions and meet business owners.
A Lake Texoma Association (LTA) representative said the lake’s water level has receded after a slow start to the season; the LTA’s July activities included fireworks and marina traffic over the holiday, and the group is launching a Conservation and Safety Foundation to apply for grants and fund conservation and safety projects on the lake. LTA also plans a fundraiser Aug. 2 (Bash for Cash) and a golf tournament in September.
A museum representative said the museum recorded 311 visitors that month and that about 50% were from out of state; the museum is considering a future request for additional funding and highlighted outreach tied to Eisenhower’s birthday and veterans’ programming.
Board members and staff encouraged use of the updated grant application information and noted several upcoming dates: July 28 for a downtown business owner meet-and-greet, Aug. 18 for hot-tax training (2 to 4 p.m.), and Aug. 19 for the Good Morning Downtown event. The meeting adjourned after routine business.
