Logan County tourism director reports 434 visitors, highlights Route 66 promotions and grants

Wanda Lee Ralphs, Logan County Tourism director, told the Lincoln Committee of the Whole on Oct. 28 that the tourism bureau has recorded 434 visitors since she began, including visitors from 21 countries, and is focusing on outreach and promotion to encourage returns.

Ralphs said the bureau recently closed out a Route 66 grant at the state level and secured an LTCB grant of $32,923. “Instagram has been known to be a community's engine,” she said, describing ongoing photography and video work intended to promote downtown businesses and attractions. Ralphs asked the council to keep in mind the cost for long-distance travelers and to focus on ways to persuade them to return.

Ralphs reviewed historical ties between Route 66 and the mill, noting Route 66 was created in June 1926 and the mill opened in December 1929. She proposed lighting the mill for the Route 66 anniversary and said she is working with a local volunteer, Steve Bateman, on that project. “So within the about 66, I have requested that that's what we do,” she said.

The director described visitor interactions as a form of salesmanship: staff talk with visitors to learn why they stopped in Lincoln and where they are from. Ralphs said the bureau had hosted an open house the prior Saturday and received positive community turnout. She thanked council members and volunteers who support bureau activities.

No formal council action was taken during Ralphs’s presentation; council members asked a few clarifying questions and thanked her for the update.