Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter said the operations of the county’s Visitors Bureau have gone well since the county took it over last year.
Porter said the Visitors Bureau essentially became a county department as the county has made advancements in tourism with the new convention center, Expo Center, and fairgrounds.
“The city is giving us the funds that they were giving the chamber, and we took it over, and Shan Stout is our tourism director, and it has worked just really well,” Porter said. “We have got a year into it now, and it’s just hard to believe that we didn’t have it before.”
Porter said he wants the Visitor’s Bureau to keep attracting more tourism to the county. Porter said he believes the new facilities will do just that.
“When you are bringing in more tourism dollars, it’s more hotel-motel tax money, it’s more sales tax money that helps fund the county and saves us from any property tax increases,” Porter said. “So we have been able to do well with it. We love tourism as those folks come here and they enjoy the events, they enjoy our resources, and then they go back home to wherever they are. So tourism is a really good deal for us here in Putnam County.”
Porter said the county is responsible for booking events at the new Convention Center, Expo Center, and fairgrounds. Porter said he has no plans to make any changes to the operations.
“Shan Stout and her team have just, they are just doing an amazing job with what they have done with tourism and taking over the convention center,” Porter said. “It’s being booked out all the time, and the new expo center, I think, will be more, so just happy the way things are going and wouldn’t touch a thing.”
Porter said the county operating the Visitor’s Bureau has been a win for everyone involved.
