SWANSEA, ILL., MARCH 9, 2012 . . . In the wake of last summer’s merger that created the Tourism Bureau ILLINOISouth, the Bureau has relocated to a larger office at 4387 N. Illinois St. in Swansea, Ill, and announced the addition of Cheyenne Hughes of Mascoutah, Ill., as Bookkeeper and Julie Schrey, of Olney, Ill., as the organization’s new Tourism Coordinator-Southeastern Region. The new location and staff additions are designed to help the Bureau further promote the tourism highlights throughout its expanded coverage area, which is the largest geographically of any bureau in the state. In all, it encompasses 9,000 square miles and includes the counties of Bond, Clay, Clinton, Cumberland, Edwards, Fayette, Jasper, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, Monroe, Perry, Randolph, Richland, St. Clair, Wabash, Washington, Wayne and White.
“Since the merger, our Bureau’s service area has grown substantially, and with that growth has come the need for an expansion of our team to ensure that we’re effectively representing and promoting the many tourist attractions that our 19 counties have to offer,” said jo kathmann, President/CEO of the Tourism Bureau ILLNOISouth. “In addition, our new 3,200 square foot space on IL-159 will enhance our overall physical presence in the region and give us room for continued growth as warranted, so we can continue to meet the needs of our counties for many years to come.”
As the Bureau’s new Tourism Coordinator, Schrey is the latest to join the organization’s growing team and will serve as the Bureau’s liaison in the eastern portion of its service area. Schrey and her husband are the current owners of the Holiday Motel & Restaurant in Olney, Ill., where Schrey also works as the Motel’s manager and bookkeeper.
“Julie will serve as our eyes and ears for the eastern portion of our service area,” noted kathmann. “As the owner and manager of the Holiday Motel & Restaurant, she possesses extensive knowledge about the tourist treasures in the area, and is well known by many of our members in those eastern counties. Her expertise and relationships will prove to be invaluable as we continue to promote the destinations, events and attractions in our expanded service area.”
Bureau members in the eastern counties, as well as visitors, will also be able to pick up hard copies of the Bureau’s annual Visitors Guide, newsletters and other promotional materials at the Holiday Motel and Restaurant, located at 1300 South West Street, Olney, IL 62450.
In total, the 19 counties served by the Tourism Bureau ILLINOISouth feature 7,253 hotel, motel and bed & breakfast rooms, hundreds of restaurants and unique shops and thousands of acres of lakes, parks and attractions.
“We have so much to offer, and we’re excited to have Julie as part of our team to help spread the word,” said kathmann.
For more information on the Tourism Bureau ILLINOISouth and the region’s many tourist destinations, visit www.thetourismbureau.org, or call the new office location at 618-257-1488, or toll-free at 1-800-442-1488.
For more information, contact:
Julie Hauser, The Hauser Group, (314) 436-9090
jo kathmann, The Tourism Bureau IllinoiSouth, (618) 257-1488