Initiatives by the Southern Illinois Tourism Development Office intended to direct efforts and support toward unmarketed area attractions may help nurture the growth of the area’s tourism industry.

Tourism in Southern Illinois has taken an interesting turn in the recent years, said John Guyon, SIUC chancellor emeritus and executive director of Southern Illinois Tourism Development Office. We are seeing more attention directed toward cultural heritage tourism and measures are being taken to promote growth.

The Southern Illinois Tourism Development Office is a marketing organization created to provide support and assistance to the 35 southernmost counties in Illinois, especially those without convention visitors bureaus in their area. There are 16 counties in Southern Illinois that do not have such bureaus.

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I think, in Southern Illinois, tourism has enormous potential for growth, Guyon said. It was a $913 million industry in our region last year, and there is no reason that cannot increase.

In 1996, there were $34.36 million in expenditures toward the tourism industry in Jackson County. That represents a 11.5 percent increase in expenditures from 1994. Payroll for 1996 totaled $9.61 million a 17 percent increase in comparison to 1994, according to a report from the Development Services office. Jackson County also saw a 13.5 percent increase in state taxes and a 13 percent increase in local taxes.

Our primary task is to market activities and areas of interest in Southern Illinois, Guyon said. Though the area does not have as many destinations as you might find elsewhere, there are several activities such as hunting, fishing and hiking that bring visitors to the area.

Guyon said several regional agencies were asked to submit brief letters of intent regarding possible demonstration projects for consideration.

Four of the agencies were asked to submit full-blown proposals, Guyon said.

The proposals focused on marketing plans for some existing landmarks in Southern Illinois. The John A. Logan Trail and the River-to-River Trail are two that are being considered.

Guyon was appointed to lead the region’s tourism marketing planning in August. He will be employed full-time for the next six months in the position.

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The purpose of the development office is two-fold:to enhance and market existing resources and to assist in the development of new attractions, Guyon said.

There are four regional branches in Illinois:Southern, Central, Northern and Western. All are funded by grants through the Bureau of Tourism. The Southern District has a grant for $100,000.

There are 3.25 million people employed by the tourism region in Southern Illinois, Guyon said. And we are willing to work with anyone with an interest in promoting tourism growth.