Waco debuts new mobile welcome center in time for National Travel and Tourism Week
Throughout the week, the trailer will be stationed at some of Waco’s tourist hotspots for various events
WACO, Texas (KWTX) - Tourism has played a huge role in Waco’s economy, especially in the last ten years.
“We know that in 2022, our visitors, which totaled about 4.3 million, spent a little over $770 million in town,” Dan Quandt, the director of conventions and tourism for the city of Waco, told KWTX.
In honor of National Travel and Tourism Week from May 7th to 13th, the city is debuting a new mobile welcome center to pay homage to its booming tourism sector.
National Travel and Tourism Week was established in 1983 as an annual tradition to celebrate the U.S. travel community and travel’s essential role in stimulating economic growth, cultivating vibrant communities, creating quality job opportunities, inspiring the creation of new businesses, and elevating the quality of life for Americans every day.
“We hope that our new mobile welcome center can help engage tourists and locals, alike,” Kaitlyn Skinner, the marketing assistant for the Waco convention and visitors bureau, said.
The trailer showcases some of Waco’s finest landmarks, including the Magnolia Silos, Suspension Bridge, and Cameron Park zoo, and throughout the week, the mobile welcome center will be stationed at some of these hotspots for various events.
“On Monday, it’s gonna be right across the street from Magnolia’s main entrance,” Skinner said. “On Tuesday, we’ll be at the airport, on Wednesday we’re gonna be at the Bridge Street Farmers Market. On Thursday we’ll be at the convention center. On Friday our staff is actually gonna be going out of town and going to the Texas state travel centers, and then on Saturday we’ll be back at the Waco farmers market.”
To kick off the week, the trailer was parked at the Waco Welcome Center Sunday for a special pop-up market from 3-5pm.
“The first 50 people get free coffee or gelato,” Skinner said of Sunday’s event. “And we’re gonna have live music, there’s gonna be vendors, it’s gonna be a really good time.”
Both Quandt and Skinner are hopeful that this week’s events continue to cultivate Waco’s vibrant culture, and inspire both tourists and local residents to enjoy all that the city offers.
“Everyone, the first time they see Waco, they see it through the eyes of a tourist,” Quandt said. “And they’re trying to see, ‘what is it about this place?’ and we want to make sure they have the best information about the best place in Texas that they can find.”
For more information about National Travel and Tourism Week in Waco, click here.
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