CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

MAYOR, CITY OF PEKIN

10. What, if anything, should the City Council do to promote tourism in Pekin and the region?

Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce: The City Council should continue to use the Hotel/Motel tax money to provide grants and reimbursements to organizations that bring visitors to our commuynity for festivals, events, and tournaments.

Mark A. Luft: The city, Park District, Police and Fire Departments, as well as the private sectors need to work together to promote and encourage tourism. We need to make it easy and attainable to hold events using the current assets we have in our community. We have awesome Park District facilities that have the potential of tapping into one of our country’s top tourism events: Youth Sports. We also posses an asset that most communities do not have, The Dome. With the city working hand in hand with Park District leadership and The Dome, I feel we have assets needed to increase our tourism.

John McCabe: Making our community appealing to others is an ongoing process. Collaboration with our Chamber of Commerce, parks, schools and businesses is a way in which we promote our city. The Marigold Festival, school activities such as the Pekin Holiday Tournament, and the Chambers fireworks on the Fourth of July are all activities that invite people into our community. We have spent money to promote local activities through regional and national publications; if we are to see a favorable return on these investments, we must continue to look for ways to quantify the value added and ensure we’re allocating resources in the most effective manner.