The Janesville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau’s (JACVB) Visitor Information Center (VIC) located in Palmer Park opened for the season, Monday, May 15, 2017. Both staff and volunteers are eager to begin the 2017 tourism season, which includes providing assistance with area travel information to visitors and residents alike. The VIC will also be incorporating the theme “Celebrating Families” this year.
“Our hope with this theme is that we can make travel a bit easier for kids and adults alike,” said Christine Rebout, JACVB Executive Director. “We see the challenges that parents face. Keeping kids comfortable and occupied during travel can be quite difficult and kids tend to get bored pretty easily. When families with young children stop at the VIC we will offer them activities that they can take along to enjoy on the ride. We’ll provide them with crayons and coloring pages, and they’ll have an opportunity to choose a toy from our Celebrating Families Toy Box.”
The VIC provides information to a variety of people each year. In 2016, the VIC assisted with 1,000 inquiries for information from 1,645 guests that were from 36 states plus Canada, Guam and China. During this past season, 62% of those visitors were from Wisconsin, 17% from Illinois with remaining guests from other states and outside of the country.
“The VIC is a great resource for anyone seeking travel information about the Janesville area and/or the state of Wisconsin,” said Sandi Walton, Office Manager for the JACVB, who oversees VIC operations. “Our staff and volunteers are always eager to assist. From providing directions and a map or brochure, to helping plan a travel itinerary, they’re ready with a warm welcome and the information visitors need to make the most of their time while in Janesville. We are also happy to share information regarding travel to other areas of our great state.” The Visitor Information Center offers both local and statewide tourism information including maps, guides, brochures, event calendars and directions.
The VIC is staffed from 9 am to 5 pm, seven days a week through mid-September by a group of 19 volunteers, who log over 1,000 hours each year. The facility supplements services provided by the JACVB main office at 20 S. Main Street, Suite 17, located in downtown Janesville. The JACVB main office is open to the public year round from 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday.
The Janesville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau is a private, non-profit Destination Marketing Organization, whose mission is to lead, support and promote tourism in the area by promoting Janesville as a prime destination for meetings and conventions, motorcoach and leisure travelers, thereby creating a positive economic impact on the community and enhancing the quality of life. The JACVB is funded by local hotel room tax and receives 52.5% of the room tax collected by the City of Janesville with the remainder going into the city’s general fund.
