Galesburg Tourism Reimagined: Sarah Smith's Vision | WGIL Morning News

Описание: Sarah Smith, the new Executive Director of the Galesburg Tourism & Visitors Bureau, joins Galesburg's Morning News with WGIL's Jay Redfern and Tyler Gumm, along with board vice president Denise Gerstenberger to discuss her plans for the organization's next chapter. Starting in January 2026 after leading placemaking and tourism in Clinton, Iowa, Smith brings a fresh perspective focused on modern digital strategies and community storytelling.

Chapters:
0:00 Intro & Welcome to Sarah Smith
0:36 Denise Gerstenberger on the Hiring Process
1:37 What the Board Was Looking For
2:55 Sarah Smith: Why Galesburg?
3:53 Sarah's Background & Journey
4:55 Sarah's Tourism Philosophy
6:47 Social Media Strategies from Clinton
7:50 Rebranding & New Website Fit
8:51 What Sarah Needed to Hear from the Board
9:58 Galesburg's Biggest Draws
10:48 Events & Festivals Strategy
11:58 Immediate Plans & Onboarding
13:01 Placer AI & Data Tools
14:26 Closing Thoughts & Wrap-Up

Her core philosophy centers on the idea that tourism must first strengthen local pride—"being a destination and a hometown." Smith emphasizes that residents who love where they live become the best ambassadors for attracting visitors. She highlights Galesburg's strengths, including the vibrant downtown and Seminary Street, Amtrak connectivity, festivals, coffee shops, and more, and plans to amplify existing events with data-driven tools to track visitor patterns and target markets effectively.

For more from the Galesburg Tourism & Visitors Bureau, subscribe to ‪@experiencegalesburg‬ on YouTube.

Denise Gerstenberger explains the board's decision to hire Smith for her expertise in social media, influencer engagement, and moving beyond traditional advertising to take tourism to the "next level." The interview covers immediate steps (community immersion, reviewing past performance, seasonal campaigns) and how tourism can benefit residents first. A timely look at the future of Galesburg as a destination.

Full audio podcast also available on wgil.com: https://www.wgil.com/episode/galesbur...
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