We’re in the midst of our 30th birthday celebration, where we’ve launched the 30 Stories for 30 Years interview series. We’ve been meeting with former OVC Board members, and some others who have been along for the ride. We’re reflecting on three decades of tourism and considering what the future may hold. Join us, as we look back on local tourism’s evolution, some Ottawa Visitors Center history, and a special guest’s unique perspectives.

Our special guest for this entry is Executive Director Bill Zenz, of the Illinois Valley Area Chamber of Commerce. Throughout the interview series, we’ve explored just how many working parts go into the local tourism industry. Bill got us started by speaking on his time at IVAC and working in conjunction with the OVC.

“I’ve been with IVAC for five years, and in that time we’ve been very fortunate to have a good relationship across the region, and especially with Ottawa. The work that is being done here by Donna and you all on the team, it really sets the area up for success. So when the Visitor Center is marketing to the Chicagoland area or Ottawa, it brings people to the region. And then that allows cities like LaSalle, Peru, all the way over to Princeton, to capitalize on those folks that have come down and we’ve seen increases in numbers year over year, which is great,” Bill said,

“Again, it’s that working together piece, keeping them here, so if they’re in Ottawa on Friday night, is there something that happens in Utica or LaSalle, or Peru, or Princeton, or Mendota on Saturday? Where we can keep them overnight? And it just takes that catalyst, which has been the Visitor Center, realistically, to really promote, get people excited about this region. And then it falls on the rest of us to keep them here. But I say all that in the vein of working together with you guys, it’s been very easy. There hasn’t been any animosity or any of ‘We’re Ottawa, you’re you.’ There’s been a lot of ‘We are in this together,’ which is really the mindset that we need as a region. So that’s been very refreshing and exciting to see.”

The many moving parts of Ottawa tourism can extend far beyond Ottawa itself of course. Working together with our local community partners allows us to offer events, promotions, and more. That’s what makes our work so fulfilling, it benefits the entire community of Starved Rock Country. Next, we asked Bill what Ottawa tourism means to him, and the larger area as a whole.

“In general, it means economic growth, right? If you look at downtown Ottawa and the growth that we’ve seen here. Ottawa’s a town of 18,000 people. 18,000 people aren’t going to necessarily keep all of our coffee shops, our restaurants, our boutiques, all those places in business on our own. So it takes the visitors, it takes the tourism, not just regional, outside this area. So our Chicagoland, but our internal quote-unquote ‘tourists’, right? So our neighbors that come over and spend time in these communities. I live in Utica, and Utica is a great example, right?”

“It’s a town of what? 1,500 people, 1,800 people, that supports a strip of businesses downtown. And if you look at the data, over three-quarters of the visits to our businesses in downtown Utica are from people outside of Utica. So it’s again tourism in this region, whether or not you think it or not, it’s an economic driver, it keeps businesses open, it helps develop new businesses, it supports jobs. It drives tax dollars for the municipalities. Our tourism industry does a lot for this region, and because of it, we have a lot to offer our local community members.”

Tourism goes into promoting the unique, local opportunities a location offers, benefiting the exact places that make that location unique. Downtown Ottawa also sees many people from out of town shopping and dining. Like Utica, these are ‘internal’ tourists (our close neighboring towns) and those from beyond the immediate area. These parts of the tourism machine keep everything moving smoothly. Of course, this wouldn’t be possible without cooperation between various tourism facets. Building on this, we asked Bill how he felt tourism has come along in the past 30 years, both in Ottawa and the effects its had on the larger region.

“Again, I say look at our downtowns. So as you look at downtown Ottawa, and you look at downtown LaSalle, and even downtown Spring Valley now, there’s been a revitalization of those areas. The buildings that once sat vacant for a long time are now filling up. And they’re filling up with, again, mom-and-pop boutiques, restaurants, those local owner-operator type businesses. So that’s been one of the biggest pieces that are very easily seen. And then growing up here for 30-plus years, you used to be able to go out to the state parks and you’d see nobody for hours, whether it was Matthiessen… Starved Rock was always busy, Buffalo Rock. There’s times now, where I’ll go to Buffalo Rock and the parking lot is full. Even on the canal, right, walking the canal, there’s people.”

“I was downtown LaSalle yesterday, and there was a couple that was just walking downtown with their dog. They had come in to look at the canal boat, and do the canal tour, and then they walked the shops. So it’s easily seen, the impact that it’s had, and continues to have, and the growth that it’s had. I was in Florida two years ago, and somebody asked where I was from, and I said Utica. And they were like, ‘What’s that?’ I said Starved Rock, and they knew what Starved Rock was. There is definitely a name recognition, not just within our region or our state, but nationally, for the opportunities for tourism that we have. Again, I just think we need to continue to capitalize on that and look bigger, right? Look outside the box for some of that continued tourism growth.”

In another interview, Reed Wilson shared his thoughts that the creation and cultivation of the Starved Rock Country concept has been instrumental in driving tourism to this region. This all ties into the grand idea of the working parts of tourism in our area (Heritage Corridor, IVAC, OVC, and beyond). It’s clear to see just how much tourism has flourished in not only Ottawa, but the greater region over the last 30 years. Ottawa’s iconic events and attractions are also well-known to draw large crowds to the area. We asked Bill if he had a favorite Ottawa event or attraction from throughout the years

“Oh, man. So we love to come to Ottawa for a couple different things. The outdoor rec piece, the parks in Ottawa are great, so I’ve got two kids. And I know that’s not necessarily a full-on tourism piece, but we love coming over with the boys, whether it’s Thornton Park. Or Fox River Park, the Reddick Mansion. We’ve taken them through that. But then just the happenings that go on downtown. So whether that’s the markets that happen, the Chris Kringle Market, there was a touch-a-truck program that happened, but there was a program downtown where it was the fall of the Scarecrow Fest,” he said.

“I’m in the era of my life where we’re very family-focused, and we’ve heard before that there’s nothing to do for kids. There’s something to do for kids, if not once a month, almost every weekend, especially downtown Ottawa. There’s always something going on. So that’s where we’ve really taken advantage of Ottawa and the offerings there. And I would say they’re my favorite parts. Dayton Bluffs, too. I always forget about Dayton Bluffs, but that’s one of those spots that I try to keep a secret, selfishly. Because we love going out there. There’s some great trails.”

Ottawa has seen a growing number of events oriented towards children and families. Our attractions are also growing, as the Sainte Genevieve and Ottawa Center for the Arts are some of our newest draws in Ottawa. There’s been many more from throughout the years though. We asked Bill if there were any old events he’d like to see make a return, or if he would prefer to see something new in town.

“I think everything we have right now, there’s so much that goes on already. I think at this point, maintaining what we have, and growing the current offerings, just making them even better. I don’t think there’s a need for fancy, new, right? I think that there’s a lot of good already happening, and it’s just ‘how do we take the events that we currently have, the programs that we currently have, and continue to make them better?’ Because it takes a lot of effort, as you know, to get these things going. So instead of adding something else or adding another weekend or adding another event, let’s focus in on the programs and offerings we have right now, and just grow those and get creative with those and make them continue to be more and more accessible, to more and more people.”

Ottawa’s events and attractions have changed throughout the years, but there’s one thing that won’t change: We’ll continue to keep sharing the stories, history, and heart of this community for years to come. There’s so much excitement on the way for tourists and locals alike. To round out our interview, we asked Bill if he had any final thoughts on the future of Ottawa tourism, and the larger area as a result.

“I think continue being the leader, right? So we, for being as much of a tourism region as we are, the fact that Ottawa is the only [city-specific] visitor center… I think that if the Ottawa Visitor Center can continue to be that regional leader that draws people in, it’s on the rest of the communities to then take advantage of those people once they’re here. So, I’m just super encouraged by the work and the creativity that you all have shown over here to get Ottawa recognized and on the map,” Bill said,

“but again, we’re close enough in region where if Ottawa’s doing it, it should help and bleed out into the other areas. So I just am excited about what you guys are doing and encourage you to keep doing it. Love the Ottawa ad on the Hawks game, right? ‘No, not that Ottawa.’ That is phenomenal. So love what’s happening and just want to see more of it.”

Many thanks to Bill! Stay tuned for more updates and interviews as we continue to celebrate our 30th anniversary. Check out the rest of our blogs and our Facebook page.