Letter from the Missouri Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus

Dear Governor,

On behalf of the Missouri Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus (representing 33 communities in the State of Missouri) I encourage you to expedite immediate release of the $1.5 million from the Division of Tourism’s budget to fund the 2009 Tour of Missouri. While a thorough review of the event and its net ROI needs to be made before making further commitments, THIS commitment has already been made. We have numerous cities, hundreds of volunteers, local business sponsors and thousands of citizens in the State of Missouri that have been working diligently on this project for nearly a year. To pull the plug on committed state funding at this late date would be harmful to all involved and would poorly reflect on this great state.

I assure you that sufficient inquiry, by the industry, will be made prior to future commitment for this event, but we need to quickly move forward to insure the success of our communities and citizens.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely

Ross Summers
President, Missouri Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus