The former mayor of Pontiac, Illinois, has been tapped to lead the tourism department of Lincoln, Illinois.
Scott McCoy, also known for his Route 66 Ultimate Guide app and helping with tourism initiatives in Atlanta, Illinois, told WICS-TV he was hired for $45,000 a year as an independent contractor to boost Lincoln’s visitor numbers.
His compensation will come from city funds, while the tourism department will be funded through the hotel/motel tax.
“It doesn’t come out of anybody’s local pockets,” McCoy explained. “So the more people we get to spend the night here, the more money they’ll spend in town, and the more funding will go directly into tourism. Hotel-motel tax is also earmarked for tourism, so it can’t be used on anything else.” […]
While McCoy and Welch have not disclosed specific plans, they indicated that announcements will be made soon.
The Lincoln Daily News delved more into McCoy’s background:
He said in an interview with LDN recently that as a kid he didn’t give Route 66 a second thought except that he knew it was a faster way for his dad to get home from work each day.
But when he somewhat accidentally ran for mayor in Pontiac the push toward Route 66 tourism was just beginning and he had the opportunity to grow it and nurse it and become an expert on the topic along the way. […]
McCoy gives credit to a lady from Pontiac named Betty Estes who got the ball rolling on Route 66 tourism in that town. McCoy took it up and worked with her in building a relationship with the Route 66 Association of Illinois and the city to start bringing travelers to that small community. McCoy said that what was remarkable about that scenario was that Pontiac was never located on Route 66. To get to the town, tourists travel over a mile off the path, but they come because of what has been built there.
The town now boasts museums and historic buildings and of course, the famous Route 66 Mural. McCoy said that mural has been one of the pivotal parts of tourism in Pontiac. People come off Route 66 so they can take their photo in front of the mural. The work of art has been featured in many travel magazines and is also being copied in other Route 66 communities across the country.
The story also noted that the Lincoln tourism board will maintain ownership of The Mill on Route 66 Museum and make it the headquarters for the entity.
McCoy indicated he would act quickly to try to capitalize on Route 66’s centennial next year.
(Image of Scott McCoy via Facebook)