MOHAVE COUNTY – Mohave County may establish a website to promote tourism, courtesy of Supervisor Buster Johnson’s proposed allocation of up to $30,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. The proposed expenditure will likely be approved at Monday’s Board of Supervisors meeting as supervisors have generally supported each and every allocation as Board members have distributed from a pool of a little more than $8-million for each of the five Districts.
County Economic Development Director Tami Ursenbach said a standalone website is mandatory for any county to qualify as a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) to benefit from resources, tools and grants provided through the Arizona Office of Tourism (AOT).
While Chambers of Commerce and civic groups have long promoted tourism within area municipalities, a county tourism website would help shine light on activity in unincorporated areas.
“We don’t have anything that focuses on Golden Valley or Chloride, Dolan Springs or Peach Springs and places like Grand Canyon West,” Ursenbach said. “There are things going on in those areas, but there’s nothing specifically that promotes them and brings them into the picture, so this is a way to unify everything that’s going on.”
Ursenbach noted a county tourism website could stretch regional reach.
“Nearby communities like Needles, Laughlin, Hildale and others in La Paz County,” she said. “We touch each other. What goes on in other areas comes to our communities as well.”
Ursenbach said some preliminary shopping reveals a Mohave County tourism website could cost as little as $22,000 and as much as $40,000 to develop and launch. Board approval Monday, she said, would set the stage for Procurement involvement to begin a bidding process in search of a vendor for the endeavor.
Dave Hawkins
