Visit Quad Cities unveils updated tourism website

Dave Herrell wants to get more people to visit the Quad Cities. He now has an updated website that could attract more tourists from around the country and world to the region. That “refreshed” website – VisitQuadCities.com – was launched and unveiled in a brief ceremony Thursday, May 8, at The Last Picture House in […]

Dave Herrell wants to get more people to visit the Quad Cities. He now has an updated website that could attract more tourists from around the country and world to the region. That “refreshed” website – VisitQuadCities.com – was launched and unveiled in a brief ceremony Thursday, May 8, at The Last Picture House in downtown Davenport at 325 E. 2nd St.

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“We want people to make an emotional connection with our brand. … We want to get people here,” Mr. Herrell, president and CEO of Visit Quad Cities, told the Quad Cities Regional Business Journal after Thursday’s ceremonial unveiling. He called the update more of a "refreshed" look, rather than a complete overhaul. Discussions on updating the site started about two years ago. Much of the long, hard work of actually updating it started last summer, Mr. Herrell said. The new-look website is meant to showcase many of the features, celebrations, businesses and people of the Quad Cities. It is largely divided into two sections: Visitors and Planners. The Planners side lets businesses showcase what they have to offer. The Visitors side lets people considering visiting the Quad Cities see many of the celebrations and many things to do in the region. In addition to highlighting events, the new website also features people of the community in a section called “Quad Citizen to Know.” It features some of the prominent people of the community. As of Thursday afternoon, Cindy Diehl Yang, president and CEO of the Putnam Museum and Science Center, was featured. “We want people to see it, explore it and really be inspired,” said Lea Nelson of Visit Quad Cities, during a presentation before a crowd of about 50 people in one of the movie theaters at The Last Picture House. Katrina Keuning, brand and content strategist with Visit Quad Cities, added that the website is meant to tell the story of the Quad Cities with “pride and purpose.” Part of that purpose is to help drive the economy of the Quad Cities. As Mr. Herrell put it during the ceremony: “Tourism is an economic driver and a force for good.” Here are some of the stats shared to support the economic driver argument: 

• In 2024, the travel industry generated $2.9 trillion in economic output, supported more than 15 million jobs and produced $190 billion in tax revenue, equivalent to $1,490 per household in the U.S.
• The Quad Cities’ total visitor spending increased by 5% in 2023, reaching a record level of $1.3 billion-plus, with local tax generation growing to $76.61 million-plus and state tax generation to $85.62million plus. 
• Rock Island County grew year-over-year in direct visitor spending by 7.2%, beating the state average of 6.5%.
• Scott County realized an increase of 6.2% in direct visitor spending year-over-year against the state average of 5.1%.

"Travel is one of our nation's most powerful economic engines – supporting millions of jobs, fueling businesses and propelling industries forward,” said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman in a statement released by Visit Quad Cities. “National Travel and Tourism Week (May 4-10) reinforces the pivotal role travel plays in building a stronger, more prosperous America." But local tourism and the updated Visit Quad Cities website are not just about good economic numbers. Tourism is also about helping improve the local quality of life and telling the region’s story to the world, said Mr. Herrell. Once people hear the region’s story, the goal is to get them here and have them return many times. “We want to be a best-in-class destination,” Mr. Herrell added.