Travel the new All-American Road in Illinois
Great River Road receives prestigious national roadway designation
The Intelligencer
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The Illinois Great River Road, which includes the local Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway, has been designated an “All-American Road” by the Federal Highway Administration. The Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway is a 33-mile stretch included in the Illinois Great River Road, which runs from Hartford to just north of Grafton and parallels the Mississippi River and includes its confluence with the Missouri River and the Illinois River.For the Intelligencer
The Illinois Great River Road, which includes the local Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway, has been designated an “All-American Road” by the Federal Highway Administration.
Great River Road earns federal highway honor
Ron DeBrock, ronald.debrock@thetelegraph.com
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The Great River Road, including the 33-mile Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway between Grafton and Hartford, has been designated an All-American Road by the Federal Highway Administration. Show MoreShow Less
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ALTON The Illinois Great River Road has been designated an “All-American Road” by the Federal Highway Administration.
The route, which includes the local Meeting of the Great Rives National Scenic Byway, is one of 49 roadways in 28 states to receive new roadway designations as part of the America’s Byways collection.
The Great River Road follows the Mississippi River for 3,000 miles through 10 states, from its beginnings at Lake Itasca in Minnesota through Louisiana where it enters the Gulf of Mexico. In Illinois, the byway hugs the western border of the state for more than 550 miles.
Tourism wants reopening plan by state officials
Ron DeBrock, ronald.debrock@thetelegraph.com
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The half-moon shines high over the Clark Bridge and the calm waters of the Alton Marina last summer. Tourism advocates in Illinois this week called upon the state to create a plan for post-pandemic recovery for hotels, attractions and restaurants. Show MoreShow Less
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MARYVILLE Officials from the hotel, restaurant and convention industries told a state Senate panel Thursday that they need a clear plan for how they will be allowed to reopen as the COVID-19 pandemic wanes.
Without a plan, they said, many will go out of business permanently.
Tourism CEO sees brights spots in pandemic-stricken industry
Scott Marion, smarion@hearst.com
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JobeFor The Intelligencer
ALTON The hotel industry has been hit especially hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the recovery process may take several years.
Locally, though, there are signs that the turnaround will at least begin in 2021.
The American Hotel & Lodging Association recently released its State of the Hotel Industry 2021 report, examining the economics of recovery after the industry experienced its worst year on record in 2020. The disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic resulted in historically low room occupancy, massive job losses and hotel closures across the nation.
By Doug Jenkins - WBGZ Radio
The Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau held it’s annual Tourism Summit virtually on Thursday. The event hilighted a so-called roadmap to recovery, pointing out expectations of a rebound once the pandemic is less of a concern with vaccinations now being rolled out.
Tourism Bureau President and CEO Cory Jobe tells The Big Z across the country, nearly 5 million jobs have been lost since March, thousands of small businesses have shuttered, and tourism revenue losses are in the billions.
Click here for Jobe s comments
Presented with Hometown Awards during the event were: 222 Artisan Bakery, Edwardsville; Morrison’s Irish Pub, Alton; Old Herald Brewery & Distillery, Collinsville; Sammi’s Sandwiches, Alton; Goshen Coffee, Edwardsville; and Bluestem Vodka, Bethalto. Game Changer Awards to organizations and businesses who created unique ways to experience the region during COVID. Honored were: Pere Marquette State Park, Grafton; Collinsville Parks an