McMinnville-Warren Co. Chamber Receives Tourism Grant

A $17,000 grant from the state Department of Tourism and Development will help McMinnville with a rebranding project.

McMinnville-Warren County Chamber of Commerce President Mandy Ellar said the city will soon be adding new signage  along a popular river route, and the development of maps indicating river access points.

“We essentially don’t have any signage once you are out on the river and unless you are from here you really don’t know where you are,” Ellar said. “It’s about peace of mind for people coming into our community. Smooth Rapids Rentals see about 80-percent of non-local customers and we want them to know where they are.”

Ellar said they wanted to take on the rebranding project after the recent creation of a Tourism Development Board in the city of McMinnville. The project requires a local match, so the work will total $34,000 and should begin by the end of this year.

“Our rivers are a focal point of our tourism strategy going forward. All other tourism can lead back to our rivers, whether they are the purpose of a visit or something extra to catch,” Ellar said. “Best of all, they can’t be taken away. This beckons the call for each of us to take care of them and the people on them.”