Visit McHenry County temporarily shifts focus

HUNTLEY — With businesses temporarily closed or limiting operations and residents advised to stay home to avoid spreading the novel coronavirus, Visit McHenry County is temporarily shifting its focus.

Marketing dollars ordinarily spent to attract visitors to the region will shift to support messaging that will assist local businesses as much as possible.

After brainstorming about how best to help the area businesses, attractions, unique shops and popular events the tourism bureau routinely promotes, the staff has launched an online COVID-19 Resource Center. Find it at visitmchenrycounty.com/resourcecenter.

The resource center features an interactive, color-coded map on which visitors can find nearby restaurants and breweries offering curbside pickup and delivery options during the current dine-in ban. Additionally, it boasts a listing of many of the area’s unique boutiques, attractions, arts centers, theaters, book stores and more, noting their present status and any home delivery or other consumer options. Phone numbers and linked websites are also at hand.

Visit McHenry County staff members also are working with Star 105.5 on a campaign to promote the many ways that partnering businesses and entities are adapting their offerings to accommodate the public through this trying time.

“This is coming out of our marketing budget,” Visit McHenry County Sales and Marketing Manager Kristine Austin said in an email. “The Illinois Office of Tourism is allowing for local marketing with grant dollars during this time of crisis so that we can support our local businesses.

“We will begin this campaign as soon as we can. The goal is to run it through the end of May,” she continued. “We will be changing the messaging on a regular basis so we can include as many partners as possible as well as stay current with what is happening with the COVID-19 situation.”

“Traditionally, we’re here to shine a spotlight on all of the wonderful things there are to do and see in McHenry County for visitors as well as our local residents,” said Jaki Berggren, executive director for Visit McHenry County. “In this time of uncertainty and pause in travel by all, we’re shifting our focus to help our wonderful community partners and businesses — truly the heart of our local visitor economy in McHenry County — to see their way through this until we can all return to normal travel activities.”

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Visit McHenry County enhances the region’s quality of life by collaboratively leading the promotion and thoughtful development of the experiences and attractions that make the region a great place to live, enjoy and visit.