Welcome center moves to museum

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Welcome Center — you know, the place you get maps and pamphlets showing all the fun places to visit and things to do in the area — has moved from the Chamber of Commerce to the Museum & Art Center.

According to Debbie Doran-Martinez, president of the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce, the move is the result of a loss of hotel tax funding that had been supporting the printing of maps and pamphlets.

“When I asked the city what they wanted the chamber to do, as we could not do it all without funding, they offered to take over doing those services,” Doran-Martinez wrote in an email to the Columbia Basin Herald.

“There will be a period of time as this transition takes place as people are used to calling the chamber for those services,” she continued. “The chamber staff is committed to making that transition as smooth and easy for the end user as possible.”

Moses Lake Mayor David Curnel said the move was made simply for financial reasons, and not because of any dispute between the city and the chamber.

“It is more cost-effective for the city to take it over,” he said.

Spencer Grigg, director of the Moses Lake Parks and Recreation Department, which runs the city’s art museum, said there’s been a shift in the way people make travel plans – much of the search has gone online. People who can’t or don’t access the online resources can get information at the Moses Lake Museum & Art Center, where city officials keep brochures, maps and other tourist information.

“Helping out visitors to the community with their questions,” he said.

The city’s website also has a page with tourism-related links.

“Our first priority is Moses Lake,” Grigg added.

The city also has links to Grant County’s tourist information site, www.tourgrantcounty.com. That’s supplemented by travel information about Eastern Washington, then Washington as a whole.

Visitor center information starts with the basics every visitor wants to know. But while people start with one topic, they usually look at other attractions as well.

“Where to stay, where to play, how to get around,” Grigg said.

Doran-Martinez said the Chamber of Commerce will continue to mail out welcome packets, but the move gives the chamber time to specialize on other activities.

“The chamber will have more time to focus on our program of work and other issues impacting our community like workforce development, promoting our members, legislative advocacy, retail recruitment, so forth,” she wrote.

And the space in the Chamber of Commerce building on South Pioneer Way will continue to serve as the chamber’s lobby.

“The visitor center was in our lobby, so it will continue to be our lobby and waiting area. We will still have some information on hand for relocation and member referrals, as well as business recruitment,” Doran-Martinez said. “Basically the only thing that is changing is the advertising will list a phone number that is answered at the city and the mailings for tourism will be done by the city as well,” she added.

Charles H. Featherstone can be reached at [email protected]. Cheryl Schweizer can be reached at [email protected].