Leaders of the Carbondale Convention and Tourism Bureau say the office will shut down at the end of June without a new agreement with the city.
During a news conference at the tourism bureau office Wednesday, former bureau board member Sam Goldman said if the office shuts down, the city will lose out on the current tourism season and a lot of potential revenue.
But city councilman Chris Wissman says he doesn't expect a new agreement. He says the bureau's projection about how much revenue would be lost is overstated. Wissman says he thinks it's in the best interest of the city to take a potential revenue hit this year and start fresh with a new agency for bigger gains in the future. Last month, the Carbondale City Council voted to strip the Convention and Tourism Bureau of its $267,000 in city funding and open up the city's marketing needs for bid in hopes of better representation.