BUSINESS MEMO: NEW TOURISM LOGO, SLOGAN

"Where the Rivers Run," a simple, four-word phrase, should help increase the number of travelers visiting Missouri in the coming year, says the Missouri Tourism Commission, which has approved the new advertising slogan, along with a new logo.

Consumer research has shown that Missouri travelers perceive the state as a scenic outdoor destination with "family fun" activities. In several studies, outdoor activity and natural beauty were primary motivators to travel to the state.

Recent research indicates that 99 percent of potential visitors feel "Where the Rivers Run" captures the image of the state.

Lt. Gov. Roger B. Wilson, who chairs the commission, unveiled the new logo, explaining that as America enters a new millennium, there is an increasing level of public interest in rivers, not the least of which is the bicentennial of Lewis and Clark. The Tourism Commission believes that Missouri is the one state that best illustrates there's fun where rivers run.

The logo features a stylized river that represents more than 55,000 miles of rivers, streams and lakes of Missouri.