River Heritage Association works to highlight tourism

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- Dinosaur bones. Civil War battlefields. Barbecue cook-offs. Scenic overlooks. Sound like a great place to vacation? It is all right here in Southeast Missouri.

Christina McWaters, president of the River Heritage Association, a 12-county group dedicated to tourism, said many people don't realize all there is to do in their own backyards.

"There are all these little hidden gems," she said.

McWaters doesn't want those gems hidden any more. Elected in December to her first full two-year term as president, McWaters is working to get the word out about the association, its benefits to prospective members and to the public looking for something to do.

Also the director of the New Madrid Chamber of Commerce, McWaters already has some experience in the job. Last year, the group picked her to serve as interim president.

"I guess everyone was pleased with the way things went, so I guess I should take it as a compliment," said McWaters about her election to a full term.

It is a job she said she enjoys. Because the group meets in a different location for its quarterly meetings, McWaters said she gets a firsthand look at the variety of activities offered in Southeast Missouri. She said upcoming meetings include the Indian Hills Winery at Puxico, Mo., the Lady Luck Casino at Caruthersville, Mo., and the Bollinger County Museum at Marble Hill, Mo.

The meetings are an opportunity for the members to introduce themselves and the activities available in their area. By knowing about all there is to do in the region, she explained, they can better promote themselves and one another.

"I know it has helped me with my duties at the chamber," said McWaters, who has led the New Madrid Chamber of Commerce for three years.

McWaters said part of getting the word out about the region is taking advantage of social networking.

McWaters has enlisted help to update the association's website. The site is getting more pictures and a calendar of events in addition to other features to make it easier to use.

The group now has a Facebook page as another way to reach the public. McWaters said Facebook is a good way to quickly get the word about an event to the Association's members as well as their Facebook friends.

"I hope as president to bring the association back to life and more active in the travel industry by promoting all that is going on in the region," she said.

To do that, the River Heritage Association will have a booth at this year's Home and Garden Show in Cape Girardeau for the first time, McWaters said.

With about 60 current members, McWaters said she would like to see more people join the River Heritage Association. She said while there are members in all of the 12 counties, she would like to see more businesses and tourism sites involved. The association covers Ste. Genevieve, St. Francois, Bollinger, Madison, Perry, Cape Girardeau, Scott, Mississippi, Stoddard, New Madrid, Pemiscot and Dunklin counties.

Lynne Williams, executive director of Sikeston Convention and Visitors Bureau, is a member of the association and serves on its board. She said the changes already overseen by McWaters have worked well for the group.

"We are really happy to have Christina at the helm, " Williams said. "Christina is very dedicated to what she does and very thorough. All of the representatives appreciate the job she does and how dedicated she it."

For more information, visit the organization's website at visitsemo.com or search for River Heritage Association on Facebook.