Anaconda’s Chamber of Commerce is getting a rebrand.
The group will merge with Anaconda Local Development Corporation and the two organizations will now be known as Discover Anaconda.
Adam Vauthier says the idea to merge the two organizations came from how similar they were and the need to focus solely on tourism.
"We’ve seen more visitors than we have in the past and we believe that there’s just more and more opportunities for us to really market this recreational gem," said Vauthier.
Mary Johnston will become the new director of tourism under the Discover Anaconda banner.
"I was the director of the Anaconda Chamber of Commerce so I wore many hats. So now I can just concentrate on the visitor’s center and tourism," said Johnston.
Between planning events, posting on various social media accounts, doing paperwork, and running the visitor center, Johnston had very little time to focus on one thing. But now, she has some help.
"Even the bookkeeping — not on my plate anymore. So, I’m freed up to spend time with the guests cause there have been some days that, even at the time with a volunteer there, that’s all we did was talk to people all day that came to the visitor's center," said Johnston.
The new position comes at a time when Anaconda has seen a spike in tourism. By the end of August, 1,000 people walked through the doors of the visitor’s center while the website had 10,000 views.
Johnston says this was the most traffic she had seen since starting her position in 2017.
"People are coming to Anaconda looking for things to do and they’re making it their base camp which that's what we like cause we’re thirty minutes away from some great outdoor activity," said Johnston.
A formal announcement will be made at the Discover Anaconda banquet which will take place on Dec. 2 at the Forge Hotel.
