The organization formerly known as the Southwest Michigan Tourist Council is now working to spread the word about its new name.
Visit Southwest Michigan, previously the tourist council, announced the change in brand last week. Visit Southwest Michigan Director Marcy Simpson tells us the discussions about a name change went on for a couple of years.
“We went through a strategic planning process in 2024, and brand identity came up as one of the 15 initiatives for the organization,” Simpsons aid. “So that really allowed us to explore more how we could define ourselves.”
Simpson says looking at trends in the tourism industry, the council saw a name like Visit Southwest Michigan would be more modern and in line with current strategies. For example, it contains an action word, telling people what the organization wants them to do — visit Southwest Michigan.
“While that can be a broad area, we have defined it in our logo by saying St. Joseph, Benton Harbor and Stevensville because that’s our service industry and where our hotels in our hotels in our assessment district are located.”
Simpson says the new logo and name are being promoted right now with advertisements on the Krasl Art Fair shuttle running all weekend around St. Joseph. Visit Southwest Michigan is also behind the new trolley running four days a week around downtown St. Joe.
You can learn more about Visit Southwest Michigan right here.
