Betsy Billingsley, the director of Visit Greater Lima, speaks to the Lima Rotary Club on Monday.
David Trinko | The Lima News
LIMA — Betsy Billingsley, director of Visit Greater Lima, spoke at the Lima Rotary Club on Monday about the organization and her career transition since taking over the position in early April.
“It’s been a good three months now getting my feet underneath me,” Billingsley said. “Of course, (former director) Christine Pleva did an amazing job bringing me into the organization.”
The organization promotes the region, including with its website, visitgreaterlima.com, including a calendar and planner online.
“Visit Greater Lima is a convention and visitors bureau that is committed to economic growth via the promotion of tourism,” she said when introducing the organization. “Tina Koester does a great job of as many events, non-profit events, concerts, anything that happens in the county, we try to fit right there on our calendar.”
The target market for tourism by Visit Greater Lima is for those who can make it here and get home within the same day if need be.
“The three to four-hour drive is really what we’re targeting, whether that be a day trip, a night stay, or a weekend,” Billingsley said.
Two popular events hosted by Visit Greater Lima this time of year are the Pizza Trail and Geocache Trail.
“There’s 10 spots that you can stop by and find on the app, and then once you collect those 10 spots and you check in, you get a really cute medallion, so the kids really love that as well,” she said.
Billingsley jokingly said “there’s nothing to do in Lima and Allen County” before firing off activity after activity that are easily accessible around the area. She broke down the activities by category; indoor, outdoor, living history and live music.
She emphasized the importance of playgrounds for kids, saying, “They are great for kids to learn how to interact with each other, to see what maybe somebody who’s struggling, how they’re enjoying what’s happening and how people could be different but still be in the same place.”
After being asked, Billingsley gave her giving her recommendation of where to go first.
“If they have kids, my niece and nephew are obsessed with all of our playgrounds, so that would probabaly be the start,” she said. “On a Saturday I would ride the trolley downtown.”
Reach Cade Higgins at 567-242-0351.
