Amidst a Global Pandemic and Mass Industry Layoffs, the Beaumont CVB Convinced a Travel Influencer with 200K Followers to Uproot Her Life, Move Cross-Country and Settle in a Small Texas Town

BEAUMONT, Texas, Aug. 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- With a BS in Advertising from the University of Colorado and an MS in E-business from Depaul, Lauren Monitz has over 10 years of experience in content and social strategy for tourism and hospitality clients. She has worked on the agency, publisher, and media side of the travel industry, racking up over 200K social media followers and bylines around the web in publications like Fodor's, Trivago, and Huffington Post. "We're extremely lucky to have Lauren in Beaumont as the Tourism and Marketing Developer and see tons of potential with her insight and ideas," said Marketing Director, Christina Lokey.

Despite tourism bringing in $80.3 billion dollars in visitor spending in 2018, second only to oil, the Texas Economic Development and Tourism Office has reported an 86 percent drop this year, resulting from the novel coronavirus. While the global travel industry is experiencing more than 500,000 industry-wide furloughs and layoffs, the Beaumont CVB is going all in, betting on themselves by adding key personnel with three new hires this month. "The audience and messaging may have changed, but interest hasn't feigned, and tourism is still one of our largest economic drivers. We need to strike while the iron is hot," Lokey continues.

Monitz, a Chicago native and Denver resident for 10+ years, had never lived anywhere that was not within 40 minutes of a major airport. And yet last month, she packed up everything and moved to Beaumont, a small town in Southeast Texas. "I see this as an opportunity to bring a fresh perspective, build upon the attractions and blueprint that's already in place, and create events that show the community and visitors the area through new eyes. I know they're open to crazy, out of the box ideas to showcase their unique Cajun-Texan culture." Monitz said.

In a time that has dramatically changed the tourism industry, small-town southern hospitality means something, and people are looking for a less crowded, more off-the-grid getaway. "I felt like a part of the community after just one visit," Monitz said. "It is going to take some time getting used to, but I am up for the challenge and excited to start this new chapter as a Texan."

SOURCE City of Beaumont - CVB