GREENE: Timmy’s Travel receives tourism award

By Editor | March 5, 2025 |

Tim Reif, owner of Timmy’s Travels in Carrollton, accepts the Tourism Trailblazer Award during the Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Summit at Lewis and Clark Community College. The award honors local business owners, entrepreneurs and community volunteers. (Carmen Ensinger/Greene Prairie Press)

By Carmen Ensinger

Great Rivers and Routes celebrated their 40th anniversary on Feb. 20 at a tourism summit held at Lewis and Clark Community College. This year, they honored local business owners, entrepreneurs and community volunteers with a new Tourism Trailblazers Award.
Among the recipients of this prestigious award was Tim Reif, owners of Timmy’s Travels of Carrollton. Other local recipients include Pride, Inc. of Godfrey; Rod Jackson, Grafton; Jeff and Sandy Lorton of Aerie’s Resort, Grafton; Ben and Trudi Allen, Loading Dock, Grafton along with several others from the Alton, Edwardsville, Granite City, Collinsville and East St. Louis area.
According to Cory Jobe, President/CEO of the Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau, a focus on economic and community development will continue to drive a financially stable tourism economy in southwest Illinois.
Jobe spoke before a sold-out venue of over 500 attendees noting that over the last four years, tourism has contributed nearly $92 million in new spending and in 2024 there was another increase in travelers visiting the region.
But, it is the power of tourism, as both an economic and community development engine, that will enhance the southwest Illinois economy and create a strong visitor destination in 2025.
“That is why we embarked on developing a 10-year Tourism Master Plan – to guide a holistic approach to destination development,” Jobe said. “With this plan, we have begun the tourney to bring all voices in the region together, sharing a common vision of what the region can be in 10 years and seeking to have a larger impact on the region by working collectively towards our goals.”
For Reif, winning this Tourism Trailblazers ward is just a small measure of success.
“When I started Timmy’s Travels in 2022, I had no idea if it would work, what would be the niche or how we would get to the next point,” Reif said. “What I did know is that I wanted to treat people as I would have treated my grandparents on trips – give folks the opportunity to travel and have fun while giving back to our communities.”
Reif, a former Carrollton city alderman, said he has always been a huge supporter of buy local, shop local and supporting small businesses.
“That is one thing that we always try to do with Timmy’s Travels locally and across the region,” he said. “When we travel we always find the locally owned mom and pop shops. They are always grateful for your business and support.”
Born and raised in Carrollton, Reif said he has never had the desire to explore the bright lights of the big city.
“One thing I get all the time is why I don’t live somewhere bigger where we can be more successful,” Reif said. “It is really simple – I don’t want to. I love it here and want other people to realize what they are missing and maybe they should come here to Greene County instead.”
As for the award, Reif said the award will be used as a reminder to continue to push on and strive for the best on every trip and every opportunity.
“Never forget where you came from and always try to do better,” he said.
Before the presentation of the awards, Jobe announced some of the new products and initiatives which will drive visitor growth in 2025. They include:
A series of 10 self-service Kayak Kiosks at six locations along the Mississippi and Illinois rivers in Madison and Jersey counties. These kiosks should be accessible to the public by April.
Groundbreaking will take place on both the new Byway Discovery Center at Great Rivers Park outside of Alton and expansion plans for the Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower in Hartford, both taking place in April.
In June, additional Route 66 attractions will be unveiled, including two larger than life giants in Granite City.
Aerie’s Resort will open the new Byway Flyway – a 1,300 foot long zipline race down the river bluffs in Grafton.
Jobe said the visitor economy was strong in 2024 and that is expected to continue in 2025.
“In 2023, tourism accounted for visitor spending of over $827 million, a two percent increase from the previous year,” he said. “Twenty percent of that spending went towards local businesses.
Tourism also generated more than $34 million in local tax revenue during the same time period. This data was obtained from the Illinois Office of Tourism.
Even with the strength of those numbers, Jobe pointed out investments in product development in the region must continue to meet the demands of today’s visitors.
“Over 26 percent of visitors to southwest Illinois traveled to the region for outdoor recreation and spent an average of $196 per person on outdoor fun,” he said. “That is a 20 percent increase in the last two years. This shows we must continue to invest in destination marketing, sales, promotion and development. We need more public sector investment to be competitive in the tourism landscape. Tourism must be a public/private partnership to be successful in building strong communities.”
The event also celebrated the Bureau’s 40th anniversary. The Bureau was officially established as the All Around Alton Convention and Visitor’s Bureau in 1985. It has evolved over the years into the Great Rivers and Routes Destination Marketing and Management Organization and has grown to encompass six counties and 39 communities.