The Lake County Convention and Visitors Bureau, which once sought to oversee a consolidation with Porter County tourism, has changed its legal name by dropping the reference to its home county.

The agency will now be known as the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority.

When asked if the new name will lead to a renewed effort to merge or otherwise expand the powers of the Lake County-based bureau, Public Relations Manager Erika Scheeringa said that to her knowledge, no such legislative effort is planned.

The Porter County Convention, Recreation and Visitor Commission has strongly opposed past efforts by the Lake County bureau to expand its authority into Porter and LaPorte counties. In response, numerous Porter County boards, representing both the public sector and chambers of commerce, have passed resolutions in support of keeping the separate county tourism agencies.

Scheeringa said the Lake County bureau has been using the name “South Shore” in its promotions for about three years, and that the name change is a marketing tool that reflects this existing practice.

She cited the bureau’s efforts in attracting visitors for major sporting events in Lake County. She said the agency helps book visitors in hotels throughout Northwest Indiana and even in Michigan, while promoting the attractions in these areas.

  Scheeringa also said the Lake County bureau’s board has been discussing a possible name change for more than a year and that it just recently passed a resolution to that effect.

According to the resolution, the Lake County bureau is the “…only convention and visitors bureau in Northwest Indiana to actively and comprehensively generate enough business to necessitate marketing the three county shoreline region.” The resolution also states that “…travel consumers to Indiana do not make tourism travel decisions based on county name.”

 Posted 12/1/2008