Tourism Director

The City of Two Rivers is seeking a motivated individual to join its management team as Tourism Director to lead the City's Tourism Department in providing tourism marketing and development services under terms of a contract with Explore Two Rivers, Inc. Explore Two Rivers, Inc. is responsible for promoting tourism and will serve as the Destination Marketing Organization for the City of Two Rivers.
The Director of Tourism will be a full-time City employee, reporting to the Director of Community Development, and will provide primary staff support to the Room Tax Commission and the Board of Directors of Explore Two Rivers, Inc.

About The Community
Two Rivers, Wisconsin is a historic Lake Michigan shoreline city of 11,271, located 90 miles north of Milwaukee and 35 miles southeast of Green Bay. Located in Manitowoc County (population 81,500), Two Rivers and the larger, neighboring City of Manitowoc together form an urban center of about 45,000 people. The balance of the county is smaller communities, rural in nature and agriculturally based.

Two Rivers has a traditional downtown business district, which remains a vital center for business and community activities. Two Rivers is a Main Street Community and partners with this organization to support downtown activities and investment where possible.

Outdoor recreational opportunities are abundant in Two Rivers, and have helped attract new residents, new business investment, and increased tourism activity in recent years. These assets include:

• Point Beach State Forest, with 1,800 acres of forests, ridges and swales, 6 miles of unspoiled Lake Michigan shoreline and a bike/hiking trail connection to the city. Annual attendance is over 300,000.
• Woodland Dunes Nature Center, with 1,200 acres of forests, meadows and wetlands along the West Twin River.
• The VanDerBrohe Arboretum, currently under development on the City’s northeast side.
• Neshotah Park and beach, a 50 acre city-owned shoreline park that’s home to the Best Beach in Wisconsin. The Rawley Point Trail and Mariners Trail, which together form a 12-mile bike/pedestrian trail connecting Two Rivers to the State Forest to the north and Manitowoc to the south.
• The East and West Twin Rivers, which course through the City to their confluence at the harbor at Lake Michigan, providing kayaking and canoeing opportunities as well as ready access to the big lake for sailing, powerboating and sport fishing.

About Two Rivers City Government
The City of Two Rivers is a full-service municipal organization, with 118 full-time employees and a total budget of $43 million, including a General Fund budget of $11.2 million. The City has operated under Council-Manager government since 1924, with a 9-member City Council elected at-large to three-year staggered terms and an appointed City Manager who serves as chief executive officer.

About Tourism in Two Rivers

The City's five-member Room Tax Commission has statutory responsibility for budgeting and overseeing the spending of room tax funds.
That body has been instrumental in creating a new 501(c)6 organization, Explore Two Rivers, Inc. to serve as the Destination Marketing Organization for the community. The Board of Explore Two Rivers, Inc. is responsible for developing and implementing an annual plan for tourism promotion and development, using room tax resources made available by the Room Tax Commission. This city position provides staff support to that board.
This new tourism structure for Two Rivers follows 2021 decisions by the Room Tax Commissions of both Two Rivers and Manitowoc to no longer participate in the Manitowoc Area Visitor and Convention Bureau. The two cities continue to cooperate in tourism matters, including production of a Visitor Guide as a joint project.

This is an exciting time for tourism in Two Rivers. Room tax revenues are growing at a rapid pace. The City and private parties are investing in a number of downtown and waterfront redevelopment projects, as well as investing in outdoor recreation enhancements, which should support continued growth in local tourism.

There are currently five hotels/motels and one bed and breakfast in the city. The newest is a 55-room, four-story Cobblestone Hotel on the downtown waterfront, which opened in 2020. The number of vacation rental properties has increased significantly in recent years; there are currently over 50 such properties. In 2022, vacation rentals accounted for about 28 percent of room tax revenues. Room tax revenues are projected to exceed $300,000.

Application & Selection Process
A full position description and City employment application are available at www.two-rivers.org/jobs. Qualified candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, and completed City employment application to HR@two-rivers.org or by mail to: City of Two Rivers, Attn: Human Resources, PO Box 87, Two Rivers WI 54241. Applications should be submitted by Monday, November 20, 2023 to ensure consideration, however applications will continue to be accepted until the position is filled. Contact Human Resources at 920-793-5526 or HR@two-rivers.org with questions.

Compensation & Benefits
Starting Salary Range: $66,156 - $74,443 annually

Benefits: Comprehensive health, vision, and dental insurance. Health insurance opt-out incentive up to $5,000 annually. Employer contribution of 6.8% into Wisconsin Retirement System. Paid vacation, 8 paid holidays per year, and 8 hours of sick leave accrued per month with ability to be accumulated up to 960 hours.
 

How to Apply
A complete job description and City employment application can be found at www.two-rivers.org.

Interested candidates Send a cover letter, resume, and completed employment application by email to HR@two-rivers.org or by mail to:

City of Two Rivers
Attn: Human Resources
Post Office Box 87
Two Rivers, WI 54241-0087