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We'll Buy Your Gas Campaign

http://ozarkspub.vo.llnwd.net/o37/KSMU/audio/mp3/wellbuyyou_772.mp3

The Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau is using a unique approach to try to attract tourists to the city. KSMU's Michele Skalicky has more.

With gas prices high and the tourist season here, the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau hopes to attract visitors with the promise of free gas. They're once again hosting the "We'll Buy Your Gas" campaign. To be eligible to receive a $40 Visa gift card, participants must stay at least 2 nights at a participating hotel, spend at least $25 at a participating restaurant, purchase 2 tickets to Wonders of Wildlife and obtain a validation stamp at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, though no purchase is necessary there.

Convention and Visitors Bureau spokesperson Susan Wade says the offer is also good for locals who want to play tourist in their hometown.

To promote the "We'll Buy Your Gas" campaign, the CVB is advertising in TV, radio and print media in St. Louis and Kansas City, Little Rock and Fayetteville, AR, Wichita, Kansas and Tulsa, OK. And Wade says she's done radio interviews in 7 states. It seems the campaign is working. The 2006 "We'll Buy Your Gas Campaign" generated a lot of inquiries and attracted several tourists, according to a survey conducted after the campaign last year ended

The $40 Visa gift card offer is good thru December 31st. To learn details and to print out a form that must be stamped, go to vacationspringfield.com.

Michele Skalicky has worked at KSMU since the station occupied the old white house at National and Grand. She enjoys working on both the announcing side and in news and has been the recipient of statewide and national awards for news reporting. She likes to tell stories that make a difference. Michele enjoys outdoor activities, including hiking, camping and leisurely kayaking.