Courier-Leader photo/Paul Garrod
PAW PAW – Destination Paw Paw, a division of the Van Buren County CVB, gathered community members and partners at St. Julian Winery, here, on April 24 to celebrate the early successes of its newly launched brand. Destination Paw Paw officially launched in July 2024 to highlight the village’s unique wine, music, and cultural scenes. The CVB and its efforts are funded by lodging within South Haven and Van Buren County, with approximately eight percent of those funds coming directly from Paw Paw hotels, including Baymont, Comfort Inn, Econo Lodge, and Oak Cove Resort, helping fuel the organization’s growing efforts.
As part of its commitment to strengthening local tourism, the CVB, with support from the Paw Paw Downtown Development Authority, contracted Janice Chittle as Paw Paw’s dedicated marketing manager last year. This investment has allowed the CVB to accelerate marketing initiatives and bring even greater focus to Paw Paw’s unique offerings.
The CVB has always promoted the area, but a fresh brand and recent efforts have stepped up significantly. New billboards, expanded advertising, media features – including a WOODTV Channel 8 news segment – and storytelling videos produced with Boileau Communications have boosted Paw Paw’s visibility. One of these videos was even showcased at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism, where Jason Deibler-Love from The Lucky Wolf was recognized during the Stories of Inspiration segment and took the stage immediately following the Governor.
Looking ahead, the CVB’s branch of Destination Paw Paw is preparing for the public launch of a new website. A first look at the work-in-progress website was unveiled during the event and plans to be mainstreamed by the summer.
