Over 50 local businesses are asking residents to take a vacation this weekend in the Quad Cities. The Convention & Visitors Bureau will host its 16th annual "Be A Tourist in Your Own Backyard Weekend" beginning on January 13.
18 hotels and 30 other businesses, from restaurants to spas, will offer special rates and packages to attract local tourists.
Convention and Visitors Bureau President Joe Taylor says the weekend offers Quad Citians a break from their usual routines and promotes their "hometown" as a future travel destination.
"I view it as a familiarization tour. We want residents to get out and enjoy all the great things there are to see and do in the Quad Cities, so they can become better ambassadors to sell the Quad Cities to their friends and neighbors."
Taylor says he hopes the weekend will encourage workers to take more vacation days.
"Millions of Americans are forfeiting their chances to rest, recharge and experience the world around them at a cost to their workplace, community, and economy."
Coupon booklets and a list of participating businesses are available www.QCbeatourist.com