Sarah Waggoner

I love traveling!

I love to explore, try new things, meet people, and learn about the world. It has brought so much value to my life and I love to share it with others. No wonder I started my career in tourism.

Over the past decade or so, I've worked with a number of CVBs and tourism attractions across Illinois including the City of Bloomington, Miller Park Zoo, and the City of Litchfield. Most recently I was Tourism Manager for the City of Springfield.

These experiences have taken me across the state, and I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside small and large operations. People are at the heart of all of these attractions and destinations, and I love the connections I’ve made. I know what it means to boost cooperation at a city, state, and federal level, plus public/private partnerships. It’s not unusual for important tourism projects to have parties at all of these levels working together.

Picking a favorite tourism destination is always difficult because I love to travel and enjoy the adventure and experience. After visiting a place, I am that friend that will be happy to share all and tell you the best places to go AND the travel mistakes I made along the way and how to avoid them.

In the United States I love the peacefulness of all the public beaches. I can sit for hours listening to the waves, reading on the shore or floating in the water, sticking my feet in the sand. Generally, I’m happiest when I’m outdoors. I enjoy kayaking, paddle boarding, swimming, and hiking, and Illinois has plenty of opportunities to experience all of these.

Traveling abroad, I love Switzerland. One of my favorite memories was having a cup of coffee in the crisp fresh morning air surrounded by the Swiss Alps and hearing the dinging of the cow bells in the distance. It was perfect, and I couldn't believe a place as picturesque as that existed in the world.

With tourism especially, the end of your traveling should not be the end of your journey. I want to help destinations and attractions showcase their unforgettable experiences to travelers around the world. I want to understand the vision and values of what makes your destination unique, so we can maximize your impact and align with your goals.