The Statesboro Convention and Visitors Bureau Welcome Center is moving locations to usher in new improvements.

The current Welcome Center is located near the Sonic on South Main Street and will move to the closed-down Shoney’s building on South Main.

Barry Turner, the last president of the Bureau, has had the goal of improving their facility for the past few years because the current location lacks space and parking.

The city’s desire to renovate the Shoney’s building and the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau need to expand created an opportunity for the move to take place, Turner said.

The new location will have attractions to offer passersby incentive to stop, and improvements to help visitors enjoy their stay.

The new building will offer RV parking and a RV release station as well as smart-car chargers, a picnic area, access to the Willie McTell Trail and museum exhibits featuring Georgia Southern University and historical sights in Bulloch County.

Turner said that the new facility can be marketed to the niche communities that have RVs and smart-cars because they have to plan their trips around locations than accommodate their special needs.

“The goal is to get people to come here who might not otherwise have stopped,” Turner said.

With the expansion of the Center, more internship positions, both paid and unpaid, will be available, Turner said.

Students with majors in business, marketing, management and hospitality would be ideal applicants.

History majors are also encouraged to apply for positions associated with the museum displays and talking to tourists about historical sites in Bulloch County.

The goal of the new center is to increase tourism by making the center itself an attraction.

Turner said, “We’re really excited about the chance to have a facility that we think will be unique to this part of the state. Our goal is to have a better opportunity to promote Statesboro and Bulloch County and show people all the great things we have to offer and get them to stay here a little longer and actually spend little money locally.”