Monday was another quiet day in Boonville, but it may not stay that way for long.

"I just called everybody one day and said, 'let's do this, let's have a meeting, let's talk about what we can do, and you know, what's out there,'" local business owner Kriss Royer said.

Royer has lived in Boonville only five years, but her ideas to boost tourism are already taking shape.

"Anytime you offer a special Christmas event in a community, it draws people in," she said.

It may not look like it now, but come December, the whole area will be lit up for Christmas. It's all part of an effort by the city to increase tourism to the historic area.

"A lot of people do want to travel but because of the economy they don't go as far," Royer said.

Tourists agree.

"With gas prices, even though they're coming down, we are close to home," Boonville tourist Lisa McClary said.

Boonville is increasing county-wide marketing, including creating a new Web site. It's also working to revitalize its downtown area, promote local products, and is applying to become part of a national scenic byway.