Johnson wants city ready for ‘prime time’
The city’s new downtown and tourism director wants to create a community where residents stay, merchants thrive and visitors flock.
Sean Johnson, who started Aug. 25, is the liaison between City Hall and downtown businesses. In addition, the tourism portion of his title is essentially the commercial side of government where a town is promoted as a product and a lifestyle, he said.
“It’s a brand, that’s what tourism does,” Johnson said.
Initially, his role had fallen under the heading of Main Street manager. When Taylor’s former Main Street manager stepped down, the city considered how to be more strategic about the position.
Taylor looked at bringing visitors to town with money to spend and creating investment and attention for downtown stores, shops and merchants, said city spokesman Daniel Seguin.
“We also want to attract really high-quality businesses that drive foot traffic, that make people want to come downtown and stay for a few hours not a few minutes,” Seguin said.
Johnson said his job involves planning for the expected growth of Taylor and preparing the city and businesses for “prime time,” which includes the opening of the Samsung Austin Semiconductor foundry in 2026 and the arrival of the University of Texas satellite campus.
Another task is to create awareness about Taylor.
“The story of Taylor needs to be told. There are so many neat things here,” Johnson said.
Seguin added Taylor could become a magnet for tourism.
“There are more and more folks visiting Texas every day, especially to come see small towns, just to get out of the big city and see things that are unique and that have real culture behind it,” Seguin said.
Johnson, however, quipped he is not expecting tourists from Minnesota in flip-flops, slathered in sunblock. The visitors he expects will be closer to home.
“You’ve got about 25 million people in this area within a fourhour drive from Taylor. They’ve not been coming (to Taylor) as much as they should have because the marketing hasn’t been there,” Johnson said.
Sustainable growth and sustainable tourism are Johnson’s bywords. He has seen towns ruined by tourism and that is not what he envisions for Taylor.
“Having too many cars and too many people in town is a good thing, until it’s not,” Johnson said. “I’m not for that kind of tourism … This is going to be about quality of life.”
For now, Johnson has another project on tap.
“The main thing I’m working on right now is not just downtown plans but neighborhood plans,” Johnson said.
With a little love, a little care and lots of “intentionality,” Johnson said he plans to make Taylor a place residents are proud to call home and others enjoy visiting.
According to a city video featuring Johnson, he is a 16-year veteran of the tourism industry, originally hails from Mississippi and has dreamed of living in Texas.
Most recently he was in Cleveland, Mississippi, the “birthplace of blues music,” Johnson said in the video, adding, “It’s got a lot of similarities to Taylor. It’s a rail town founded on the railroad” and initially supported by the cotton industry and agriculture.
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The story of Taylor needs to be told.”
— Sean Johnson
