Joplin’s Convention and visitor’s Bureau Director says the department has begun to take a storytelling role after the May 22nd tornado. Director Patrick Tuttle says his department documented the aftermath for several reasons.

He says there are people who want to know the story of what happened and who want to learn from Joplin’s recovery. He says his department took seven days to collect stories and photos for their archives.

He says now, tourists can relive Joplin before the tornado. The department is working on a smart phone app that would use GPS technology to give a virtual tour of what happened in certain places, or what was there before the tornado.

He says when the recovery efforts were beginning, celebrities and national aid groups needed places to stay and help organizing, and the tourism department stepped in there. He says though the city had a crisis management plan before, it’s been updated after learning through recovery

He says the rebuilding of the new hospital will provide more opportunities for visitors too. He says the new hospital will be $950 million, and will provide opportunities for medical conferences to come to the area, because of increased space and brand new facilities.

(AUDIO) Allison Blood reports. Mp3 [1:03]