May Newsletter

I thought in lieu of my normal ramblings for this column, I would share with you an Op Ed that we submitted to Kansas newspapers for National Travel and Tourism Week.  I hope you enjoy. 

I believe one of the biggest assets that Kansas enjoys can also be its biggest detractor: our humility.

As Kansans, we can be too quick to accept without question the perception of our state the rest of the world shoves on us. We’ve allowed their ideas of who we are and what we have to offer for visitors to reverberate across our plains and nation. Sometimes we’ve added to the chorus. 

May 1-7, 2022 is National Travel and Tourism Week and in honor of this celebration, I’m offering up a simple challenge to Kansans. Brag about your state.  There’s plenty of reasons for boasting, even if the idea of it might shock our deeply humble nature. 

We are the heart of the country in more than one sense. Kansans have changed history. From Bleeding Kansas, to Brown v. Board of Education, to Amelia Earhart, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Gordon Parks, and Wyatt Earp. We have amazing stories to tell. We shouldn’t be afraid to speak them a little louder.

Visit the towering rock formations in western Kansas, the rolling and rocky landscapes of the Flint Hills, and the wooded and windy roads of the eastern glacial region. You’ll have plenty to share with anyone who thinks Kansas has only one kind of topography. 

Bask in a Kansas sunset, appreciate a rolling field of wheat, or stand in awe at rows of sunflowers turning their faces to the sun. Stay at a state park abounding with wildlife, outdoor recreation, and gleaming water. Experience our jaw-dropping beauty for yourself. You’ll be armed with answers for anyone who questions the beauty and grandeur of a Kansas landscape.

Browse the events calendar at TravelKS.com. Take in the wealth of options for entertainment in arts, culture, food, athletics, history, nature, and much more. There’s plenty to satisfy everyone with any type of interest. You’ll have a ready response anytime someone has a misunderstanding that nothing happens here. 

Learn about our rich heritage of diversity. Nicodemus is the only remaining Black settlement west of the Mississippi River. Kansas City’s Hispanic community is so vibrant they have a Taco Trail with over 50 local taquerias. Garden City has 26 languages spoken in their public school system. Topeka is home to the Equality House. Share the goodness of our people and the significance of our heritage to anyone who will listen. 

Here’s the good news. A recent perception study commissioned by Kansas Tourism found at least 85 percent of Kansas residents are at least somewhat proud to be a Kansan. We already have pride. We shouldn’t be afraid to show it and share why. 

And here’s another reason to share your pride: travel to Kansas benefits you in so many ways. It means a lower tax burden because annually 31.4 million visitors spend $5.4 billion in our state on lodging, transportation, retail, recreation, and food or beverage, even during the pandemic. Visitor spending directly supports 53,442 jobs making tourism the 12th largest industry in the state. Travel is vital for our economy. 

So, I challenge you. Explore your home state. Rediscover its bountiful charms. Share it. Boast about it. The world is always listening.

Happy National Travel and Tourism Week everyone. 

#ToTheStarsKS

Website Updates

Can you believe it's been a year since we launched the updated TravelKS.com? Travel season is upon us so now is a good time to go in and update your website listings and city pages. 

Please remember to:

• Have a good listing description that would appeal to travelers.
• Ensure you have high quality, horizontal photos. Ideal image size is 1400 x 1000.
• Make sure you have selected the correct category and subcategories.
• Add your events and festivals.
• Add your amenities.
• Add social media links.
• Log into the Extranet and use the tutorial here. If you need access email Kelli.
• Send any city page updates and questions to Jordan.

DTN Partnership

A quick heads-up that you may get an email and/or phone call from a company called “DTN” in the coming days or weeks. As you may already know, DTN is a digital partner that works with destination marketing organizations like ours to produce and publish paid content on our site and to help move our website visitors to become customers for our partners.

With DTN’s help, we’ve put together a small selection of paid content placements on TravelKS.com that we believe will help get your message in front of more of our visitor audience and to send more of those visitors to your website. Details about these placements are here.

Sunflower Seed Packets

Have you seen our popular sunflower seed packet giveaways and wondered how you can get some of your own? We are now offering wholesale orders, at cost of production ($0.50 per packet.) In addition to being great traveler giveaways, these packets can also be used as part of a creative speaker/FAM gift (see Hays’ example above.) If you’re interested, we currently have a small quantity in stock (so current orders will be first come, first serve), but our team will be ordering additional packets soon. If you’d like quantities of 1,000 or more, please give us about a month’s lead time to make sure we are able to source them for you. For ordering please fill out this form and if you have any additional questions contact Jaimee Salalac.

Kansas Tourism Regions

Have you connected with your local tourism marketing region yet? 

Webinars

• May 9 - Russia-Ukraine War: The Impact on Travel and Beyond - 10:30am
• May 11 - DEI in the Workplace: From Recruitment to Retention - 1pm
• May 17 - Deja Vu: Lessons for the Restaurant Industry from the Lodging Industry - 12pm
• May 19 - Decode the Future 2022 - 12pm
• May 24 - Group Tour Tactics for Our New Reality - 10am

Articles & Research

• How to Pitch: The Top 12 Best Family Travel Writers
• Reshaping the Landscape: Corporate Travel in 2022 and Beyond
• The Growing Demand for Sustainability in Travel
• The Impact on Vacation Rentals in Kansas 
• Travel Advisors and Influencers: 5 Tips for Partnering Together

May

• Wednesday, May 11 - Virtual Huddle
• Monday, May 30 - State Offices Closed

June

• Wednesday, June 8 - Virtual Huddle

July

• Monday, July 4 - State Offices Closed
• Wednesday, July 13 - Virtual Huddle

We are continuously getting new and renewing Kansas Agritourism businesses that we'd love for you to explore and highlight in your own communities! For more information on the Kansas Agritourism Program, please contact Kelsey Tully.

New & Renewing in April 2022