November Newsletter

I so enjoyed seeing many of you at KTC22 in Wichita.  What a great conference.  And kudos to Visit Wichita for being a fantastic host and encouraging us to experience many of Wichita’s attractions and dining establishments. We were having so much fun that as the Kansas Tourism team was leaving Thursday morning to return to Topeka, we decided to make one more stop at one of my favorite Wichita breakfast places, Doo-Dah Diner.  Thank you, Visit Wichita, for sharing your great city. 

I hope that you all left the conference inspired and challenged in your role in the tourism industry.  One of the things that stood out to me during the Tuesday afternoon Data Presentation was the fact that December is trending to be one of our higher travel months.  This is not a month that we have typically thought of in that way, but it makes sense when you realize that visiting friends and family ranks very high for reasons visitors travel to Kansas.  This has generated a lot of talk in our office as we are making our 2023 marketing plans and discussing how we are going to respond to that information.   If the travelers are already coming, we don’t necessarily need to inspire them to travel to Kansas, but how can we get them to stay longer and explore something new while they are here?  We have not sorted it all out yet, but I hope these are the types of conversations that you are having at your office after the Tourism Conference. 

Please join us next week, Wednesday, Nov 9 at 1PM for the Tourism Industry Huddle.  After TIAK provides an election update, I will be sharing a couple of items that I ran out of time to share with you at the Conference.  It doesn’t matter how fast I talk, I just have too much to share and run out of time every year.  Hope to see you on Wednesday. 

To The Stars.    

New! Booth Checkout

We are providing you an opportunity to check out booth items from our office for your next event, conference or trade show. If you would like checkout items we have available, please complete the form here. 

All submissions will be reviewed by Kansas Tourism staff and you will be contacted with more details once approved. If you would like to order Kansas Tourism publications for your event or tradeshow, this can be done thru the Extranet. Questions? Contact kelli.orender@ks.gov

Tourism Industry Huddle

Join us for the November tourism industry Huddle on Wednesday, Nov 9 at 1:00 PM.  This Huddle will include an important Election Recap from TIAK, and some announcements from Kansas Tourism. 

Join Zoom Meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88412077118?pwd=VnpaZXl2Y2tTNjk1dmpVVXFYd29RZz09

New Community-Owned Travel Information Center

Explore Crawford County has recently been added to the list as an Official Community-Owned Travel Information Center (C-TIC).  It is Level 1 Regional C-TIC and is located at the Explore Crawford County/Pittsburg Area Chamber of Commerce office in Pittsburg.  These partnerships across the state provide increased access to materials and information on Kansas destinations and experiences.

Economic Impact

The travel sector is an integral part of the Kansas economy, contributing more than $11 billion in expenditures and sustaining over 96,000 jobs. Tourism Economics an Oxford Economics Company, conducts an economic impact study of tourism in Kansas using the most current data available. This report enables us to quantify, track and compare the travel and tourism's importance for Kansas's vitality. To see the 2021 report click here.  County by county data will be available soon! 

Kansas Tourism Regions

Have you connected with your local tourism marketing region yet? 

Webinars

• Nov 15 - The State of the American Traveler: Sustainable Travel & Destination Management - 2pm
• Nov 17 - Driving High Funnel Conversions with Creative Partnerships - 12pm

Articles & Research

• 5 Things Top Travel Editors Need You to Know
• 5 Ways for DMOs Benefit Local Communities Concretely
• Business Events in Focus: Prioritizing Minority-Owned Suppliers
• Destination Marketing Guide
• Emerging Trends in U.S. Tourism
• Google Expands Its Things to Do Feature Deeper Into Map
• State of Travel 2022 Research
• TikTok’s Short-Form Video Revolution Gains Traction in Search for Destinations
• Travel Insights Report 2022
• Why Guest Communication Is Key to Delivering Stand-Out Service Within Hospitality

November

• Wednesday, Nov 9 - Virtual Huddle
• Nov 24-25 - State Offices Closed

December

• Wed, Dec 14 - Virtual Huddle
• Monday Dec 26 - State Offices Closed

January

• Monday, Jan 2 - State Offices Closed
• Thursday, Jan 5 - Agritourism Summit
• Wednesday, Jan 11 - Virtual Huddle
• Sunday, Jan 29 - Kansas Day

For a full list of industry events click here.

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 October 2022