November Newsletter

It was wonderful to see so many of you at the Tourism Conference in Dodge City.  It is always a great time to catch up with old friends and meet new friends.  Thank you to Dodge City for being a wonderful host.  And congratulations to WenDee Rowe for being awarded the Governor’s Tourism Award.

Each year, the Conference leaves me with a blend of exhaustion and renewal, and this time, that sense of rejuvenation felt even stronger.  The sense of optimism during this year’s Conference was palpable.   The words “pivot” and “recovery” were seldom mentioned, and I think that signals a new excitement for the future of the tourism industry.   I hope that you all came away recharged and ready for another fantastic year of welcoming visitors to Kansas. 

I also want to give a big shout out to our partners at TIAK, the Travel Industry Association of Kansas.  Strengthening our partnership with TIAK has been one of my goals as the Director of Kansas Tourism. The annual Tourism Conference and the monthly Huddles are two perfect examples of how our two organizations work together to advance our common goals.  Thank you, TIAK leadership, for your continued support of the Kansas Tourism Office’s mission and work. 

I hope everyone is enjoying the cooler weather and is preparing for a wonderful holiday season. 

To The Stars,

Website & Event Updates

The holidays are just around the corner! We need your help by adding your Holiday Events, Parades, etc thru the Extranet. If you need assistance please contact Hunter.

Also this is a good time to add/delete tourism businesses for TravelKS.com. Contact Kelli if you need help or would like for her to come to your office for further training on the Extranet.

The Kansas Department of Commerce is committed to helping individuals, businesses and communities achieve prosperity in Kansas. One of the ways it accomplishes this mission is by providing financial assistance and partnership support to further identified goals. Click here to see the funding opportunities Commerce offers on an annual basis. Please note that grant amounts and dates are subject to change.

Be sure to also check out these other grant opportunities: T-Mobile Hometown Grants, Inspire! Grants for Small Museums, Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative

Tourism Industry Huddle

Join us for the next tourism industry huddle on Wednesday, November 8 at 1:00 PM. At the recent Kansas Tourism Conference, TIAK awarded their annual marketing awards.  On this huddle Jake Huyett, who served as one of the judges, will showcase some of the marketing awards winners and discuss what makes an entry successful.  Please join to see what other communities are doing across the state and learn some marketing pointers that you can take back to your community.

Date:  Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Time:  1:00 PM

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88050671352?pwd=ZUl1d0N3L0RWUzJGMTg4cEg4M1p2Zz09

Statewide Coalitions

Did you know we have several coalitions in the state?  If you are interested in promoting to meeting planners then Meet Kansas may be the right fit for you.  Wanting to learn how to bring more sporting events/tournaments to your area, then Sports KS may be just for you.  Or maybe you have an interest in bringing group tours/motorcoach tours to your community, then be sure to check out Tour Kansas.  Each coalition does have a membership fee so be sure to check out the websites and contact an officer for more information.

Kansas Main Street

Kansas Main Street program is seeking new communities to join the program in 2024. Kansas Main Street provides technical assistance and support for communities working to revitalize their downtown areas by focusing on economic vitality, design, promotion, and organization.

Communities wishing to submit applications must first attend a virtual application workshop, which will explain the Main Street Approach and the process for completing the application. Main Street Kansas will host the next virtual application workshop at 10 a.m. Monday, November 13.

Kansas Tourism Regions

Have you connected with your local tourism marketing region yet? 

To find out when the next meeting is in your region click here.

Webinars

• November 14 - How to Strategically Target Your Ideal Visitor - 12pm
• November 14 - Kansas Trail Talk - Let's Get Started - 12pm

Articles & Research

• 5 Lesser Known Travel Trends to Keep on Your Radar
• 7 Ways to Fill Your Meeting Spaces With Group Business Travel
• Embrace the heat from these hot hot hot paid media tips for DMOs
• Google Upgrades Maps With Photo-First Searches of Things to Do
• How DMOs can tackle top digital marketing trends
• How smaller DMOs can scale their content production like a bigger-budget DMO
• How to Think Big About Small VIP Retreats
• How Travel Advertising Is Adapting to the Rise of Smart Homes
• Strengthening the Travel & Tourism Workforce
• Technical Audits 101: Here’s What They Are, and Why Your Website Needs One
• Our Top Reasons to Invest in Your Website
• Top 7 Metrics to Pay Attention to in Google Analytics

November

• Wed, Nov 8 - Virtual Huddle
• Fri, Nov 10 - State Offices Closed
• Nov 23-24 - State Offices Closed

December

• Fri, Dec 8 - Governor's Council Mtg
• Wed, Dec 13 - Virtual Huddle
• Mon, Dec 25 - State Offices Closed

January

• Mon, Jan 1 - State Offices Closed
• Wed, Jan 10 - Virtual Huddle
• Mon, Jan 15 - State Offices Closed
• Mon, 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 Wendling.

New & Renewing in October 2023