August Newsletter

Last Sunday, July 28, I was engaging in one of my favorite activities - online shopping - and found the perfect item that I had been looking for. My excitement faded when it said my order would not arrive until August 2nd. My first thought was that I couldn’t possibly wait THAT long for this much “needed” item to arrive, until it hit me that August 2nd was just 5 days away.   

I am not sure if this reflects my expectation for next day delivery on everything or the fact that 2024 is flying by so quickly that I can’t even remember the date. It is probably a little bit of both, but either way, I’m very excited to be receiving a new throw pillow for my couch today!

This was a good reminder that just as our shopping expectations have drastically changed over the years, so have the expectations of visitors. If you are still using the same marketing strategies from 5 years ago, you are probably not always reaching your target audience. Travelers want immediate answers and often cannot wait until your office opens the next morning to call and ask questions. Does your website provide all the information they need? Some people still love to get a printed travel guide. Others prefer to view your guide on-line. Do you provide both options? Travelers often make last minute decisions after arriving in your destination.  Is your visitor information available at local lodging and dining facilities that they can easily pick up to decide what to do next? These are important questions that we need to continually ask ourselves. 

All of this is to encourage you to attend the Kansas Tourism Conference this October 21-23 in Olathe.  This conference, a partnership between Kansas Tourism and TIAK (Travel Industry Association of Kansas), is the perfect opportunity to learn about the latest marketing trends and hear best practices from your peers. Make sure you read the information below on how to register. I hope to see you there. 

And as for this year flying by so quickly and it already being August, I have no helpful advice except to shamelessly encourage you to subscribe to KANSAS! magazine so you can receive a beautiful 2025 KANSAS wall calendar with your November issue. I will just mention, the sunflower photo from the August 2024 calendar page is going to look great with my new throw pillow!

To The Stars,

Attraction Development Grants

Applications are now open and are due October 1st. This grant is designed to provide assistance n the development of new tourism attractions or the enhancement of existing attractions within the state. You can view the guidelines and information here. 

Be sure to also check out other grants available from the Kansas Department of Commerce. A NEW grant guide has just been released and you can view it here.

City & County Reports

Deadline is nearing! Want to know how to base your budget and policy making decisions on data about tourism’s economic impact to your area? Through the Kansas Tourism Division’s partnership with Tourism Economics, you can purchase a city or county level tourism economic impact study that includes comprehensive analysis of sales, production, employment, growth, visitor spending, and taxes. Contact Babette if you are interested by August 15th.

We invite you to be a part of the Kansas tourism industry's "don't miss" conference of the year. Registration is now open! Join us October 21-23 in Olathe to enjoy inspiring speakers, valuable educational information, and fun networking opportunities. Kansas has so many things to celebrate this year and we can't wait for you to be a part of the fun!

Tourism Industry Huddle

Join us on Wednesday, August 14th at 1:00 PM for the next tourism industry huddle.  This huddle will feature information on the Travel Bloggers Exchange (TBEX) Summit that will be held in Wichita in October 2025. You will also hear other important updates from Kansas Tourism.

Date:  Wednesday, August 14th

Time:  1:00 PM

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82670848049?pwd=cUE0cCtUeGtrNWZ0bXkwZFgycUJaUT09

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.

Upcoming Workshops

• October 9-10 - Kansas Arts Councils Symposium - Salina

Webinars

• August 5 - How to Manage Your Grant - 12:30pm
• August 8 - How to Manage Your Grant - 9:30am
• August 21 - Your Guide to Instagram - 12pm

Articles & Research

• 4 Takeaways from Destinations International Annual Convention
• 7 Steps DMOs Can Take To Help Their Teams Adopt AI
• 52 Writing Prompts to Inspire Your DMO’s Blog
• Demand Grows for Group Travel Experiences

• How Community-Based Tourism Empowers Locals and Enhances Travel

• How Digital Maps have Transformed Travel
• How Personalized Emails Can Make Your Guests Feel Right at Home
• How to Capitalize on Current Hot Trends
• How to Offer Guests the Ultimate Nature Connection Experience
• How to Optimize Group Trips for Different Generations
• Passion Travel is the Future

August

• Fri, Aug 2 - Gov Council Mtg
• Fri, Aug 2 - Marketing Grants Close
• Wed, Aug 14 - Virtual Huddle

September

• Mon, Sept 2 - State Offices Closed
• Sept 6-15 - Kansas State Fair
• Wed, Sept 11 - Virtual Huddle

October

• Wed, Oct 9 - Virtual Huddle
• Oct 21-23 - Kansas Tourism Conference

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 July 2024