September Newsletter

Welcome to September!  

The Kansas Tourism team is gearing up for an exciting – and very busy - fall season. 

First up, we’re finalizing details for the October TBEX Summit, which we are proud to co-sponsor with Visit Wichita. This international gathering of content creators is a tremendous opportunity for Kansas to shine.  There are still a few sponsorship opportunities available, where you can showcase your community, business, or organization. Check out the sponsorship opportunities here. 

Just a couple weeks later, we’ll come together for the Kansas Tourism Conference in Manhattan.  This year’s conference promises to be one of the best yet, and I can’t wait to see so many of you there. Here are the details. 

And in the middle of all of this, our entire office will be packing up and moving down the street. The entire Department of Commerce will soon be settling into the newly renovated Docking Building. We’ll share our updated address once the move is complete, but we’re excited about the opportunities this new space will bring.   

As you can see, September is setting the stage for a fall season full of momentum, collaboration, and growth.  Thank you for being part of the Kansas tourism story – we look forward to the exciting months ahead. 

To The Stars,

2026 Kansas Travel Guide

The 2026 Kansas Travel Guide has gone to the printer! If you would like to be one of the first to get it in your hands, make sure you are on our drop shipment list. You will need to order at least two boxes and let Jordan know by Wednesday, September 17th.  Otherwise you will have to wait until after the first of the year to place your orders thru the Extranet.

City & County Reports

Want to know how to base your budget and policy making decisions on data about tourism’s economic impact to your area? You can purchase a city or county economic impact study that includes an analysis of visitor spending, employment, and state & local taxes. Cost for the county analysis is $3,000 and the city analysis is $6,250. If interested, contact Babette by September 30th. Expected report delivery date is November.  

World Cup App

Do you want to be included on the Kansas City World Cup App? If so, make sure to have all your information updated thru the Extranet ASAP.  We will be sending a hard download of everything on TravelKS.com which will then be implemented onto the app. This will be a one time download so if you want to be included make sure to get things updated and added. If you need assistance please use our training tutorial or contact Hunter or Kelli. 

Website Updates

Our event calendar is one of the most visited pages on TravelKS.com. Don't miss your chance to promote your upcoming fall & winter events. Click here for instructions on how to add your events. 

Also the vacation rentals page on TravelKS.com has seen an increase in traffic this year. Make sure to have all your locations listed. If you need Extranet access or additional help contact Hunter or Kelli.

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 20-21 in Manhattan 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 for the next tourism industry huddle on Wednesday, September 10th at 1:00 PM.  This huddle will feature Tracey Lee Davis on Google Business Pages. Showing up when customers are searching online is more important than ever. Ensure customers can find accurate, updated information about your local business on Google Search and Google Maps, no matter which device they use. 

We will also hear an update from TIAK (Travel Industry Association of Kansas).

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87268652044?pwd=1Lb6PDQzW2b89ZgHbPKAaHmPDltskP.1

Check out the Industry Page to view previous huddles.

Mobile Visitor Center

Have you seen our mobile visitor center out & about this past year? We try to keep everyone updated where its been on the Kansas Tourism Industry Facebook page. We are now taking requests for the Mobile Visitor Center to attend an event in your community the next 12 months. Please review the guidelines before filling out the form here. For questions please reach out to Kevin Crockett.

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 Conferences & Workshops

• October 20-21 - Kansas Tourism Conference - Manhattan
• November 19-21 - Kansas Museums Conference - Great Bend

Webinars

• September 10 - Virtual Huddle - 1pm
• September 10 - What DMOs Must Know for 2025 and Beyond - 1:30pm
• September 13 - Social Media Marketing - 2:00pm
• September 15 - Market Your Business with Video - 1pm
• September 17 - Kansas 250 - 3pm
• September 25 - The Power of Pinterest - 12pm

Articles & Research

• 5 Tips for Getting ChatGPT to Recommend Your Business
• 10 Social Media KPIs You Should Track & Why
• 14 Digital Marketing Tips that Work in 2025
• Beyond Search: 5 Digital Advertising Strategies for EDOs
• Grownups are the Backbone of an Expanding Sports Sector
• How to Optimize Your Instagram Content for Google

September

• Wed, Sept 10 - Virtual Huddle
• Sept 5 - 14 - Kansas State Fair

October

• Oct 1-8 - TBEX Summit & FAMs
• Wed, Oct 8 - Virtual Huddle
• Oct 20-21 - Kansas Tourism Conference
• Fri, Oct 31 - Attraction Development Grants Open

November

• Fri, Nov 7 - Governor's Council Mtg
• Wed, Nov 12 - Virtual Huddle
• Nov 27-28 -  State Offices Closed

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 August 2025