MAY NEWSLETTER

Each May, communities across the country come together to recognize the impact of travel during National Travel and Tourism Week. Led by U.S. Travel Association, this annual celebration highlights how travel strengthens our economy and enriches the places we call home.

In Kansas, tourism is more than a visitor experience - it’s a vital economic driver. Travel supports jobs in communities of all sizes, fuels businesses, and helps preserve the stories and places that define who we are.

This week is also an opportunity to celebrate the people behind the travel experiences - those who welcome visitors, share the stories, and create memories. Their work is what makes our tourism industry both successful and meaningful. 

I encourage you to take time during this important week to remind those around you just how much tourism matters to our state.  And while you’re at it – this might also be a good time to take a road trip of your own to discover something new right here in Kansas.  Need some inspiration? Check out TravelKS.com – I hear it is full of great ideas. 

To The Stars,

This month you may start seeing our 2026 marketing campaign appearing digitally, on broadcast and in print. Check out the campaign here. 

National Travel and Tourism week is May 3-9! This week is an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the contributions of tourism on our local, state, and national economy. Download the toolkit from the U.S. Travel Association to help you develop key messaging, social posts, etc. If you need data to help compile your local information please feel free to use information from our 2025 Year in Review.  

Venue applications are open until May 6th for the 2026 Sunflower Summer program. Even if you participated in previous years you must reapply! You can find more information about the 2026 program here. Please encourage Kansans to download the app and to keep updated on the webpage. The program will run from July 9th - August 7th.  

Remember to also utilize the Coupons/Deals page on TravelKS.com by uploading your local offers thru the Extranet. Last summer this was one of our most frequently visited pages on our website!

Join us for the next tourism industry huddle on Wednesday, May 13th at 1:00 PM. On this huddle we will have presentation on Internship Insights by Dr. Kerri Day Keller with Kansas State University and Melissa Dixon with the Hays Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87571770187?pwd=8b15TrUDqs4dfKyCy5ZZ5RZaCqEvNy.1

Meeting ID: 875 7177 0187

Passcode: i1dXEW

One tap mobile

+17193594580,,87571770187#,,,,*005523# US

+12532050468,,87571770187#,,,,*005523# US

Check out the Industry Page to view previous huddles.

Want to learn more about Kansas Tourism and the resources our office can provide? Or maybe you need a refresher on how to use the Extranet which is how you update your information on TravelKS.com. Register for one of our upcoming workshops or if you are unable to make it to one of these sessions please reach out to Kelli. 

KANSAS! Magazine is currently accepting photography submissions for the 2027 calendar and is always looking for submissions for the magazine. Check out the link on how to submit - deadline is May 31st. If you have questions reach out to Andrea.

Have you connected with your local tourism marketing region yet? Kansas Tourism has made it a priority to market the state regionally as visitors respond well to this approach. In Kansas there are six tourism regions, and each region has an organization that represents their members. By being a part of your regional organization, you have access to additional marketing and advertising opportunities. Kansas Tourism depends heavily on these regional organizations to help direct our marketing efforts. If you are not sure what region you are in, or how to get in contact with them, reach out to Kelli Orender and she can help you get to the correct person. 

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

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 click here.

New & Renewing in April 2026