OCTOBER NEWSLETTER

It’s Kansas Tourism Conference month!!  

One of my favorite events of the year. I always leave our annual conference feeling energized and inspired about the future of tourism in Kansas. I hope that you will be there too. Wichita is going to be a great host – I know they have lots of fun things planned. 

I would love to tell you that my presentation about what Kansas Tourism has been doing – and some of what we’re planning for next year – is ready to go…but you all know me too well to believe that! What I can tell you is that I’m excited to share more about what’s happening in the Kansas Tourism office and give you a look at what’s ahead. 

A couple of important reminders: 

If you are a first-timer or new to the tourism industry, I encourage you to attend the First Timer’s Orientation Coffee at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday. It will be a great time to get oriented, ask questions and start making connections.

Stretch your comfort zone a little. Don’t always sit with the same people. Spread yourself around. There are so many talented and knowledgeable people in this industry, and KTC is a great opportunity to meet them, share ideas, and learn something new. 

And finally, engage with the vendors. Take some time to learn what they do. You may not need their services today – or even be able to use them right now – but they may spark an idea or provide a solution you can use down the road. 

I will see you in a couple of weeks in Wichita! 

To The Stars,

We can't wait to see you at the Kansas Tourism Conference, October 20-21, in Wichita! Watch the videos here to learn a little more about the conference and below are some tips for #KTC26:

If you haven't registered yet, you still can by clicking the button below. 

Applications for the Attraction Development Grant are due Friday, October 16th! This grant is designed to provide assistance in the development of new tourism attractions or the enhancement of existing attractions within the state. You can view the guidelines and information here. 

For a list of all grants available from the Kansas Department of Commerce click here. 

We are always encouraging you to keep TravelKS.com listings up to date thru the Extranet. Accurate hours, compelling descriptions, high-quality photos, and complete contact information have always been important for helping visitors find the right experiences. Now, with the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered search tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overviews — listing quality has taken on a whole new level of importance.

Travelers now ask AI tools questions such as:

The recommendations they receive depend heavily on the information available about businesses, attractions, and events. In other words, the quality of your listings can directly influence whether they appear in AI-generated answers. For more information read this article. If you need help on how to update your listings use the tutorial here or contact Kelli for information.

What is Kansas's official state dish? America 250 wants to know what Kansas is known for and we need your help! Vote now for the official State Dish of Kansas. Voting closes December 31, 2026. View the leaderboard here. 

Join us for the next tourism industry huddle on Wednesday, October 14th at 1:00 PM. On this huddle we will have a presentation on Kansas Tourism Co-op Opportunities and Snapsea, the new photo library platform. TIAK will also update everyone on the upcoming tourism conference in Wichita. 

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

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Check out the Industry Page to view previous huddles.

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 September 2026