PRESIDENT'S REPORT

By Melissa Dixon

Hays Convention & Visitors Bureau

Hello TIAK members,

Last week I was lucky enough to get a peek at some of the TIAK Marketing Awards submissions, and let me tell you – they were impressive!!

I was especially inspired by:

-         Comprehensive community websites that were truly user friendly

-         Passport programs that encouraged visitors to explore a community more thoroughly

-         Advertising campaigns that used original handcrafted artwork

-         Innovative and inclusive events that challenged routine

It can be easy for us as tourism professionals to be so deeply involved (I mean, up to your eyeballs) with marketing our own destination that we don’t take time to explore what our other Kansas communities – and beyond – are doing to draw visitors.

I encourage you to take a little time to sign up for other destination’s newsletters, social media pages, etc. so that you can see the exciting things they are doing. I am so proud to be part of this group of pioneers that continues to come up with new ways to drive tourism to their communities.

I can’t wait to see many of you at the Kansas Tourism Conference in Dodge City. Bring your ideas, and be ready to share!

To the stars y'all,

Melissa

Join us in Dodge City, October 16-18, 2023

Are you ready to have some F.U.N.? Paul Long is! Join us in Dodge City this October for the Kansas tourism industry's "don't miss" conference of the year. 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!

Opening Keynote Paul Long

By bringing FUN to fundamism, Paul Long spent over a decade successfully leading large teams and helping customer relations nationwide! Paul’s secret sauce to creating joyful workplaces will help any team lead to extreme growth! Learn more.

Additional Keynote Speakers

Paul Long is ready for F.U.N. but we have some additional speakers ready to wow you as well.

On Tuesday, October 17^th the Kansas Tourism Conference (KTC) is excited to welcome speaker, Donnie Campbell! Donnie is not just an inspirational coach but also the lead character of the Emmy Award-winning show, Ted Lasso! Donnie’s valuable leadership lessons can be seen on the court but more importantly in the workplace! Learn more.

Presenting the topic “Welcoming Visitors to Your Community” at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 18, you can also follow his blog at gathandborden.com or LinkedIn at Gathan D. Borden. Follow along as he shares his valuable experiences, and stories, and honors the history to build representation in today's destination and tourism world! Learn more.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Highlight and promote what you have to offer the travel and tourism community: introduce a new product, or remind everyone of a great location, piece of merchandise, or service you are famous for. There are options to fit every budget. Click here for more information on #KTC23 sponsorship opportunities. Or if you work with a vendor who would benefit from sponsoring the Tourism Conference, please be sure to share sponsorship information with them.

A BIG thank you to all our generous sponsors to date!

2024 Legislative Agenda: We Need Feedback

TIAK's Legislative Development process needs your input. Let us know what issues are important to the travel and tourism industry in Kansas as well as your local community. Your participation will tell Kansas lawmakers exactly where the travel and tourism industry community stands on issues that affect the industry. Your lawmakers will listed, so exercise your right to be heard.

Kansas Infrastructure Hub

August Lodging Report

TIAK has an agreement with Smith Travel Research (STR) to provide members with statewide reports on hotel occupancy each month. The following data is provided directly from STR:

Monthly and YTD Comparisons

Kansas had 61% property participation and 77% hotel room participation in July.

The U.S. Travel Association published its latest Monthly Data Report, exclusively for U.S. Travel members. Here are key highlights from last month's report.

Key August Highlights

• Total travel spending remained at 1.2% above last year's levels for the third month in a row and was up 4.1% year-to-date through July 2023.
• Air travel demand was up 12% in July compared to the same month last year, consistent with the prior month.
• Hotel demand has remained at nearly the same levels as last year for three consecutive months and at -0.2% was even slightly below July 2022.
• Travel prices are nearly even with July 2022 levels. Air and fuel costs have notably dropped while lodging, food & beverage and recreation remain somewhat elevated.
• Overseas arrivals improved in July and are now 22% below 2019 levels.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Tourism Huddle

Second Wednesday of each month

October 11

Kansas Tourism Conference

October 16-18 - Dodge City

TIAK Board Meetings

October 16, December 14

TIAK Executive Committee Meetings

November 9

SAVE THE DATE!

Destination Statehouse

February 7 - Topeka

Registration coming soon