PRESIDENT'S REPORT

By Melissa Dixon

Hays Convention & Visitors Bureau

Happy Holidays!

I love fresh starts and I’m excited to start next year serving as president for an amazing team like TIAK.

If you don’t know my background, I started out as an artist and graphic designer. I ran my own graphic design and advertising agency for 9 years, helping my clients – small businesses, CVBs, and cities – to be the best they could be. That experience prepared me for my current job, Executive Director of the Hays CVB. It’s so fulfilling to be able to use our resources and talents to work with community partners to make real change in our city and set it up for success.

Another important fact about me: I’m a transplant. I’ve only lived in Kansas since 2014. Luckily, I joined a team with years of experience who showed me the ropes. Since then, it’s been an exciting time of exploration, from trips to Little Jerusalem (first pandemic shut-down trip) and the Big Well (my meteorologist hubby provided a radar map for a display) to the Biggest Ball of Twine (a stop on a Spring Break Road Trip) and the Cosmosphere (Kids! Apollo 13!). But there’s so much more to see, and this year feels ripe for adventure. I have a goal of obtaining my KDS designation this year, and I want you all to hold me accountable!

As we enter this fresh new year, I’d like to share a statement with you that I’m encouraging my employees to use in 2023: “Ask for what you need.” So often, the thing we need is readily available and all we have to do, is ask. Is it a more flexible schedule? A sponsorship for a new project? Additional staff training? Pet insurance? ASK. You might be surprised what you get, and how it may set you up for success later this year.

To the Stars, Y’all!

State Finance Council Approves Tourism Dollars and BASF Grants

The state Finance Council on Wednesday, December 21 approved the last round of money that was available from the $1.6 billion that the state received from the federal government to recover from the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. Key tourism items include:

• The council approved $30 million for tourism projects to promote economic development. The goal of the funding is to help parts of the Kansas tourism industry that suffered during the pandemic.



• Also approved was $50 million for another round of so-called called BASE grants, short for Building a Stronger Economy. Like the first round of BASE grants, the new funding will address infrastructure and economic development needs that were delayed or slowed due to COVID-19 in an effort to expand the state’s base of businesses and residents. The Department of Commerce received more than 440 applications for the original BASE program, which officials said demonstrated the need for more funding.

SEED Grant Recipients Supporting Economic Development Announced

Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland announced on December 16 the award recipients for the new Strategic Economic Expansion and Development (SEED) grant program. In total, 61 recipients will receive nearly $2.7 million to invest in small communities across the state. 

“SEED grants provide funding for quality-of-life enhancements in some of our state’s smallest communities,” said Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland. “These investments will set the stage for future economic development success and prosperity across the state.”  

Awardees are located in communities with a population of 5,000 or less, as required by (KS Stat 9-2324 [2021]). They are required to provide a minimum 10-percent match as well as complete the projects within 12 months. Read more.

State Grants to Boost Tourism Industry

Kansas Tourism, in partnership with the Patterson Family Foundation, is providing nearly $2 million to eight tourism projects across the state.

The Tourism Attraction Sub-grants for Kansas (TASK) program is administered by Kansas Tourism and provides funding for public and non-profit groups to develop new attractions or to enhance existing ones. The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) Travel, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation state grants provided $1.5 million in funding, with an additional $462,000 provided by the Patterson Family Foundation for rural counties. Read more.

Tourism Attraction Sub-grants for Kansas (TASK) were presented by Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland and Kansas Tourism Director Bridgette Jobe at an event at Strataca: Kansas Underground Salt Museum in Hutchinson on October 28.

SAVE THE DATE! Destination Capitol Hill

Destination Capitol Hill (DCH) is the U.S. travel industry's premier legislative fly-in. The event brings travel leaders from across the country together to educate policymakers about the power of travel. The program combines a legislative day on Capitol Hill with advocacy training, guest speakers and peer-to-peer networking. DCH provides delegates with an opportunity to learn about upcoming legislation that impacts travel, network with peers and meet with members of Congress to stress the importance of travel as an economic driver. 

Save the date: Join us for our Destination Capitol Hill 2023 on April 18-19. Registration coming soon.

November 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 62% property participation and 76% hotel room participation in November.

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

• Travel spending moderated a bit in October after reaching a pandemic high in September but still remains positive at 3% above 2019 levels.

• Strong headwinds continue to prevent international inbound’s travel recovery. Overseas arrivals remained 30% below 2019 levels in October.

• Despite increasing airfares, air passenger volume continues to steadily improve and was 5% below 2019 levels in October.

• Nearly eight in 10 current business travelers expect to attend a conference, convention or trade show in the next six months—similar but slightly down from Q2 2022.

• Just over half of American travelers believe they will make leisure travel a high spending priority in the next three months—a 10-month low.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Tourism Huddle

January 11

Educational Webinar

January 19

TIAK Board Meetings

February 9, April 13, June 15, August 10, October 16, December 14

TIAK Committee Meetings

January 5, March 9, June 14, July 13, September 14, November 9

SAVE THE DATE!

Destination Capitol Hill

April 19-20, 2023

Registration coming soon