Volume 17, Issue 12 | December 2021

‌

TIAK TALK NEWSLETTER

TIAK Talk is published monthly for members of the Travel Industry Association of Kansas.

PRESIDENT'S REPORT By Jim Zaleski Serving at the Pleasure of the Membership Wow, how fast a year flies by. I mean like ZOOM© and it’s gone! As most final President's Reports go, I want to give everyone a big thank you for allowing me to serve as your board leader this year. I have no doubt that we are in wonderful hands with Julie Roller moving in, and I look forward to working with her throughout 2022. TIAK has a wonderful future, both financially and with incoming leadership. These past two years we were able to make it through the pandemic and NOT touch any cash reserves to make up for operating expenses. Thank you to Bright & Carpenter for managing our association so well. Additionally, our partnership with State Tourism could not be stronger. Bridgette Jobe and her team continue to move forward in great strides, also making the most out of the budget they have.  All of this coupled with what will most likely be the most dynamic leadership coming out of the Kansas Department of Commerce, presents a bright future for us here in Kansas. New business is being attracted at historical numbers, and our occupancy is at or near 2019 numbers. ALL good news for us here in Kansas. Read more.

Registration Open for Destination Statehouse It's almost 2022, and here at TIAK we're remaining hopeful and planning for a fabulous year. First up? Destination Statehouse! Join us on February 9 as we connect travel leaders from across the state and join forces to educate our lawmakers as to why travel matters in Kansas. Be sure to come hungry too. Joe's Kansas City Barbecue is catering lunch, and the Lindsborg CVB is bringing authentic Scandinavian treats for dessert. The Destination Statehouse event page has all of the information you need to plan your day of advocacy in Topeka, including a dynamic agenda that will be updated as the event nears. Sponsorship opportunities are also available and listed below.

REGISTER NOW

Book Your Hotel Room February is usually a very busy month in Topeka! Don't miss out on securing accommodations under our group rate which expires on January 9. Rates rise sharply on this date, and we will be unable to add any more rooms. Click here to book your group rate for Destination Statehouse at the Cyrus Hotel.

Statehouse Tours and Legislative Reception Guided tours of the Kansas Statehouse will be available for anyone that hasn't seen this beautiful and historic building up close. Just meet in the Visitor's Center at the main entrance at the top of any hour. The TIAK Legislative Reception will be held back at the Cyrus Hotel and will begin at 5:00pm. Regions will be showcased to Legislators, so be sure and coordinate with your regional elected officials and extend a special invitation to attend this unique, community-focused event. View this 2017 Destination Statehouse video to take a "tourism style" stroll through Kansas from that year's evening reception.

TIAK's 2022 Legislative Agenda TIAK is the unified voice speaking on behalf of the travel industry in the state of Kansas. Our organization has over 150 members representing and promoting communities all over Kansas. Our legislative positions are developed through the committee process and are representative of member’s positions through member surveys. Click here to see the association's legislative agenda for 2022.

Governor Laura Kelly Announces $750M in Highway Projects Added to IKE Development Pipeline Governor Laura Kelly on December 15 joined Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz to announce the addition of 25 highway modernization and expansion projects totaling $750 million to the development pipeline as part of the Kelly Administration’s bipartisan, 10-year Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program (IKE). The pipeline announcement clears the way for preliminary engineering work to begin on these projects, which are located in every region of the state. “These projects are in every region of the state – and they improve safety, expand economic development opportunities, and strengthen our communities,” Governor Kelly said. “My administration is committed to making short- and long-term infrastructure improvements to benefit future generations of Kansans – just as we rely on investments made by previous generations of Kansans.” The governor’s release of the list of projects advancing within the IKE pipeline was made in tandem with two other Kansas transportation milestones: impact on Kansas transportation with passage of the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation (BIL) and the beginning of the construction process for all remaining T-WORKS highway projects. Read more.

National Plan for Vacation Day U.S. Travel Association's National Plan for Vacation Day is celebrated on the last Tuesday of January and is a day to encourage Americans to plan their time off. Join 7,000+ participating organizations as we activate to celebrate and help Americans plan their time off! Happily, inspiring vacation planning doesn’t begin and end on on January 25. It’s something that can be done throughout the year. Additional resources 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 77% hotel room participation in November.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS Legislative Session Begins January 10 Tourism Huddle January 12 National Plan for Vacation Day January 25 Kansas Day January 29 Destination Statehouse February 9, 2022 Destination Capitol Hill April 6-7, Washington D.C. TIAK Executive Committee Meetings January 6, March 10, June 8, July 14, September 8, November 10 TIAK Board Meetings February 10, April 14, June 9, August 11, October 17, December 8