eTraveler: March 10, 2022
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Spring/Summer Iowa Travel Guide Now Available
The spring/summer edition of the Iowa Travel Guide is now available to inspire travelers who want to plan their Iowa road trip. The free 140-page guide can be ordered online at traveliowa.com or bulk orders can be placed through your Simpleview extranet account. An online version is also available.
The guide showcases Iowa's authentic and unexpected destinations, animal adventures, distilleries, historic theaters, water trails, what's new in 2022 and road trips. Campgrounds and cabin listings are also included. The guide’s cover features Wildcat Den State Park near Muscatine.
Meet Keynote Speaker: Felecia Hatcher
As the CEO of Pharrell William’s Black Ambition Opportunity Fund, Felecia is an innovative powerhouse, personal transformation speaker, entrepreneur and author, whose work shapes the way individuals show up, are valued, and financially benefit from playing full out in the innovation economy. Companies like Google, Spotify, Door Dash, Target, Samsung and Etsy call on Felecia to help them empower their teams and shape their inclusive innovation strategies and empower their team to step into their Zone of Genius. Felecia has been featured on the NBC Today Show, MSNBC, The Cooking Channel, Wall Street Journal and is a White House Champion of Change Honoree.
Learn More About The ConferenceRegister
All 2021 conference attendees will receive a non-transferable $25 off their registration for this year's conference. Please make sure to register using the same email as last year to take advantage of the promotion.
Book Your Room
Secure your room at the Des Moines Marriott Downtown for $109/night. The cutoff date to obtain this discount is Monday, April 4, 2022.
Tourism Office Bi-Monthly Webinar March 17
We encourage you to attend the Iowa Tourism Office update on March 17 at 2 p.m. This is the second in a series of six scheduled webinars for 2022. Topics will include:
- Arrivalist Co-op
- 2022 Tourism Conference
- Soul of Iowa
Details on how to join the series of meetings:
Before each meeting, join from your computer by clicking here
Or call in (audio only) 515-348-6300; Phone Conference ID: 673 183 458#
U.S. Travel Association Updates
As Global Meetings Industry Day and National Travel and Tourism Week approach, U.S. Travel wants to find out how the industry is engaging with both events. Please share any event(s) your organization is planning to celebrate by taking their survey.
Take SurveyIf you are hosting an event for National Travel and Tourism Week, our team would also like to know. Please email katie.kenne@iowaeda.com.
The toolkit for the National Travel and Tourism Week is available!
Download ToolkitLongwoods Study: Rising Gas Prices Replacing COVID-19 as Travel Worry
Here are five takeaways from the recent Longwoods study about rising gas pricies.
- Almost six in ten American travelers (59%) say that the current rise in gas prices will either impact (30%) or greatly impact (29%) their decision to travel in the next six months. Historically, during past significant spikes in gas prices, we have seen travelers adjust to the extra cost by lowering their spend on accommodations, food, and other categories in order to take trips they desire. Regional drive markets fare better than longer-haul markets during such spikes. Bottom Line: The industry should prepare for a higher level of price sensitivity among both business and leisure travelers this year.
- Despite this significant concern among American travelers, a pandemic-high 92% indicate plans to travel in the next six months. This is a good indicator that the higher volume of travel will continue, but with certain adjustments as noted above.
- A pandemic-era low 21% of American travelers indicate that COVID-19 will greatly impact their decision to travel at this point, further pointing to the shift in mindset from pandemic to endemic travel.
- A pandemic-era high almost seven out of ten (68%) of residents now support welcoming visitors back into their communities. (That still means about 3 out of ten have concerns, so DMOs should continue community engagement strategies around responsible travel.)
- Leisure travel activities continue to recover. In addition to the two leading activities—visiting friends and relatives (47%) and road trips (42%)—Americans planning to travel this spring continue to show increased interest in the great outdoors. There is also strong growth in intent to explore cities, visiting theme parks, and attending festivals & events, which signals a broader recovery across the leisure sector of travel, although 43% still have concerns about risk around COVID-19 in attending such events.
Upcoming Meetings
- March 17, 2022 - Iowa Tourism Office Update (webinar)
- March 23, 2022 - WITR Membership Meeting
- April 19 - 20, 2022 - Iowa Tourism Conference
- April 26, 2022 - CITR Guide Certification Workshop
- May 11, 2022 - EITA Membership Meeting
Check out the calendar of events for more details and upcoming industry meetings.
Calendar of Events
Iowa in the News
Here are some exciting media highlights featuring Iowa.
- Jessica O'Riley promoted upcoming spring events during her recurring segment on KFJB.
- Two Iowa chefs made the 2022 James Beard Awards Restaurant and Chef Semifinalists. Best Baker: Aaron Hall, The Local Crumb, Mount Vernon, IA and Best Chef: Midwest: Kevin Scharpf, Brazen Open Kitchen | Bar, Dubuque, IA
- KOEL's Ready to Visit the BEACHES of Iowa? (Oh Yeah, We Have Beaches) highlighted Iowa lakes to visit this summer.
- Pella made Thrillist's list of America's Most Beautiful Springtime Destinations
- WOWT in Omaha featured the Hitchcock Nature Center in their piece on Walking the walk with nature lovers in the Loess Hills
- The Jewish Exponent shared Danville Station's story about the connection between an Iowa Farm Girl and her pen pal, Anne Frank.
Department of Cultural Affairs' Grants Open
The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs offers many grant funding opportunities to help strengthen Iowa’s arts, culture, and creative sector and the humanities. Their placemaking, capacity and artist grants are now live.
Learn More