eTraveler: September 22, 2022

September 22, 2022

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Save the Date: 2023 Iowa Tourism Conference

The 2023 Iowa Tourism Conference will be held March 22-23, 2023, at Prairie Meadows in Altoona. The conference is the premier event for tourism industry marketers in the state.

If you are interested in assisting with planning the 2023 Iowa Tourism Conference please contact Katie Kenne (katie.kenne@iowaeda.com). Committee members will provide input on speaker topics and meet virtually at least once a month.

Tourism Office Webinar Recording Available

If you missed the fifth session in our 2022 webinar series, it is now available to watch on the industry partners page.

The next webinar is Thursday, November 17. Add it to your calendar here.

Topics covered in the webinar included traveler marketing research and a traveliowa.com website user tutorial.

As a reminder, the new site allows you one place to manage listings and events, contact and staff information, order bulk travel guides and maps, plus download co-op leads. More functionality will be added in the future. Learn how to log in with the guide below.

If you are unable to log in please use the forgot password link to reset your password.

Travel Website User Guide [PDF]

Two Grant Program Deadlines Approaching

  • The Regional Sports Authority District (RSAD) program closes today, September 22 at 4 p.m.
  • The Iowa Tourism Grant (ITG) closes Wednesday, September 28 at 4 p.m.
Learn More About RSAD Learn More About ITG

Influencers to Feature Fall Travel

The Iowa Tourism Office is working to coordinate influencer visits to each of the five travel areas to showcase autumn adventures across the state. The influencers will create 48-hour weekend itineraries in the form of vertical videos highlighting the uniqueness of each destination. With that in mind, the focus for the fall influencer campaign is on influencers who have strong video content and metrics across Instagram Reels and/or TikTok. These trips will take place through the month of October.

Travel Guide Updates for 2023

Starting with the Spring/Summer 2023 edition, the Iowa Travel Guide will evolve into an inspirational, magazine-like seasonal destination guide. Research has shown that editorial content, both long-form and short features, are more impactful and memorable than directory listings. With this improvement, the guide will include even more features on attractions, events and itineraries that travelers desire when planning a trip to Iowa. Editorial content will continue to be centered around the five new travel areas.

While attraction listings will no longer be included in the Iowa Travel Guides, all listings will remain and are welcome on our website, traveliowa.com. Click here for information on how to add and update your listing.

Additionally, we have created a more affordable option in our travel guide advertising. Attractions and other entities can purchase a mini-ad (1/14 of a page) that will include a photo and up to 25 words of copy. These ads are priced at $285 for one edition, $460 for both editions. Mini-ads are limited to one per attraction and 14 per travel area. Business Publications is coordinating all advertising sales. View the media kit for pricing and contact information.

We’re excited to refresh the look of the Iowa Travel Guides and provide inspirational content as people plan their trips to Iowa.

The Spring/Summer issue will be available in early March 2023 and include a campground and cabin section. The Fall/Winter issue will be available in September 2023.

The deadline for advertising in the 2023 Spring/Summer issue is November 15, 2022.

Iowa in the News

Here are some exciting media highlights featuring Iowa.

CenStates Conference

The Central States TTRA and Greater Western TTRA are joining to create one conference October 19-21, 2022 in Skokie, IL.

  • Connect with travel and tourism professionals in person
  • Explore marketing, research and development trends, tactics and tools
  • Meet and learn from DMO colleagues and other tourism experts
  • Experience real-life examples and case studies of recovery and change
Learn More

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