Here are the most important updates this week:
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- Announcing the Iowa Office of Outdoor Recreation Task Force and Program Manager.
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Last call to register for September Tourism Insider Meeting.
- International website to TravelIowa.com soars!
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Iowa Tourism Marketing Grant application is now open!
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Congratulations to the Iowa Office of Outdoor Rec Task Force and Program Manager
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We are excited to announce that our own tourism liaison, Lora Friest, has been hired as the Program Manager of the Iowa Office of Outdoor Recreation. Lora brings extensive leadership experience and a collaborative approach to this new office, as well as a deep understanding of how outdoor recreation supports economic vitality, tourism and quality of life.
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In addition, 10 Iowans have been appointed by Governor Reynolds to Iowa's new Office of Outdoor Recreation's Task Force. They represent a broad cross-section of Iowa's outdoor recreation ecosystem and have already been doing incredible work to enhance Iowa’s outdoor recreation economy. Their input will help identify opportunities and chart a path forward as they build on current momentum, foster collaboration and create a connected, statewide approach. The task force members include:
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- Chad Reece (Chair), Winnebago Industries
- Jen Cross, Great Outdoors Foundation
- Bif Ridgeway, Bike World
- Jamie Borglum, Crawdaddy Outdoors
- Matt Ostrum, Active Endeavors
- Jeremy Olsgard, Grizzly Coolers
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Taylor Getting, Calyx Creek Lavendar & Lodging
- Brian Pauly, Mason City Parks & Recreation
- Kisha Jahner, Marion County Board of Supervisors
- Jeff Franco, Pottawattamie County Conservation
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Lora and the task force will work together over the coming weeks to develop Iowa's first statewide vision and strategy for outdoor recreation. For more information email Lora.Friest@IowaEDA.com.
The Iowa Tourism Office will announce plans for Lora's former tourism liaison position soon.
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Last Call for Tourism Insider Meeting Registration!
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Register now for the next Tourism Insider Meeting on September 1, which will be hosted by Buchanan County Tourism. The agenda includes a Downtown Revitalization Panel. The Panel will share insights from a successful downtown transformation in Independence that relied on strong local partnerships.
Lunch will be provided by Homemade by Bridget. After lunch, attendees will hear how Buchanan County uses its history and key attractions to draw new and repeat visitors. The day will end with a visit to one of those key attractions, Cedar Rock State Park, for a private tour. For catering purposes, please register here by August 25, 2026.
Hotel rooms are available at Comfort Inn & Suites Independence at a rate of $121 + tax. To book, please call the hotel at 319.334.6400 and ask for the Tourism Insider Meeting rate. The room block is available until August 18, 2026.
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Travel Iowa Co-op Marketing Remnants are Still Available!
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After a whirlwind sign-up, the dust has settled and there are a limited number of Travel Iowa Co-op Marketing options still available. If you are interested learning more specifics or signing up, email Cameron.McCoy@IowaEDA.com. Limited months and options are available for the following tactics (subject to change):
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- Travel Iowa Content Ads (pop-ups)
- Video Packages
- Email Banner Ads
- Email Tile Ads
- Email Spotlight Ads
- Social Media Organic Posts
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The Iowa Tourism Office gleaned several insights from Goldie, the TravelIowa.com Chatbot, in July.
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Visitors typically already knew the town they wanted to visit and their dates of travel, which were often tied to a specific event. They were asking Goldie to fill in dining options hours and provide a list of things to do nearby.
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Travelers wanted Goldie to tell them when and where local events, such as fairs and farmers markets, were happening and specific hours. They also wanted to see that information mapped out across the state.
- Some travelers asked about outdoor recreation options along the Iowa Byways.
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Outdoor recreation enthusiasts asked Goldie for more logistical information, including specific amenities available at parks and campgrounds, costs, open hours and other details.
- Some travelers were looking for travel route recommendations for state-wide attractions, like Iowa's Freedom Rocks.
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Iowa Tourism Office is Hosting an International FAM Tour This Week
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International Traffic to TravelIowa.com Soars!
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With an enhanced focused on growing Iowa’s visibility overseas and attracting more international guests, the impact of those efforts is being seen through major boosts in international traffic to the TravelIowa.com website. Traffic from many key inbound markets saw significant increases during FY26 compared with the previous year. Contact Stephanie.Neppl@IowaEDA.com to find out how you can maximize this trend.
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- Netherlands: up 1,722%
- UK: up 355% (and referral traffic increased 666%)
- Brazil: up 387%
- Italy: up 325%
- Japan: up 173%
- France: up 169%
- Germany: up 141%
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Cameron McCoy, Content & Media Strategist; and Stephanie Neppl, Tourism Liaison visited Iowa’s iconic Court of Dreams, the All Iowa Lawn Tennis Club to obtain key video and photo assets to use in upcoming marketing efforts. The grass tennis court was built on the Kuhn farm outside Charles City and attracts visitors from all over the country to play amongst the cornfields. To learn more about Mark Kuhn and his Court of Dreams, watch this recent ESPN piece
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Iowa Tourism Marketing Grant is Open for Application!
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The FY27 Iowa Tourism Office Marketing Grant, which opens today, provides funding for tourism partners around the state to market Iowa's places, attractions and events. The grant may not be used for infrastructure and is not intended to pay expenses associated with the implementation of an event. Tips for success include the following.
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- You may not ask for less than $2,500 or more than $10,000.
- Applicants may submit one application per funding cycle.
- The same project cannot receive funding from the ITG program two years in a row.
- Minimum grant request is $2,500 and the maximum grant request is $10,000.
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The grantee must pay for at least 20% of the total project using cash match and the grant can pay for up to 80% of the project total. To calculate your contribution, multiple your total project cost by .8 and then subtract that amount from the total.
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The online Scoring Rubric provides details regarding what types of projects will score best. Refer to it when you meet with partners and team members to guide marketing campaign discussions and grant proposal preparation.
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Applications are reviewed and scored by tourism industry professionals from around Iowa. They are instructed to assign points using the Scoring Rubric.
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The FY27 Guidelines detail the rules, including; what you can and cannot pay for, IEDA/Iowa Tourism Office's messaging, target audiences and preferred media channels. Read them before you develop your project.
- All projects must be implemented between January 1 and December 31, 2027.
- Applications will be accepted via the Slideroom grant application platform. A link to the Slideroom application page is available on the Travel Iowa Industry Partners Page.
- This application cycle closes September 30, 2026.
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Email Lora.Friest@Iowaeda.com for additional information.
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Iowa Tourism Office
1963 Bell Avenue, Ste 200 | Des Moines, IA 50315 US
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1963 Bell Avenue, Suite 200 | Des Moines, IA 50315 US
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