Here are the most important updates this week:
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Last Opportunity to Clarify FY27 Travel Iowa Marketing Co-op Details
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Interested partners have one more opportunity to clarify options and ask questions during "Co-op Office Hours" scheduled for May 28 at 2 p.m. A link to the virtual meeting, which will have a come and go format and will not be recorded, as well as additional information, is available on the Co-op Marketing Program Page.
Travel Iowa FY27 Co-op Program details were presented during a webinar on Monday, June 8. The webinar was recorded and is now available on the Industry Partner website. It provides a good starting point for partners who are trying to understand details, costs, results and justification associated with the various options.
The FY27 Co-op sign-up opens on Monday, June 8 at 10 a.m. Co-op options are awarded on a first come first serve basis. Three types of co-op options, content development, content distribution and tourism research, are available this year with buy-in starting as low as $500. Partners can select multiple options to ensure they secure useful marketing partnerships with the Iowa Tourism Office even if they are too late to win their first choice.
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National Road Trip Day and "Townsizing"
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National Road Trip Day is the Friday before Memorial Day on May 22nd. Use this opportunity to invite visitors to spend time enjoying your small town as they travel to or along one of Iowa's byways. Several trends support this strategy and it aligns with Iowa's Give it Time campaign. Speaking of good timing, the Great River Road National Scenic Byway was recently voted as the number one Scenic Drive in America in USA Today's Ten Best Reader's Choice Awards for the second year in a row. Iowa communities, like Visit Quad Cities, are maximizing the designation through press releases, social media posts and website news.
Travel agency data shows that North Americans are leaning into domestic trips and according to TravelPulse.com by Northstar, "Townsizing" is trending in 2026. The article notes that travelers are burned out and looking for the calmer experiences available in small towns, experiences being the key word. Travelers love creating and learning new skills, tasting locally grown foods and engaging in local experiences.
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New Art Passport Provides Marketing Opportunity for Your Community
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The Iowa Tourism Office is partnering with the Iowa Arts Council to develop and launch a new "Public Art by Iowa Artists" passport. The passport will highlight murals, sculptures and other public art, inviting Iowans and visitors to explore communities across Iowa. The goal is to represent all 99 counties. Does your community or county have public art created by an Iowa artist? Submit your public art suggestions by June 1, 2026.
Travel Iowa has several popular gamified passports that send travelers to towns across the state. These passports provide a chance to win prizes, get discounts and deals and generally make travelers feel welcome. Promote them often and use them to invite travelers to experience Iowa nice at your destination. Check out the Give it Time Iowa Scenic Byway Passport, Choose Iowa Passport, passports for wine, beer and spirits, and other Travel Iowa Experiences to identify where you show up and how to engage travelers on their next Iowa road trip.
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Tourism Insiders in the Cobblestone Ballroom, Storm Lake, Iowa
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2026 Tourism Insider Meetings Are Underway
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Thanks to Storm Lake United and the Cobblestone Ballroom and Event Center for hosting our first Tourism Insider Meeting of the year on May 7th. Partners took a tour and learned about the history of the Cobblestone, heard from a panel who provided insights and examples of how working with influencers can boost rural tourism and participated in a discussion about the Iowa Tourism Office's Co-op Marketing Program. Thanks to all who attended!
The next Tourism Insider Meeting will be held in Independence on Tuesday September 1, 2026. Please save the date and stay tuned for agenda and registration info this summer.
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America 250 Mural in Elvira, Iowa
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Small and Large Iowa Towns Elevate America 250
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According to TravelAgeWest.com, the classic road trip is popular this year, with 43% of American and Canadian survey respondents reporting they were in the middle of planning heritage trips to commemorate America 250.
Iowans from rural areas to large communities are making sure travelers have things to do and see. Todd and Judy Castra who live in the unincorporated village of Elvira, near Clinton, Iowa, hired Iowa artist, Eve Van Kampen (EVK Fine Art Murals), to hand paint a giant America 250 mural on a building at the corner of the village's busiest intersection.
The mural is a great example of how rural Iowans can participate in America 250 and it made Elvira a destination. The Iowa artist said she loved painting the Elvira mural, as well as several others for eastern Iowa communities and businesses who wanted to tell a story through art. She works with clients throughout the process to develop and personalize each unique mural, whether it is inside or out.
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Davenport's Civil Rights Movement Traveling Exhibit inside Visit Quad Cities' Destination Center at Union Station Downtown Davenport.
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Visit Quad Cities is helping bring the Quad Cities’ story to life with an America’s 250 in the Quad Cities landing page. This destination organization invites partners, organizations and community members to submit exhibits, tours, performances and other commemorative happenings. The free user-generated calendar helps amplify partner events while giving residents and visitors one place to discover what’s happening across the region. The landing page also encourages submission and provides a link to the Iowa America 250 website.
One of the Visit Quad Cities America 250 events in May is Davenport's Civil Rights Movement Traveling Exhibit inside Visit Quad Cities' Destination Center at Union Station Downtown Davenport. Through photographs, documents, and firsthand oral histories, this exhibit highlights Davenport’s role in the broader Civil Rights Movement and honors the individuals who stood for justice. It brings America 250 home by showing how local actions helped drive national change and why those stories still matter.
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New Hampton Economic Development Elevates Tourism Businesses
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Travel Iowa Top Performing Posts in April
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Top performing posts in April were related to timely, experience-driven content. The "A-Z" series spotlighting communities across the state drove strong engagement on both Facebook and Instagram with nearly 41,000 impressions and 1,100 engagements. "Breweries on Bike Trails" proved to be "save and share-worthy" for audiences planning future trips. Be sure to take advantage of your partnership with the Iowa Tourism Office by connecting with us on social.
Pay attention to Travel Iowa Facebook and Instagram. You never know when you might be mentioned in the next top performing post. Maximize the spotlight by commenting and sharing when you're mentioned or offer related input about your destination when you're not. You might even enter a fun twist on a TravelIowa post. For example, perhaps you want to call out your Iowa "Q" town as a hidden treasure or maybe your bike trail doesn't have a brewery, but it has a fun retro bar with shag carpet on the walls.
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Tourism is a complicated industry. No matter what your priorities are, infrastructure development, marketing, events, planning or restoration, there is probably a grant for that. Don't get caught up in finding a grant for everything, but it is true that an infusion of grant funds can make a difference between a project moving forward or not. Keep a list or spreadsheet of grants for yourself and your partners to refer to when you are asked to save the day but be sure to update it at least quarterly. Grants come and go and funders shift priorities and deadlines.
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The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) has announced grant funding to expand access to nature-based experiences that support the health, well-being, and community connection of America's veterans. They will grant up to $10,000. Applications are due June 10, 2026. this might be just the grat you need to implement an America 250 event! Successful projects will provide opportunities for veterans, specifically outdoor activities on public or nonprofit land that improve the physical and mental health of veterans and increase veterans’ understanding of the physical and mental health benefits of time in nature. Project types include outdoor activities, such as hiking, biking, climbing, or fishing and more.
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Grants of $2,500 to $5,000 from National Trust Preservation Funds (NTPF) are due June 1, 2026. Note that NRPF has funds for Iowa applicants in this cycle. These grants are intended to encourage preservation at the local level by supporting on-going preservation work and by providing seed money for preservation projects. They can help stimulate public discussion, enable local groups to gain the technical expertise needed for preservation projects, introduce the public to preservation concepts and techniques and encourage financial participation by the private sector. NRPF also has very limited emergency/intervention funding available on a rolling basis when immediate and unanticipated work is needed to save a historic property or site, such as when a fire or other natural disaster strikes or if a building is immediately threatened with demolition.
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SavingPlaces.org has an extensive list of grants. These grants can help a wide variety of public and private tourism venues, from small restaurants to historic battlefields and churches. Note that this is a national list, so some funding is limited geographically. If you miss a deadline, consider it an opportunity to get ready for next year. Make contact with the funder and begin researching their past awards.
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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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