PRESIDENT'S REPORT

By Melissa Dixon

Hays Convention & Visitors Bureau

Hello TIAK members,

Once again, I’m writing this newsletter from the road. I’m  back in D.C., this time with the family to see the sites and museums. 

Travel is glorious isn’t it? There is so much adventure to be had! We have worn ourselves out walking the National Mall, exploring museums, and trying new foods. 

But it does not always go smoothly. My curbside check tag fell off my suitcase and my bag was mistakenly taken home by another passenger. So I arrived in DC with not much of anything, and here I am on day 3 and still waiting. 

The absence of my “stuff” taught me that everything doesn’t have to be perfect to enjoy where you are. I borrowed and scraped and took a lot less time getting ready in the morning, which left more time for museums! 

Lessons learned:

• don’t trust tie-on bag tags for carry on luggage
• put an ID tag INSIDE your bag 
• pack half of what you think you need and just wear things twice
• wear the shoes that you need on your trip 

I’ll leave you with a quote from some recent leadership training I participated in:

We can’t control the wind and waves, but we can become better surfers.

Safe travels for the rest of your summer!

Melissa

Join us in Dodge City, October 16-18, 2023

Are you ready to have some F.U.N.? Paul Long is! Join us in Dodge City this October for the Kansas tourism industry's "don't miss" conference of the year. Enjoy inspiring speakers, valuable educational information, and fun networking opportunities.

Kansas has so many things to celebrate this year and we can't wait for you to be a part of the fun!

Sponsorship Opportunities

Highlight and promote what you have to offer the travel and tourism community: introduce a new product, or remind everyone of a great location, piece of merchandise, or service you are famous for. There are options to fit every budget. Click here for more information on #KTC23 sponsorship opportunities. Or if you work with a vendor who would benefit from sponsoring the Tourism Conference, please be sure to share sponsorship information with them.

A BIG thank you to all our generous sponsors to date!

Kansas Infrastructure Hub

The federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) enacted as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) provides historic investment in United States infrastructure. While most of the formula or directed funding Kansas receives is administered by federal and local entities, some state agencies will administer additional funds. For example, additional transportation formula funding will be administered by the Kansas Department of Transportation.

The Kansas Infrastructure Hub is Kansas’ coordinated approach - working to identify best practices from across the nation for deploying funds and maximizing Kansas’ BIL opportunities. Read more.

Build Kansas Fund

Join a virtual presentation on Monday, August 28th hosted by Economic Lifelines, Kansas Association of Counties and the Kansas League of Municipalities to help maximize awareness of the Build Kansas Fund that was passed this year with $215 million of funding for local communities. Vanessa Lamoreaux, Grant Writer and Special Projects Manager with Kansas Infrastructure Hub, will show you how to utilize the fund to its greatest advantage. If you have an interest in securing Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funding to advance your community needs in the sectors of energy, water, transportation, broadband, or cybersecurity, you should attend! Read more.

Kansas Business Awards Nomination Process Open

The 2023 nomination process is open for the 2023 “To the Stars: Kansas Business Awards.” These awards recognize outstanding businesses and individuals that are doing great things in Kansas. Merit Award, Regional Award and Statewide Winners will be selected from nominees in nine categories this year, including: AgriBusiness, Apprenticeship Champions and Partners, Business Innovation, Healthcare/Nonprofit, Manufacturing/Distribution, Non-Traditional Talent Pools, Retail/Service, Under 30 Entrepreneurs, and Welcome Back. Read more.

KANSASWORKS Virtual Statewide Job Fair

August 23, 2023

The next Virtual Statewide Job Fair is scheduled for August 23, beginning at 8am and ending at 5pm. Employers can register at no cost for this upcoming event by selecting "Organization" then click on "Register for Event." The job fair will be split into five workforce areas and eleven subcategories. When you register, PLEASE select ONLY the areas of the state your company has jobs in. Read more.

Get the app!

Sunflower Summer provides a wide variety of ways for families to get out, explore something new, and enjoy time together May 26-August 13. Read more.

Recovery and Growth Insights Dashboard

Travel demand shows signs of normalizing, yet outlook remains resilient. Consumers continue to spend. Retail sales grew in May in nearly every category. While job losses and cooler wage gains are expected later this year, for the time being, the resilient labor market continues to support consumer spending. Still, the unemployment rate is not expected to increase substantially as businesses are less likely to make cuts in light of persistent labor shortages. Inflation remains well above its pre-pandemic trend, yet weaker demand and reduced supply constraints are expected to push inflation lower by the end of 2023.

On the horizon: An economic slowdown is still anticipated later this year. Elevated interest rates, a tighter labor market, lower wage inflation, depleted excess savings, tighter credit standards and high prices are expected to result in consumers pulling back somewhat, particularly on discretionary spending. While travel spending will not be immune to the reduction in consumer spending, domestic leisure is projected to remain resilient. After months of elevated leisure demand, more normalized growth rates (around 2%) are expected over the next few years. Additionally, we anticipate that international inbound travel and business and group travel will experience double-digit growth this year before slowing and moderating somewhat into next year.

U.S. DOT RAISE Grants and MPDG Program

More than $2.2 billion has been awarded in RAISE grants by the U.S. Department of Transportation to 162 projects across the country, and the application process is open for up to $5.6 billion in projects of national and regional significance.

RAISE Grants

RAISE (formerly BUILD, formerly TIGER) is the multimodal program that includes road, rail, transit, port, and bike/pedestrian projects sponsored by state and local agencies. Read more.

MPDG Program

Grant applications are open for the MPDG Program, combining three different programs into one single notice of funding opportunity. Read more.

June 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 June.

The U.S. Travel Association published its latest Monthly Data Report, exclusively for U.S. Travel members. Here are key highlights from last month's report.

Key June Highlights

• Total travel spending improved to 1.4% above May 2022 levels and was up 5.5% year-to-date through May 2023,
• Air travel demand appears to have stabilized somewhat and remained up 10% in May from the same month last year.
• Hotel demand remained below pre-pandemic levels for the third consecutive month and was down 2% in May.
• Overseas arrivals made little improvement and remained 26% below 2019 levels in May.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Tourism Huddle

Second Wednesday of each month

August 9

Kansas Tourism Conference

October 16-18 - Dodge City

TIAK Board Meetings

August 10, October 16, December 14

TIAK Executive Committee Meetings

September 14, November 9