Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau
Kansas Tourism awarded $102,500 in Tourism Marketing Grants last week, with Hays being a recipient in two tourism collaborations.
The Kansas Gunsmoke Trail was awarded $9,800 for its multi-city road trip inviting visitors to Kansas to “Follow the Gunsmoke Trail.”
Convention and Visitors Bureaus in Wichita, Abilene, Hays, and Dodge City unveiled the collaborative tourism campaign this spring. The itinerary provides fans of Gunsmoke, the Emmy award-winning primetime Western that entertained audiences for 20 years, an opportunity to travel around Kansas and see cities referenced in the show.
Hays CVB Director Melissa Dixon was in attendance for the Gunsmoke Trail check presentation in Dodge City on September 17 along with Dodge City CVB Director Megan Welsh and Abilene CVB Director Julie Roller-Weeks.
“We appreciate the level of support we receive from both Kansas Commerce and Kansas Tourism to take our visitor recruitment to the next level,” said Dixon.
Meet Kansas was awarded $10,000 to host an event with meeting planners featuring networking, presentations, and tours.
Meet Kansas is a collaboration of Destination Marketing Organizations from across the state who have banded together to promote Kansas to event, meeting, and business retreat planners.
Hays CVB Convention Sales Manager Janet Kuhn serves as the president of Meet Kansas and was present with Great Bend CVB Director Christina Hayes to accept the check in Great Bend on September 18.
Funding for Kansas Tourism grants, including the Tourism Marketing Grant, is provided by the Economic Development Initiatives Fund (EDIF) that is derived from state lottery proceeds.