A pair of new efforts to promote tourism in the Quad Cities is getting a financial boost from the latest rounds of grants awarded by the Iowa Tourism Office. In all, 45 tourism groups across Iowa — including Visit Quad Cities and the LeClaire Tourism Office — were awarded grants totaling $398,800 late last month. […]
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A pair of new efforts to promote tourism in the Quad Cities is getting a financial boost from the latest rounds of grants awarded by the Iowa Tourism Office.
In all, 45 tourism groups across Iowa — including Visit Quad Cities and the LeClaire Tourism Office — were awarded grants totaling $398,800 late last month. The state program funds tourism-related marketing initiatives, meetings and events that benefit both local economies and Iowa’s economy.
The two local projects were awarded by the Iowa Tourism Office:
“We want people to know they are welcome and included when they travel to the Quad Cities, and ultimately, we want to take out the guesswork of what people can expect in our regional destination if they have mobility, cognitive, sensory, or other needs,” Visit Quad Cities’ Katrina Keuning told the QCBJ.
The director of brand and content strategy said Visit QC will work on the new initiative with Wheel the World. It's a leading company in accessible travel information, solutions, and booking. “Wheel the World will do a site visit to our destination, train our team and the management at the hotels, restaurants, and attractions,” she said.
Wheel the World representatives will consult hospitality partners and Visit QC on posing accessible, visitor-centric information on all their websites.
These listings will provide key information to those with disabilities searching for travel locations and making the decision of whether to travel to our destination.
“This pursuit aligns with our long-range vision and tourism master plan, so we are working to put intentionality and drive toward making the QC accessible, welcoming and inclusive for everyone who wants to experience our community,” Ms. Keuning added.
“As one of the Quad City area gateways to Iowa, LeClaire continuously welcomes guests to our state, region and town, and this grant will help us do that,” she told the QCBJ.
According to Ms. Bruhn, this round of grants earmarked a portion of the dollars specifically for the Iowa Welcome Center Partner program.
The "Intersection of Historic and Epic Fun" campaign is an evergreen marketing effort to grab visitors’ attention. “LeClaire’s location along the Great River Road – which happens to intersect with Interstate 80, its proximity to the Quad Cities, and designation as an Iowa Welcome Center Partner puts it in a position to attract both the Great River Road traveler and the cross-country vacationer from key overnight markets,” she wrote in the grant application.
- Visit Quad Cities, through its Friends of the Quad Cities, received a $10,000 grant to assist the destination marketing organization in working to make the Quad Cities as accessible for tourism.
- LeClaire Tourism Office, an office of the City of LeClaire, received a $10,000 grant to promote its new "Intersection of Historic and Epic Fun" campaign. The marketing campaign will be aimed at capturing the attention of travelers as they plan their summer road trip adventures.
Accessibility the focus
Visit Quad Cities said it will use the tourism grant to help make the Quad Cities a more accessible destination for travelers and residents alike.
“We want people to know they are welcome and included when they travel to the Quad Cities, and ultimately, we want to take out the guesswork of what people can expect in our regional destination if they have mobility, cognitive, sensory, or other needs,” Visit Quad Cities’ Katrina Keuning told the QCBJ.
The director of brand and content strategy said Visit QC will work on the new initiative with Wheel the World. It's a leading company in accessible travel information, solutions, and booking. “Wheel the World will do a site visit to our destination, train our team and the management at the hotels, restaurants, and attractions,” she said.
Wheel the World representatives will consult hospitality partners and Visit QC on posing accessible, visitor-centric information on all their websites.
These listings will provide key information to those with disabilities searching for travel locations and making the decision of whether to travel to our destination.
“This pursuit aligns with our long-range vision and tourism master plan, so we are working to put intentionality and drive toward making the QC accessible, welcoming and inclusive for everyone who wants to experience our community,” Ms. Keuning added.
LeClaire welcome partner
LeClaire Tourism Manager Cindy Bruhn said LeClaire will use its third Travel Iowa tourism grant in four years to become an Iowa Welcome Center Partner.
“As one of the Quad City area gateways to Iowa, LeClaire continuously welcomes guests to our state, region and town, and this grant will help us do that,” she told the QCBJ.
According to Ms. Bruhn, this round of grants earmarked a portion of the dollars specifically for the Iowa Welcome Center Partner program.
The "Intersection of Historic and Epic Fun" campaign is an evergreen marketing effort to grab visitors’ attention. “LeClaire’s location along the Great River Road – which happens to intersect with Interstate 80, its proximity to the Quad Cities, and designation as an Iowa Welcome Center Partner puts it in a position to attract both the Great River Road traveler and the cross-country vacationer from key overnight markets,” she wrote in the grant application.
