Tourism boosters say state not meeting potential

Money invested to bring in visitors could yield high dividends, officials say

Some Kansas tourism officials want more money to lure more visitors to the state to experience unique Kansas places, like the Flint Hills, pictured above during the 2006 Symphony in the Flint Hills.

? Less bureaucracy and more money. That’s what Kansas tourism officials are telling state leaders is needed to lure more visitors to the state.

“We’re not a state with mountains or beaches, but the fact is we really do have a lot to offer,” said Judy Billings, director of the Lawrence Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Billings is a member of the Kansas Tourism Initiative, which has put together a proposal to take state tourism and marketing efforts out of the Kansas Department of Commerce and place it in the hands of a semi-independent authority.

This new board, which would be appointed by the governor and Legislature, also would need about $15 million annually, more than three times what is currently spent, Billings said. That money would return to the economy many times over through increased tourism, she argues.

While Billings and the task force have been getting encouragement from some lawmakers, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius isn’t buying the proposal.

“Because it (tourism) is closely tied to economic and community development, we believe the state is best served by keeping the Travel and Tourism Division within the Department of Commerce,” Sebelius’ office said in a statement.

Currently, the state tourism office has an annual budget of about $4.5 million. That ranks 44th in the country and is less than half the average spent by other “Heartland” states, according to KTI. Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Minnesota, South Dakota and Nebraska spend more than Kansas, while Iowa and North Dakota spend less, the group said.

“We need a bigger effort in marketing the state,” said state Sen. Nick Jordan, R-Shawnee, who also is a member of the KTI task force.

“The state has not taken the industry as seriously as you need to take it, and we are not competing with our surrounding states in our marketing efforts and product development,” he said.

The task force says Kansas should spend $15 million, which would boost programs aimed at getting visitors to enjoy Kansas nature, arts, culture and scenic byways.

The Flint Hills and the state’s Bleeding Kansas history need to be further marketed to attract visitors, Billings said.

“We have a lot of potential that we are not reaching,” she said.