Election season comes with plenty of noise. For Iowa’s tourism industry, it also creates an opportunity. Candidates are traveling the state, meeting with organizations and listening to Iowans about the issues that matter to their communities. This is our chance to make sure tourism is part of those conversations.
That carries additional significance this year because Iowa will elect a new governor in November. The next administration will make decisions that will influence tourism investment, destination development and the ability of Iowa communities to attract visitors for years to come.
So, iTIP made the ask.
We reached out to both major-party gubernatorial campaigns and asked for time to introduce their teams to Iowa’s tourism industry. Both accepted.
Over the past few weeks, iTIP hosted separate conversations with Democratic Lieutenant Governor candidate, Dave Muhlbauer, and Republican Lieutenant Governor candidate, Derek Wulf. These were not traditional candidate forums. There was no debate and no effort to determine which candidate gave the “right” answers.
The purpose was much simpler: give Iowa tourism leaders a chance to educate both campaigns about tourism and what it means for Iowa.
Current and past iTIP board members and members of the Advocacy Committee were invited to participate. They helped share what tourism means to Iowa, the opportunities and challenges facing the industry, and why continued support will matter to Iowa’s tourism momentum.
Regardless of who wins in November, Iowa’s tourism industry will need a strong relationship with the next administration. Starting that relationship before Election Day gives us a foundation to build from.
Tourism is bigger than visitation
One of the challenges of tourism advocacy is that those of us who work in the industry already understand the connections. Others may not.
Tourism is economic development, but its impact doesn’t stop there. It contributes to the places people choose to live, the businesses and amenities residents enjoy, the jobs available in a community and the investments that make communities stronger.
Destinations International’s Community Vitality Wheel helps illustrate that connection. A place people want to visit can become a place people want to live. A place people want to live becomes a place people want to work. That creates an environment where businesses and residents want to invest, strengthening the destination all over again.
Tourism professionals see those connections every day. Candidates and elected officials may not. Our job isn’t to fault them for what they don’t know. Our job is to help them understand.
That doesn’t always require a formal presentation or a stack of economic impact reports. Sometimes it starts by explaining what tourism looks like in your own community.
We opened the door. What will you do with it?
iTIP’s conversations with the two campaigns were a starting point, not the finish line.
At the statewide level, we can talk about Iowa’s visitor economy, statewide priorities and policies affecting tourism. But those conversations become much more meaningful when they are reinforced by tourism professionals across Iowa.
That’s where you come in.
Candidates for the Iowa Legislature and local offices are having conversations in your community right now. Introduce yourself. Invite them to your organization. Ask for 20 minutes over coffee. It doesn’t have to be a formal meeting or presentation.
And don’t feel like you need to arrive with all the answers. A good advocacy conversation should go both ways. Consider asking questions like:
- What are you hearing from residents and businesses about the challenges and opportunities facing our community?
- What do you see as the biggest opportunities for economic development and quality of life here?
- How familiar are you with the role tourism plays in our local economy and community?
- Where do you see tourism fitting into the priorities you hope to advance if elected?
Then listen.
Their answers give you an opportunity to make tourism relevant to the things they already care about. If workforce is a priority, share how tourism investments have also made your community more attractive to residents and employees. If economic development comes up, share what visitor spending supports locally. If quality of life is important, talk about the amenities, events and experiences that serve visitors and residents alike. You don’t need to cover every tourism issue in one conversation. In fact, you probably shouldn’t. Share one or two examples that make tourism tangible in your community.
And if a candidate isn’t familiar with tourism or doesn’t immediately see the connection, that’s not a failed conversation. It’s an opportunity to educate and to be a future resource.
Advocacy doesn’t end on Election Day
Election season may create the opportunity for an introduction, but the real value comes from what happens next.
Continue sharing the tourism story after the campaign signs come down. Invite elected officials to tourism events. Share successes from your community. Help them understand challenges before you need their help solving one. Give them opportunities to see tourism at work rather than only hearing from the industry when legislation or funding is on the line.
The goal is to build relationships that make tourism part of the conversation year-round.
iTIP has started that conversation at the statewide level. Now we’re asking our members to continue it in communities across Iowa.
You never know where a conversation might lead if you don’t make the ask in the first place.