TRAVELER THE
ISSUE
2021 / Q1
Keith Rahe Welcome to our brand new initiative, the Traveler. Each quarter we will focus on what has happened during that time, what we are looking forward to in the coming months, and what is happening at this very moment in the tourism industry.
TRAVELER THE
ISSUE
KEITH RAHE President & CEO krahe@traveldubuque.com SARA HANTEN Vice President of Operations shanten@traveldubuque.com
If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s to stay connected even when in-person communication isn’t possible. For Travel Dubuque, it meant a lot of Zoom meetings between staff, industry partners, and our Board of Directors.
JULIE KRONLAGE Vice President of Sales jkronlage@traveldubuque.com TYLER DAUGHERTY Vice President of Community Engagement tdaugherty@traveldubuque.com
Throughout 2020, we held multiple meetings between our partners, talking about the pandemic, funding resources, trends we were seeing, and just staying connected. With the Traveler, we hope to continue to foster those relationships as we transition into a post-Covid era.
TAYLOR KELLOGG Director of Marketing tkellogg@traveldubuque.com BECKY CARKEEK Director of Guest Services bcarkeek@traveldubuque.com KAREN LYNESS Welcome Center welcomectr@traveldubuque.com
Travel is up, people are getting out, and we are excited to see those out-of-town license plates fill up our parking lots. Tourism was hit hard and the Dubuque area was no exception. However, as we look ahead, we believe we can bounce back stronger than before because of the lessons we learned along the way.
MICHELLE MOODY Welcome Center welcomectr@traveldubuque.com MARV MAIERS Brochure Distribution VICKI MAIERS Brochure Distribution
Enjoy the look back on the successes of January - March 2021, what we are working on today, and what has us excited for tomorrow. .COM
Sincerely,
TRAVELER THE
ISSUE
2021 / Q1
ON THE COVER Julien Dubuque Monument at the Mines of Spain by Mike Williams CONTACT US 280 Main Street Dubuque, IA 52001 800.798.8844 traveldubuque.com
@AJSBOUTIQUEDBQ
Take Me Out to the Ball Game Voices Productions and Travel Dubuque have joined in partnership to launch a rotating mural initiative in downtown Dubuque. The wall that hosts this ongoing mural exhibition is located at 105 Locust Street in downtown Dubuque. This large south-facing wall acts as an exciting “artistic gateway” for travelers entering Dubuque. In April, Connecticut-based muralist Ryan Christenson came to Dubuque to interpret the theme of one of America’s favorite pastimes and the local heroes who added to its traditions. Christenson, known as ARCY, had previously painted ‘Charging Bison’ at the105 Locust Street location and was commissioned to paint a colorful yet historic rendering of Charles Comiskey and Red Faber. Each year the mural will be repainted and renewed, showcasing new artists and exploring various themes and subjects which relate to life in Dubuque.
FOOD TRUCK FRIDAYS
Brought to you by Travel Dubuque and presented by Midwest One, this event takes May - September 2021, at the heart of #whereiowastarted at Washington Park and features area food trucks with yummy street food. Stop down between 11 am & 1 pm and listen to these great acts, brought to you by 365ink. May 14 - Joie Wails Music, June 11 Ralph Kluseman, July 9 - Andy Wilberding, August 20 - Maureen Kilgore, and September 10 - John Moran. Learn more at traveldubuque.com
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Ryan ‘ARCY’ Christenson has been perfecting his craft since 2003. “I am a graffiti artist. I’m not afraid to admit that, I have deep roots in an art form that many may stereotype as unacceptable. I have come a long way since painting letters on walls and I am constantly pushing the limits to create works that are on the cutting edge of this vibrant art form.”
T R AV E L E R - T H E
I SS U E
A Look at Events
HOLIDAY WRESTLING TOURNAMENT
JANUARY 2-3, 2021
Youth wrestling tournament that was held at the Five Flags Center and was new to Dubuque. Event organizers registered 430 wrestlers for their oneday tournament. Organizers have booked December 2021 for next year and they hope to add an additional tournament to their 2021 line-up.
THEISEN’S SNOCROSS NATIONALS JANUARY 15-16, 2021
Just over 7,000 people attended the Theisen’s Snocross Nationals with guests traveling from IA, MN, WI, MI, IL, OH, and NY to name a few. 394 racers competed from across the country, and the event garnered 290,000 unique live broadcast views.
WINTER IOWA GAMES JANUARY 23-24, 2021
In consideration of the health and well-being of the athletes, volunteers, officials, and staff, the Iowa Games made the difficult decision to cancel some Winter Iowa Games events. The challenges and uncertainty that COVID-19 presented prevented the Iowa Sports Foundation and the Iowa Games from appropriately planning, organizing, and producing the events safely. The following sports were not held during the 2021 Winter Games: Adult & Youth Basketball, Fat Bike Race, Indoor Triathlon, Pickleball, Snowshoe, Table Tennis, Adult Volleyball, and Zumba. Track, Walk, and swimming will be going virtual. 2021 Participation Recap: Alpine skiing (118), Slope Style (28), Youth Hockey (333 – 28 teams), Indoor Soccer (502 – 51 teams), Martial Arts (125), and Youth Volleyball (324 – 35 teams) Total: 1,430 total participants
MISSISSIPPI RIVER GYMNASTICS CLASSIC: MARCH 5-7, 2021
Operated by 360 Sports Events LLC and hosted at the Five Flags Center, the MRGC saw 348 athletes from 4 states (IA, IL, MI, WI) compete in the weekend classic. In total, over 880 people attended the event and 100+ overnights were generated across 12 hotels in the area. These numbers were down compared to 2020, but event organizers were happy given COVID-19 and what the pandemic has done to other events. 360 Sports has confirmed that they will be back in 2022.
REGIONAL SPORTS AUTHORITY DISTRICT (RSAD)
State Legislative Session Update - The RSAD $500,000 is being moved to the House Economic Development Budget and the Senate is keeping their $500K appropriation in the RIIF budget. The key takeaway, legislators still see value in allocating this funding to the districts. WHAT IS HAPPENING IN Q2
Dueling Dog World Championships April 9-11 Julien Dubuque International Film Festival April 18-25 Vintage Torquefest April 30 – May 1 Mississippi River Classic June 5-6
@ M A L PA LS C H M I D
Meet Dubuque In partnership with the Destination Marketing Fee Partners, a new meetings campaign was launched in late 2019. While the campaign carried on throughout 2020 on a more limited scale, we are excited to ramp our efforts back up to recruit meetings and conventions to Dubuque. Look for Dubuque in print, social and digital on the Small Market Meetings publications and Meetings Today publications and social media channels along with efforts through Travel Dubuque.
WHAT ARE DESTINATION MARKETING FEE (DMF) PARTNERS?
DMF Partnerships began in 2016 after 3 hotels signed to add a voluntary $1 per room per night fee to their guest folios. Today, there are 7 hotel partners. This has generated funds that have since helped sponsor bid fees, marketing campaigns, and events throughout Dubuque. PLAY: View the Meet Dubuque video.
LOOKING AHEAD: UPCOMING CONFERENCES Four State Dairy Iowa Turkey Federation Wisconsin Rural Letter Carriers Dubuque Senior Class Reunion Midwest Gang Investigators Iowa Credit Union League Growing Sustainable Communities Iowa County Recorders Association
June 8-10, 2021 June 14-17, 2021 June 15-19, 2021 July 23-25, 2021 September 19-21, 2021 September 15-17, 2021 October 12-13, 2021 October 2021
Grand River Center Grand River Center Grand River Center Holiday Inn Dubuque Grand River Center Grand River Center Grand River Center Hotel Julien Dubuque
October 5-8, 2021 July 2023
15 people (Influential Travel Writers) 350+ people
LOOKING AHEAD: BIDS IN PROCESS Midwest Travel Writers Association American Legion of Iowa
Travel Shows Return Travel Dubuque participated in the virtual Heritage Clubs Peer Group where appointments with 32 bankers took place. The same sentiment reigned through almost every conversation, once the vaccine is available and individuals are vaccinated, groups will get on the road. However, in 2021 – 2022 many bank clubs are choosing to take one large trip and many smaller local trips. Luckily for Dubuque, we are positioned in the center of a great number of bank clubs. UPCOMING SHOWS: Midwest Marketplace American Bus Association
April 11-13, 2021 (In Person) June 8-10, 2021 (Virtual)
PLAY: Watch this new Group Tour video created in support from a grant from Travel Iowa.
T R AV E L E R - T H E
I SS U E
2021 Travel Guide
The annual Travel Guide was released in March 2021. Featuring seasonal guides and bucket lists, information on the Mississippi and its boat traffic, a guide to shopping local, and much more, this guide is jam-packed with inspirational content. Since its release over 20,000 have been distributed to partners, attractions, hotels, welcome centers, and travel sites throughout the tri-states.
Photo Collector
Travel Dubuque has launched a new photo collector to streamline the process of collecting assets from travelers and partners. Users can now visit a custom link to upload photos and videos shared on Instagram, Facebook, or of high res quality for Travel Dubuque to use and promote. Partners are welcome to upload their photos to this new collector for potential usage throughout our marketing efforts.
Leisure Marketing Themes for 2021
The first quarter of 2021 was spent focusing primarily on what marketing looks like as travel picks up in 2021 following the anomaly of 2020. A focus on digital media, content-heavy social media campaigns, and passports will be a main theme throughout the year. With the upcoming MLB game in Dyersville, Iowa August 12, an emphasis on baseball history, midwestern hospitality, and all things Americana will be a special feature throughout the summer months. Stay tuned for promotions including ‘Midwest Eats’, ‘Patio Pastimes’, ‘Road Trip to Three States in One Day’, and more!
Adding Your Events Want to add an event to TravelDubuque.com? Our calendar now syncs with the Telegraph Herald online calendar. Upload your event to telegraphherald.com and your events will sync to the Travel Dubuque site. Have a lot of events to add? Let us know and we can examine your calendar to see if events can be automatically added without a manual entry!
STOCK UP
Getting low on travel guides or need to stock up? Contact us at 563.845.7698 to request a pick-up or drop-off of the guides for your guests.
SEND YOUR PHOTOS & VIDEOS
Click here to use the Travel Dubuque Photo Collector
@ S U N D O W N M O U N TA I N
Visitor Traffic Increasing
Q1 by the Numbers
The Welcome Center is starting to see visitor traffic pickup with the weather warming up. The staff has continued to ask where travelers are coming from and their primary reason for travel. January through March visitors came from Illinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa to take a two to three-day trip. As the center gets busier, more new merchandise is being brought in representing #WhereIowaStarted. Shirts, hats, tumblers, postcards, and other Dubuque gear are available for purchase. Passionate about the area and looking for a part-time position working with visitors? Reach out to Beck Carkeek for more details at bcarkeek@traveldubuque.com.
MARKETING
Sister Cities The Sister Cities Committee, a partnership between Travel Dubuque and the City of Dubuque, has started planning for its 2021 Photo Exhibit taking place in October. This exhibit will showcase images from each of the three cities with more details to be announced.
22,932 online sessions to traveldubuque.com 10,625 in our audience across social 199,986 impressions across social EVENTS 12,980 event-related guests $1.6 million in estimated economic impact MEETINGS & GROUPS 10 Historic Progressive Tours Booked 2 Convention Leads WELCOME CENTER 440 Visitors in the Welcome Center 338 Travel Guides Mailed
What’s New PARTNER SPOTLIGHT:
Sundown Mountain Resort Closing out their 2020/2021 season in early March, Sundown Mountain saw major growth in their attendance this past year. With a desire for outdoor recreation due to the pandemic, a strong year for snow, and an increasing membership rate, the resort experienced a 41% increase in attendance this past season initiating new protocols including online gear rentals. Using the momentum of this past season, they’ve since announced a new event series, Music on the Mountain starting June 12, 2021, and have also started booking weddings on the slopes. sundownmtn.com
River Ridge Brewing in Bellevue, Iowa opened its new riverside location in April 2021 National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium will be opening its newest exhibit during the Summer of 2021 complete with a maker space Welcome to our newest travel industry friends Gary Stoppelman (Dubuque Museum of Art), Lindsey Slechta (Hampton Inn), Danika Habben (TownePlace Suites), and Rachel Jacobson (Hotel Julien Dubuque) EMAIL YOUR ‘WHAT’S NEW’ NEWS FOR Q2 TO TAYLOR KELLOGG AT TKELLOGG@TRAVELDUBUQUE.COM
beenerm Day 263 - Brick. Wandering through the renewed traveldubuque’s Millwork District...more
raffel921 Downtown hike, Dubuque, Iowa - (3/2 hike) I felt I needed a bit of color today and went to one of my favorite river towns... more
kurtschuette Riverboat on the Mississippi River in Moonlight #mississippiriver #riverboat #showboat #photography #dubuqueiowa #moonlight...more
traveldubuque Start dreaming of a visit to #WhereIowaStarted Today is National Plan a Vacation Day, so draw a circle around Dubuque, Iowa...more
thatsmydogdbq Those ears #dubuqueiowa #dubuque #iowa #traveldubuque #tristates #dog #dogs #dogtraining #dogtrainingtips...more 🤩
thedriftless_ jgarciaphotography1 takes the most visually stunning pictures of our space...more
iowasian In case you didn’t know... it’s Fish Fry Season! @theothersideineast amassed this platter of fried (and baked!) delights for our dining pleasure...more
sundownmountain Join us under the lights tonight during our Fabulous Friday Nights!...more
polishpowerftw Celebrated a very happy beerthday this past weekend in the subzeros! #birthday #dubuque #iowa #midwest...more
alaylaaday More exploring snowy minesofspain along Catfish Creek trail. #minesofspain #bekind #youmatter #helponeanother...more
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