Who’s up for a Kansas Road Trip?!

Some the my best memories of my collegiate years is going on road trips. We would cram a bunch of us into a car and set out on the open road in search of new adventures. Typically, there was a final destination to the road trip in mind. But part of the fun was checking out new communities and the scenery along the way, meeting new people, and trying out new restaurants.

Tourism and economic development representatives in Kansas had that same feeling in mind when they came up with the Big Kansas Road Trip. The Kansas Sampler Foundation will hold the third annual Big Kansas Road Trip May 6th through the 9th. This year’s event will be held in Brown, Doniphan and Nemaha counties in Northeast Kansas.

Why a Road Trip?

This promo video speaks volumes about the reasoning behind the road trip:

Big Kansas Road Trip Facebook Promo Video

Event organizers are moving the Big Kansas Road Trip throughout the state, covering new areas each year. They collaborate the event with local chambers of commerce, economic development associations, and municipal leaders. Then, with their help, they stir up interest in the local communities to make the event as great as it can be. This year’s program has 52 pages of information on the activities, points of interest, lodging, and restaurants available in each community along the way.

“The Big Kansas Road Trip was created to be active, to be fun, to bring people together AND to make an economic and social difference in the showcase counties. It was designed to help people understand rural culture and to bring urban and rural folks together.”

Think Regionally

The Big Kansas Road Trip is an excellent example of regional tourism. There’s one entity that organizes the event each year. But it is a teamwork effort between the Kansas Sampler Foundation, community leaders, and the various businesses and attractions involved. With several people involved in the event, it makes carrying the load easier.

Utilizing regional tourism should be a strong consideration for any community. Regional tourism spreads the workload and costs of marketing your community amongst numerous entities. This also helps to create a bigger event, which likely has a greater impact than those created on your own.

So, the next time you are working on marketing and events for your community, think outside the box. Or more appropriately, outside the city limits. Think regionally for better results.