Those of us in tourism usually talk in superlatives but it's no exaggeration that the Quad Cities will be the epicenter of tourism in Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois during National Travel & Tourism Week on May 3-11, 2014, as we celebrate $7.6 billion in visitor spending in Iowa and $29 billion in Illinois.
Iowa's Power of Tourism motorcoach will make a stop at the Iowa 80 Trucking Museum at the Iowa 80 Truckstop in Walcott from 11:15 to 11:45 a.m. on Monday, May 5th. This eye-catching motorcoach is making a 2,000 mile, 9-day visit across Iowa to showcase how vital tourism is to Iowa's economy. You are invited to attend! www.traveliowa.com/
Then from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, May 7th, the Iowa 80 Trucking Museum will host the Eastern Iowa Tourism Association general membership meeting. Nearly 100 tourism promoters from throughout Eastern Iowa will meet to discuss ways to promote Iowa and hear Dublin, Ohio, CVB Director Scott Dring speak on "License to Steal."
Join the Quad Cities CVB for the Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting for the new Visitor Center location at the Quad City International Airport in Moline at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 8th. The new location is near baggage claim. Refreshments and parking validation provided.
All of this follows the Quad Cities hosting nearly 75 international tour operators and journalists on FAM (familiarization) tours who attended IPW in Chicago in early April.
The U.S. Travel Association reports that visitors to Scott County, Iowa and Rock Island County, Illinois generated total direct expenditures of $810 million; $40 million in state taxes; $12.8 million in local taxes; and 7,680 jobs with a total payroll of $142 million.
That's the Power of Tourism!
