DES MOINES, Iowa—The Iowa Tourism Office and the Travel Federation of Iowa presented 27 awards recognizing excellence in the tourism industry at a ceremony today in Altoona during the 2019 Iowa Tourism Conference.
Awards to both metro and rural areas were made in 13 award categories. The Boone Pufferbilly Days celebration was recognized as the Outstanding Event in the Metro division. In addition, conference attendees voted for the People’s Choice Award; nominees were the second-highest scoring nominations in 12 of the categories.
The complete list of 2019 Iowa Tourism Award recipients:
Outstanding Attraction
Dragoon Trace Nature Center, Mount Ayr (Rural)
Cone Park, Sioux City (Metro)
Dragoon Trace Nature Center, Mount Ayr (Rural)
Cone Park, Sioux City (Metro)
Outstanding Community
Amana Colonies (Rural)
City of Dubuque (Metro; tie)
Iowa City/Coralville (Metro; tie)
Amana Colonies (Rural)
City of Dubuque (Metro; tie)
Iowa City/Coralville (Metro; tie)
Outstanding Dining Business
Waubonsie Station, Tabor (Rural)
Canteen Lunch in the Alley, Ottumwa (Metro)
Waubonsie Station, Tabor (Rural)
Canteen Lunch in the Alley, Ottumwa (Metro)
Outstanding Event
Stone Pier Summer Concert Series, Lake View (Rural)
Pufferbilly Days, Boone (Metro)
Stone Pier Summer Concert Series, Lake View (Rural)
Pufferbilly Days, Boone (Metro)
Outstanding Individual Leader
Sara Broers, Mason City
Sara Broers, Mason City
Outstanding Lodging Property
Hotel Grinnell, Grinnell (Rural)
Hotel Grinnell, Grinnell (Rural)
Outstanding Marketing Collaboration
Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce (Rural)
A to Z Tourism Partners, Mahaska and Marion Counties (Metro)
Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce (Rural)
A to Z Tourism Partners, Mahaska and Marion Counties (Metro)
Outstanding New Event
Take a Bite: A Three-Day Food Festival, Amana Colonies (Rural)
LPGA Solheim Cup & Catch Des Moines (Metro)
Take a Bite: A Three-Day Food Festival, Amana Colonies (Rural)
LPGA Solheim Cup & Catch Des Moines (Metro)
Outstanding Niche Marketing Initiative
Northeast Iowa RC&D (Rural)
A to Z Tourism Partners, Mahaska and Marion Counties (Metro)
Northeast Iowa RC&D (Rural)
A to Z Tourism Partners, Mahaska and Marion Counties (Metro)
Outstanding Promotional Material
Catch Des Moines (Metro)
Catch Des Moines (Metro)
Outstanding Retail Experience
Winterset Retail District (Rural)
Simple Treasures, Pella (Metro)
Winterset Retail District (Rural)
Simple Treasures, Pella (Metro)
Outstanding Social Media Execution
Northeast Iowa Tourism Association (Rural)
Experience Waterloo (Metro)
Northeast Iowa Tourism Association (Rural)
Experience Waterloo (Metro)
Outstanding Website
Pottawattamie County Tourism Committee, wattawayia.com (Metro)
Pottawattamie County Tourism Committee, wattawayia.com (Metro)
People’s Choice Award
Iowa Group Travel Association
Iowa Group Travel Association
The annual Iowa Tourism Conference brings together nearly 250 industry representatives from across the state to network, attend educational sessions and discuss emerging industry trends.
Tourism in Iowa generates more than $8.5 billion in expenditures and $507 million in state taxes, plus employs 69,600 people statewide. The Iowa Tourism Office is part of the Iowa Economic Development Authority.
For more information, visit traveliowa.com, call 800.345.IOWA, or stop at any Iowa Welcome Center. Travelers can find additional travel inspiration on the Iowa Tourism Office blog, Facebook page, Twitter feed, Pinterest boards, Instagram account or YouTube channel.
(contributed press release, Iowa Economic Development Authority, Iowa Tourism Office)
