DES MOINES, Iowa—The Iowa Tourism Office presented 24 awards recognizing excellence in the tourism industry during the 2024 Iowa Tourism Conference in Des Moines this week.
“These awards recognize the hard work and dedication of our tourism industry partners and the appeal of Iowa as a destination,” said Amy Zeigler, state tourism office manager. “We look forward to building on the positive momentum for continued success in 2024.”
Awards, divided into metro and rural distinctions, were made in 13 categories. In addition, conference attendees voted for the People’s Choice Award; nominees were the second-highest scoring nominations.
The complete list of 2024 Iowa Tourism Award recipients:
Outstanding Attraction
Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center, Sioux City (Metro)
Mt. Crescent Ski Area, Honey Creek (Rural)
Outstanding Community
Cedar Rapids (Metro)
Jefferson (Rural)
Outstanding Dining Business
7 Hills Brewing Company, Dubuque (Metro)
The Centennial, Jefferson (Rural)
Outstanding Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiative
Catch Des Moines (Metro)
Outstanding Event
Des Moines Arts Festival (Metro)
Tri-State Rodeo, Fort Madison (Rural)
Outstanding Individual Leader
Diane Van Wyngarden, Oskaloosa (Metro)
Outstanding Lodging Property
DoubleTree by Hilton Cedar Rapids Convention Center, Cedar Rapids (Metro)
Corning Hotel LLC, Corning (Rural)
Outstanding Marketing Collaboration
Council Bluffs Convention and Visitors Bureau (Metro)
Emerge Marketing Solutions, Manning (Rural)
Outstanding Niche Market Initiative
Council Bluffs Convention and Visitors Bureau (Metro)
Pocahontas Chamber of Commerce (Rural)
Outstanding Promotional Material
Cedar Rapids Tourism (Metro)
Fayette County Economic Development & Tourism (Rural)
Outstanding Retail Experience
Modern Dress, Boone (Metro)
Harvestville Farm, Donnellson (Rural)
Outstanding Social Media Execution
Catch Des Moines (Metro)
Emerge Marketing Solutions, Manning (Rural)
Outstanding Website
Visit Pella (Metro)
People’s Choice Award
Grow Cedar Valley
The Iowa Tourism Office, part of the Iowa Economic Development Authority, works closely with community partners, attractions and events, to promote the state’s beautifully vast scenery and unique history. Tourism in Iowa generated $6.9 billion in expenditures in 2022, with more than $1.1 billion supporting state and local governments, while employing a total of 68,607 people statewide. For more information on everything Iowa has to offer tourists, visit traveliowa.com.
(contributed press release)
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