Iowa Tourism Office
FIVE-YEAR TOURISM INDUSTRY STRATEGIC PLAN
OVERVIEW
The Iowa Tourism Office (ITO), along with the state’s many local and regional tourism stakeholders, experienced firsthand the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Iowa’s economy. The state’s tourism industry saw this as the perfect opportunity to regroup, reassess, and renew their long-term competitiveness with a focus on growth and shared prosperity. Nested in the state’s Economic Development Authority, ITO knew they needed a vision not only shared by tourism industry leaders and workers, but also one endorsed by business and industry leaders, as well as state and local elected officials. In this effort, ITO was focused on uniting stakeholders, prioritizing and enhancing tourism investments across the state, and contributing to economic stability and quality of life for all Iowans. To that end, ITO partnered with Coraggio in a comprehensive strategic planning process that culminated in Iowa’s first ever Five-Year Tourism Industry Strategic Plan.
OUTCOMES
Iowa’s tourism industry now has a unified state-wide plan to guide them for the next five years, as well as stronger ties across the state to support one another as they promote the visitor economy.
The tourism industry is more strongly positioned within the State’s broader economic development goals and objectives, helping set a framework for shared direction and collaboration.
Through the strategic planning process, organizations, levels of government, and other stakeholders across Iowa came together in ways they had not before, increasing a sense of ownership and buy-in of the plan and creating a united messaging front to potential visitors.
APPROACH
We began by building a comprehensive Situation Assessment through analysis of industry data and robust community and stakeholder engagement. To maximize the number of voices in the process, we deployed two surveys (with 653 respondents), convened four cross-industry focus groups, interviewed 18 tourism leaders and decision-makers, and held 10 stakeholder listening sessions across the state. The strategic planning team, consisting of ITO staff, Iowa Economic Development Authority leaders, and regional and local tourism representatives, then met over five work sessions to develop the Five-Year Tourism Industry Strategic Plan. Next, we worked with ITO and a cross section of industry leaders to create an Implementation Roadmap that identifies resources and partners needed to achieve the plan’s vision and operationalize the identified initiatives.
