IOWA TOURISM “EPIC” ROAD TRIP

Officials with Iowa's tourism industry Friday announced plans for an 'epic Iowa trip” to promote the state's attractions. Beginning next week, a specially wrapped motorcoach will travel nearly 2,100 miles promoting more than 60 tourism destinations in 33 counties and 46 communities. The effort -- a partnership among the Central Iowa Tourism Region, Eastern Iowa Tourism Association, Western Iowa Tourism Region and the Iowa Tourism Office -- is meant to showcase and recognize Iowa's travel destinations. 'Travel is big business in Iowa, as traveler spending here exceeds $7 billion annually,” said Iowa Tourism Office Manager Shawna Lode in promoting the May 2-10 effort. 'This trip will highlight Iowa's thousands of tourism destinations and the people who manage them. Along the way, we want to inspire people to choose Iowa as a vacation destination.” Highlights of the trip include the Market on Main in Ottumwa, Snake Alley in Burlington, Mount Vernon's Chalk the Walk Festival, the Iowa 80 Trucking Museum in Walcott, Hansen's Farm Fresh Dairy Farm in Hudson, Charles City's Whitewater at Riverfront Park, Arnold's Park in Okoboji, the Danish Windmill Welcome Center in Elk Horn and the Union Pacific Railroad Museum in Council Bluffs. Tourism in Iowa generates more than $7.6 billion in expenditures, employs 64,400 people statewide and accounts for $328 million in state taxes. The Iowa Tourism Office is part of the Iowa Economic Development Authority.