In tourism, there is no “typical” day. Duties seem to be shifting from helping groups plan, to helping individuals plan for road trips. With decreased revenues, we must also create more content in house. Social media and website updates/blog posts consume a lot of my time. In the last few weeks, I am also answering more calls, emails and walk-in traffic about what’s open.

Here’s a recap of this week:

Monday

• Morning interview with a local radio show to discuss what is going on in Abilene (weekly interview)
• Encourage voting in for Abilene in Travel Awaits’ Best of Travel Awards – share press release, post on website/social media
• Interview local business for feature story celebrating their 10 years in business. Story is shared with local news media and on our blog/social media.
• Phone call with the Kansas Department of Transportation to discuss Kansas I-70 light replacement project and share press release with media and on our website/social media.
• Attend City Commission to present at hearing for closeout of grant program that helped businesses affected by COVID-19.
• Answer phone calls and visitors to Travel Information Center. Most questions involve explaining what is open right now.
• Update social media for Eisenhower Marathon

Tuesday

• Write press release for Dickinson County Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities (CEO) student’s tradeshow
• Share updates with designers for new Visitors Guide
• Answer phone calls and visitors to Travel Information Center. Most questions involve explaining what is open right now.
• Work on business grant closeout forms
• Call with Kansas I-70 Association coordinator to discuss the organization’s upcoming magazine ads.
• Reference call with Minnesota tourism director to share our experience with our new outdoor digital kiosk.

Seelye Mansion

Wednesday

• Gather quotes and prepare a proposal for the City Commission to install new benches downtown to serve travellers.
• Call Kansas Department of Revenue to gather March 2021 Transient Guest Tax Collections. Add data to the budget and spend time evaluating where we are for the year and how to manage the rest of the year’s projects.
• Answer phone calls and visitors to Travel Information Center. Most questions involve explaining what is open right now.
• Contact all tourism attractions to request more brochures.
• Participate in Kansas Tourism’s virtual huddle to discuss tourism happenings throughout the state.
• Call with signage company to solicit RPF for new and much-needed directional signage project to make visiting Abilene easier.
• Phone call with U.S. Senator Jerry Moran to discuss the continued COVID-19 closure of the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum and its effect on our local economy.

Thursday

• Host Midwest Travel Writer who will write stories and make social media posts about our community
• Plan activities for National Travel & Tourism Week
• Answer phone calls and visitors to Travel Information Center. Most questions involve explaining what is open right now.
• Request RFP from photographers to update photo library for usage on website and social media
• Mail 27 visitor information request packets to inquiries throughout the United States
• Talk with neighbouring tourism director about another hosted travel writer

Friday

• Answer phone calls and visitors to Travel Information Center. Most questions involve explaining what is open right now.
• Submit purchase orders for bills
• Send Travel Information Center update to a local newspaper.
• Update Google listing
• Plan and schedule social media posts for the following week
• Edit video for upcoming May 1 events
• Write and schedule bi-monthly e-newsletter

*This week, visitors to Abilene’s Travel Information Center are from Florida, Arizona, Nebraska, Texas, Kentucky, Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

A typical week involves:

• 40% Content creation – press releases, radio interviews, website updates, blog posts, and social media content creation
• 30% Travel Information Center / visitors questions – due to COVID-19, we cut all additional staff so I also staff our visitors centre to answer questions and mail information
• 10% Partnerships – We are a member of several tourism marketing partnerships
• 20% Community presence – While our customers are not Abilene residents, it’s important for the residents and business community to see what we’re doing

Visit Abilene kiosk

Pros

• Travelers are normally happy and positive, after all, they are on vacation. I LOVE that daily dose of positivity about my community and wish I could bottle it to share with our residents and businesses.
• I also love the ability to create. When I reach a creative roadblock, I pivot to another project. When I’m feeling inspired, I have the freedom to run with it.
• I love the challenge of learning new technology and tactics to connect with our audiences.

Cons

• Our funding depends on “heads in beds”. If people aren’t spending the night, we don’t have a budget. It’s a challenge to budget and plan during uncertain times. However – we are in a much better situation than many tourism organizations around the country. We will survive this storm.
• Our hands (and budget) are tied right now by the federal government and its COVID closure of our community’s largest tourism attraction – The Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum. All of these out-of-state visitors are coming to Abilene to see the Library and I have to explain why it is closed.
• Unlike businesses or nonprofits, we haven’t been able to access stimulus money. Our job is to market Abilene, but our funds are limited to execute.

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