Unless you have family or friends living in America’s Heartland, then you probably don’t spend much vacation time exploring Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma.
I will be the first to admit that I would have never considered spending a spring break from college in Kansas if it were not for the fact that my then boyfriend was living there at the time. What’s more, I sheepishly confess that I haven’t been back to the state since we split… more than 20 years ago.
Apparently, I’m not the only one who hasn’t set foot in the rural heartland in a while, at least according to tourism officials in Kansas and Oklahoma. Visitor bureau workers from both states recently announced that they have begun working together on a new campaign to attract more tourists to the area. And they’re not just appealing to families who live on the East and West Coasts; rather tourist officials are rolling out the red carpet for foreign visitors.
Earlier this summer a crew from Germany’s largest public television station, ARD, filmed a travel documentary in Kansas about the Santa Fe Trail. The documentary crew also shot footage at the Oklahoma City stockyard, Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center and the Kansas Underground Salt Museum in Hutchinson. The video is scheduled to debut on TV in Germany, Austria and Switzerland later this year.
The director of the Kansas Travel and Tourism Division is hoping the documentary will entice European travelers looking for authentic Old West experiences. Tourism officials are also hoping to promote Kansas as a special, “almost mythical, place in our nation’s history and culture” where foreigners can learn more about the American experience.
Despite the launch of the new high-tech campaign, tourism officials remain realistic. They are cognizant that rural states, such as Kansas and Oklahoma are secondary destination sites that must compete with glitzy states, including Florida, New York, and Las Vegas. Still, tourism officials remain steadfast in their commitment to sell their home states by offering visitors authentic “all-American experiences off the beaten track.”
If you live in the nation’s heartland, then you know better than anyone what the area has to offer. Travelers can explore small towns, local landmarks, and heritage sites. In addition, visitors can gamble, attend concerts, camp and hike. What’s more, you can buy a hamburger for a lot less in Kansas than in New York City.
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