Rebuilding America: Officials shift Topeka tourism target to locals

The slogan "stay local, play local“ hasn’t been officially adopted by Topeka in its quest to stimulate the city’s tourism. But as the city and state slowly reopen and start to trend toward normalcy following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is a philosophy that city leaders are starting to fully embrace as a means of bridging the gap until widespread travel becomes commonplace again.

“Our normal reach is far and wide,” said Jessica Schenkel, vice president of Visit Topeka. “We know our persona, we know our target markets and we’re trying to reach them in every way possible. But we also know that right now people aren’t traveling across the country or even state to state. So we’ve changed our focus to reach out to those close around us.

“It has been fun to learn, adapt and grow with our partners on new ways to bring business to a community. We’ve had to change the way we operate, just like every other business.”

So instead of trying to recoup some of the lost tourism revenue through national means, Schenkel said, finding ways to attract regional and local visitors has become the focus. According to Arrivalist, which monitors visitors via mobile tracking data, travel within 50 miles is up 58.7% since last month.

Looking to take advantage of that trend, Schenkel said, Visit Topeka has been in talks with many surrounding communities in developing a shared plan for cross-promotion of travel and tourism. She said that in the coming weeks, a new program will be announced by Visit Topeka concerning its amended plan for tourism revenue.

“Our focus is on that regional travel, the day-trippers, and promoting those short trips people feel comfortable taking,” Schenkel said. “We’re working with county partners to come up with ways to cross-promote one another. We want to capitalize on what those numbers are showing and then act on that. It’s our local restaurants, shops, hotels and attractions putting together promotions and deals that we can share between other counties to promote travel between us. Right now it’s in the starting phases, but the groundwork has been laid.”

While trying to attract visitors from neighboring communities has become a focus, so too has making Topeka attractions more attractive to Topekans.

For much of the pandemic, museums and other attractions have remained empty. Exhibits, concerts and performances big and small have been canceled or postponed and sports facilities have laid dormant, little more than fields of dreams.

But as each start to reopen to the public and events start to return, the goal is to be somewhat self-sufficient through those early phases.

“We’ve really strengthened our relationships with our contacts within the community as we’ve gone through this,” Schenkel said. “One thing that brings you together sometimes is suffering. It’s impacted every one of us in Topeka and Shawnee County.

“What studies are showing is that you feel more comfortable at your own backdoor first and then you’ll branch out further and further. Now is the time when these attractions open back up to show your support. Yes, they survive off of communities outside of ours, but our support now is going to carry them until that backing comes back.”

Before the onset of COVID-19 and the stay-at-home restrictions put in place by Gov. Laura Kelly and the Shawnee Country Health Department, Schenkel said Topeka had gained great momentum in its tourism push through efforts like Momentum 2022. A big part of that has come through the revitalization of the downtown.

While many of those businesses and attractions either were closed or functioned in a limited capacity, Vince Frye, president of Downtown Topeka Inc., said the momentum should be easy to recapture as the reopening occurs.

The Capitol annually attracts more than 100,000 visitors, while the emergence of popular downtown restaurants and bars and the recent construction of the Cyrus Hotel will continue to be staples as well.

In addition, Evergy Plaza has been completed and will serve as a new attraction downtown. The plaza features a 50-foot performance stage, 30-foot video board, ice skating rink, a light and music-programmed fountain and already has more than 200 events scheduled.

“Downtown is well-positioned for tourism post COVID-19,” Frye said. “Downtown hosts some of the area’s largest events, including parades, car shows and country, rock and jazz concerts attracting visitors from all over Kansas. Add to these attractions the new Evergy Plaza ... and you have a downtown that is unique, rapidly changing and positioned to be a popular area for tourists visiting our great community.”

VISITING TOPEKA VIRTUALLY

While many of the capital city’s tourism venues had to close at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Visit Topeka has helped several stay relevant by posting links to virtual tours and presentations on its website. You can find video and information on a number of local attractions, including:

• The Topeka Zoo

• Discovery Center

• Combat Air Museum

• Ward-Meade Historic Site

• Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site

• Museum of the Kansas National Guard

“One thing we’re really focused on is pushing out and sharing the messages our attractions are sending,” said Jessica Schenkel, vice president of Visit Topeka. “Every day their doors are closed, they’re losing dollars. Yet they’re still creating online programs and content to share with visitors at home. Visit Topeka is making sure we’re taking whatever they’re putting out there and pushing it even further beyond their reach.”