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| Midwest Tourism Association | |
|---|---|
| Name | Midwest Tourism Association |
| Formation | 20th century |
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Headquarters | Midwest United States |
| Region served | Midwestern United States |
| Purpose | Tourism promotion, destination development, industry advocacy |
Midwest Tourism Association is a regional nonprofit organization focused on advancing travel, hospitality, and destination development across the Midwestern United States. It operates as a membership-based body that provides advocacy, professional development, and marketing support to destination marketing organizations, attractions, lodging operators, and transportation stakeholders. The association collaborates with municipal authorities, state tourism offices, national parks, and cultural institutions to coordinate regional strategies and research.
The association traces roots to postwar regional coalitions and civic improvement groups that paralleled initiatives such as Works Progress Administration-era projects, Tennessee Valley Authority-style regional planning, and statewide efforts like those led by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Ohio Department of Development. Early board members included municipal convention bureau directors associated with cities like Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, and Saint Paul, Minnesota. In subsequent decades the organization engaged with federal programs such as the Economic Development Administration and partnered with national institutions including the Smithsonian Institution and the National Park Service on heritage tourism, connecting sites like Gettysburg National Military Park, National Mall, and Mount Rushmore National Memorial to Midwestern itineraries. The association responded to crises shaping tourism policy from the 1973 oil crisis to the 2008 financial crisis and public-health events such as responses coordinated with state health agencies following the 2009 swine flu pandemic and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Governance has historically combined representation from metropolitan convention and visitors bureaus, state tourism offices, and private-sector companies including major hotel chains and attraction operators. The association's structure mirrors nonprofit governance models used by organizations like the U.S. Travel Association, the American Hotel & Lodging Association, and the National Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus. Boards typically include leaders from municipal governments such as Minneapolis, Columbus, Ohio, and Indianapolis as well as executives from companies like Hilton Worldwide, Marriott International, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, and regional airlines such as Southwest Airlines and United Airlines. Committees coordinate with institutions like the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, and cultural partners including the Art Institute of Chicago and the Field Museum of Natural History.
The association offers destination development programs modeled after initiatives from entities like the National Trust for Historic Preservation and professional education comparable to curricula from Cornell University School of Hotel Administration and the George Washington University School of Business executive education. Services include crisis management toolkits aligned with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sustainability certification efforts similar to those promoted by the Green Key Global program, and grant navigation for funding sources such as the National Endowment for the Arts, the Economic Development Administration, and state tourism grants administered by offices like the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Technical assistance covers topics ranging from transportation access in partnership with the Great Lakes Commission to outdoor recreation linkages with the Appalachian Regional Commission and the National Park Service.
Membership spans destination marketing organizations from urban cores like Detroit, Chicago, Cincinnati, and St. Louis to county and regional bureaus serving areas such as the Ozarks, Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and the Driftless Area. Corporate partners include hospitality companies such as Choice Hotels International, InterContinental Hotels Group, and attraction operators like Six Flags and SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. Educational affiliates include partnerships with institutions such as Indiana University Bloomington, University of Michigan, Ohio State University, and Purdue University for workforce training and research. Strategic alliances extend to transportation partners like Amtrak and state departments of transportation in Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan.
The association convenes annual conferences and trade shows that attract professionals from organizations including the U.S. Travel Association, the International Association of Convention Centres, and state-level tourism conferences such as those hosted by the Illinois Office of Tourism and the Ohio Travel Association. Programming features case studies from major events and venues like NCAA Final Four host cities, convention centers such as McCormick Place and Cobo Center, and festival organizers behind events like Lollapalooza, Taste of Chicago, and the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Workshops often include panels with leaders from cultural sites such as the Walker Art Center, the Cincinnati Museum Center, and performing arts institutions like the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
The association commissions and disseminates economic-impact studies paralleling work by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, and academic researchers from University of Wisconsin–Madison and University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign. Reports quantify visitor spending, tax revenues, and employment metrics across sectors represented by the American Hotel & Lodging Association and the National Restaurant Association. Research also analyzes trends driven by international markets such as arrivals from Canada, United Kingdom, and Mexico, and by domestic feeder markets linked to megapolitan regions including New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C..
Marketing initiatives include cooperative campaigns with state tourism offices like the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and regional branding efforts similar to national campaigns run by the National Park Service and VisitBritain. Digital marketing strategies draw on platforms such as Google and Facebook (now Meta Platforms), and partnerships with online travel agencies like Expedia Group, Booking Holdings, and Tripadvisor to amplify Midwestern destinations. The association also leverages cultural icons and heritage routes paralleling the Route 66 corridor, Great Lakes maritime history with links to Pere Marquette port narratives, and culinary trails showcasing producers featured in programs by the James Beard Foundation.
Category:Tourism in the Midwestern United States