Officials with the Iowa Tourism Office and the Travel Federation of Iowa presented 27 awards recognizing excellence in the tourism industry Thursday night (Oct. 22nd), in Fairfield, during the 2015 Iowa Tourism Conference. Carla Eysink, president of the Travel Federation of Iowa, said “The Iowa Tourism Awards are the highest honor given in our state’s tourism industry The winners are truly the best of the best.”

Awards to both metro and rural areas were made in 13 award categories. In addition, conference attendees voted for the People’s Choice Award; nominees were the second-highest scoring nominations in 12 of the categories.

In the category of “Outstanding Attraction,” the Hard Rock Hotel in Casino, in Sioux City, won the award in the Metro communities division. Manning’s “Kinderfest” event won an award for “Outstanding Event” in the rural division. Among the persons receiving an “Outstanding Individual Leader” awards, was Cindy Thompson, with the Pottawattamie County Conservation Board (Metro division), and Jay Hartz, with the Hotel Pattee, in Perry (rural division). The Hotel Pattee also won the “Outstanding Niche Marketing Initiative” award in the rural division.

The annual Iowa Tourism Conference brings together nearly 300 industry representatives from across the state to network, attend educational sessions and discuss emerging industry trends. Officials say tourism in Iowa generates more than $8 billion in expenditures, employs 66,500 people statewide and generates $374 million in state taxes.