Nebraska Travel Association

Education

For more information regarding educational services, contact Renee Seifert, Grand Island and Hall County CVB, 308-382-4400

Idea Logic Marketing Concepts, Front Line Training, 308-539-2459

Resources

Nebraska Division of Travel & Tourism

County Lodging Tax in Nebraska Summary

County Lodging Tax in Nebraska Statutes

Employment in Leisure & Hospitality

Regional Tourism Organizations

Northeast Nebraska Travel Council
The Outback Initiative
South Platte United Chambers of Commerce
Southeast Nebraska Tourism Council
Western Nebraska Tourism Coalition

State Organizations

Nebraska Governor's Office
Nebraska Department of Economic Development
Nebraska Department of Roads
Nebraska Game & Parks
Nebraska Association of County Offiicials

Nebraska Industry Organizations

Nebraska Arts Council
Nebraska Association of Bed & Breakfasts
Nebraska Association of Convention and Visitors Bureau
Nebraska Historical Society
Nebraska Hotel/Motel Association
Nebraska Restaurant Association
Nebraska Scenic Byways
Nebraska Winery & Grape Growers Association
Grow Nebraska

National Organizations

American Bus Association
Bank Travel
Group Leaders of America (GLAMER)
National Tour Association
National Scenic Byways Program
Travel and Tourism Research Association
Travel Industry Association of America

Research

Tourism is Nebraska’s third-largest earner of revenue from outside the state after agriculture and manufacturing.

Travelers spent almost $3.3 billion in Nebraska during 2006 on trips away from home with overnight stays in paid accommodations and on day trips to places 100 miles or more away. Annual spending in Nebraska on these trips has almost doubled since 1990.

Over 42,000 jobs are attributable to travel spending in Nebraska.

Each dollar spent by tourists in Nebraska is respent in the state to produce an additional $1.70 in business and income, creating an overall economic impact of $2.70.

Nebraskans and visitors to Nebraska together made 19.4 million trips in the state in 2006 to destinations 100 miles or more away from home. For trips by visitors, the leading states of origin were, in order, Kansas, Iowa, Colorado, Missouri, South Dakota, Illinois, and Minnesota.

The average nonresident traveling party visiting Nebraska by highway during the summer consists of 2.4 persons who stay 2.2 nights in the state and spend $420. Over a third of the nonresident traveling parties go to attractions or events, and for each attraction or event visited, they average a half-day longer in Nebraska, spending an additional $97.

Among the nationally recognized and/or best attended Nebraska attractions in 2006 were: Agate Fossil Beds National Monument (13,500), Arbor Day Farm (45,000), Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park (16,000), Boys Town (179,368), Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park (53,387), Carhenge (65,000), Eugene T. Mahoney State Park (1,050,600), Fort Robinson State Park (359,708), Great Platte River Road Archway Monument (78,000), Harlan County Lake (491,545), Hastings Museum/Lied Super Screen Theatre (70,076), Indian Cave State Park (154,970), Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo (1,283,647), Joslyn Art Museum (224,425), Lake McConaughy State Recreation Area (808,000), Museum of the Fur Trade (42,553), Platte River State Park (598,392), Ponca State Park (697,732), Scotts Bluff National Monument (98,352), State Capitol (88,988—tours only), Strategic Air and Space Museum (175,937), Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer (65,815), and University of Nebraska State Museum (57,951).

Over 60 percent of the nonresidents visiting Nebraska during the summer stay at hotels or motels. The state has over 28,000 hotel, motel, and bed and breakfast rooms, which had an average annual occupancy rate of 58 percent in 2006 and offered the nation’s 6th lowest average room costs.

The total budget of the Nebraska Travel and Tourism Division in Fiscal Year 2006-07 was approximately $6.3 million, compared to an average of $15.3 million among all state travel offices. A one-percent lodging tax provides much of the revenue for the Division “to generally promote, encourage, and attract visitors to and within the State of Nebraska and enhance the use of travel and tourism facilities within the state.”

At the end of 2006, 68 of Nebraska’s 93 counties had lodging taxes to collect revenues for promoting local travel and tourism. Including the highest concentrations of hotels, motels, and campgrounds in Nebraska, these 68 counties have almost 97 percent of the state’s total commercial lodging sales. In addition, at least 7 Nebraska cities have occupation taxes on lodging sales, with most using the proceeds for attraction development.