23 Journalists and Travel Writers to Tour Central Nebraska
FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Kathy McKillip at 402-471-1558, or [email protected]
Angela White at 402-471-7755, or [email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
23 Journalists and Travel Writers to Tour Central Nebraska
LINCOLN, Neb. (March 19, 2015)—Parts of Central Nebraska will step into the national spotlight March 21-26, as the state plays host to a group of 23 journalists writing for national and regional media outlets. This will be the eleventh media tour sponsored by the Nebraska Tourism Commission. The tours are designed to show selected national media outlets what Nebraska has to offer visitors in various regions of the state.
This tour will focus mostly on birding opportunities in the state, including viewing the Sandhill Crane migration in the Central Platte River Valley, the Greater Prairie Chickens near McCook and the American White Pelicans at Harlan County Reservoir. In addition to birding, the journalists will tour museums, sample local restaurants, learn about famous Nebraska historical figures and much more. Cities featured in the tour include McCook, Kearney, Gothenburg, Republican City, Minden, Grand Island, Red Cloud, Henderson, York, Aurora, and Hastings.
The visiting journalists write for a wide variety of publications including Better Homes and Gardens, Reader’s Digest, Birds and Blooms, Bird Watcher’s Digest, Living Bird Magazine, Global Traveler Magazine, Western Art & Architecture, Calgary Herald, MSN.com, The Oklahoman, Winnipeg Free Press, Country Living, Forbes Life, Yahoo! Travel, The Toronto Star, Metro Journal, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, USA Today.com, Miami Herald, RV Life, Men’s Journal and more.
Some 230 journalists have visited Nebraska on the ten previous media tours, resulting in 540 articles or broadcast segments, which have appeared in media outlets including Midwest Living, Smithsonian, Latina Magazine, Better Homes & Gardens, Parade, USA Today's Go Escape magazine, Saveur, IN Magazine, American Cowboy, City Style and Living, Group Tour, Group Travel Leader, Canadian Geographic, Byways, Smart Meetings, Short Escapes, Huffington Post, Texas Golfer, AAA Journeys, National Public Radio, Kansas City Star, Miami Herald, Nashville Tennessean, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Oklahoman, Fort Worth Star Telegram, Toronto Sun, Albuquerque Journal and the Coloradoan.
Some 280,452,362 potential visitors have been exposed to this coverage. If this editorial coverage had been purchased as paid advertising it would have cost more than $9.7 million. National and in-state tourism sponsors have provided more than $366,390.00 in goods and services including air transportation, lodging, meals and activities to support the Nebraska Tourism Commission's media tour program.
“Writers that participate in the media tours, experience the allure of Nebraska, which is comprised of nice moments, provided by authentic Nebraskans’. The tours have consistently generated outstanding earned media coverage, which has a high degree of credibility with consumers. The program currently has an ROI of $18.66 to every $1.00 spent, it’s been a great success for Nebraska.” said Kathy McKillip, Director of the Nebraska Tourism Commission.
Debbie Geiger of Geiger and Associates, who organizes the tours, commented, “We survey the journalists before they visit, and then again after the media tour, to assess how much their perceptions about Nebraska are affected by these editorial research experiences. Most of the journalists, who have visited on previous Nebraska media tours, had not been to the state before, have little idea about what to expect. After they visit, the journalists have responded with great surprise and very positive comments about Nebraska's diverse offerings and scenic beauty. In fact, a good number of the journalists have requested to come back on another media tour so that they can see more of the state.”
For more information about travel, events and unique destinations in Nebraska, order your free travel guide today at www.VisitNebraska.com. Then stay connected with Nebraska Tourism on our Visit Nebraska Facebook page, on Twitter, on Pinterest and on YouTube.
The mission of the Nebraska Tourism Commission is to expand Nebraska’s dynamic and diverse travel industry making it more viable by creating awareness, attracting increased visitors which results in greater tourism revenue and economic gain throughout the state. To learn more, go to www.VisitNebraska.com.
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