Abilene's tourism in 2023: 'an amazing year'

Mar. 28—Despite transient tax revenue decreasing by a couple thousand dollars, Abilene had many tourist and marketing accomplishments in 2023, and Julie Roller Weeks, director of the Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau, had her most successful professional year.

"Other towns across the state are envious of Abilene and just sing our praise of all the good things we have going on," Weeks said.

2023 recap

For media accolades, USA Today named Abilene the second best historic small town last year, the third time in a row Abilene has made the top of the list. True West Magazine also named Abilene as a top 10 western town. Website Travel Awaits labeled Abilene as the best U.S. small town and the World's Largest Belt Buckle as the best U.S. roadside attraction.

"I see other towns touting these wonderful stories about their community, 'oh look we made the top 10 best towns to visit on a sunny day with the sidewalks downtown.' Just wonky stuff, and they are sharing it far and wide, but it's all AI," Weeks said. "Whereas, the rewards that we received come from actual people who have brains and thought, who have looked at the competition."

Weeks collaborated with other cities to establish a couple of trails through town. The Gunsmoke Trail that goes through Dodge City, Hays, Wichita and Abilene to commemorate and show locations in the Emmy award winning television show "Gunsmoke." Weeks said an app will be released in a month or so to add to the trail experience. Abilene also has several gravel trails on Gravel Kansas, a website that promotes routes for cyclists looking for gravel trails.

Weeks said she also created new marketing pieces and updated their photo library.

'The best thing I can do to promote Abilene is to have good photos," she said.

The bureau also helped launch the Little Town of Mansions website which lists historic homes that are part of the Heritage Homes Association.

Abilene had other tourism and promotional achievements and successes this year. Weeks said so many good things happened last year that she could not narrow the list down to 10 items in her annual report.

"Ultimately, our goal is to get people to Abilene, and so trying to spend our dollars marketing Abilene to get people here is what we're doing," Weeks said. "I think it is working, we just need to get new hotels open. We need more rooms to be able to sell."

Revenue down

Abilene's transient guest tax revenue is still down from pre-COVID pandemic numbers. The revenue in 2023, $169,287, also decreased by $3,458 from 2022. Weeks speculated the drop is from the lack of restaurants open during the weekends.

"That's what we hear from travelers, 'Hey we came to your community. There were not a lot of options for dinner, and so we went to Salina, we went to Junction City, and we continued our trip.' We do not want to be the day trip town," she said. "That's great for our tourism attractions to have people, but we need to create that overnight."

According to her traveler data, Weeks said the busiest days in Abilene are Monday through Friday.

2024

Weeks is looking forward to a few big things this year. The first is the completion of the Holiday Inn's expansion, which is currently expected to be complete this summer.

"I've got to do some previews, and it's going to be absolutely amazing for a town of 6,500 people, to have such a quality facility being built in our community. It will be the nicest place to stay on I-70," Weeks said.

The Abilene Smoky Valley Railroad is expanding their dinner trains this year, which will fill in a little of Abilene's lack of weekend dining options.

"Maybe we just have to rethink the way we're offering food to visitors, and that's (A&SV) dinner trains) one way to do it at a tourism attraction."

Abilene may be getting a new dine-in option this year with Racket's Taphouse, a bar project led by Abilene native Trevor Witt. She also hopes Legacy Kansas will expand its dining experience this year.

Weeks said she is working with the Abilene Public Library to bring a traveling art exhibit to Abilene. She is also excited for the Eisenhower Foundation's project to paint Abilene's tallest mural on the Bert & Wetta silo.

She is also hearing group tours are gradually returning from their almost non-existence during COVID.

The Central Kansas Free Fair is also celebrating the 100th anniversary this year.

"New things are going on in Abilene. You can't look around and go, 'Oh everything looks the same.' No it doesn't. We are adding things. We're improving things."

The Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau can be reached at 785-263-2231 and is located at the Abilene Civic Center at 201 NW Second Street.