| Formal Name: | Nebraska Tourism Commission |
| Contact Person: | Heather Hogue, Deputy Director & Grant Administrator, 301 Centennial Mall S, 1st Floor, Lincoln, NE 68509-8907, 402-471-3774 |
| Purpose: | The purpose of the commission is to:1. Administer the Nebraska Visitors Development Act;2. Prepare and approve a budget;3. Elect a chairperson and vice-chairperson;4. Procure and evaluate data and information necessary for the proper administration of the act;5. Appoint an executive director to conduct the day-to-day operations of the Commission;6. Establish a means by which any interested person has the opportunity at least annually to offer his or her ideas and suggestions relative to the Commissions duties for the upcoming year;7. Approve the budget request as presented by the Executive Director prior to submitting to the Governor and Legislature;8. Keep minutes of its meetings and other books and records which clearly reflect all of the actions and transactions of the Commission and keep such records open to examination during normal business hours; and9. Prohibit any funds appropriated to the Commission from being expended directly or indirectly to promote or oppose any candidate for public office or to influence state or federal legislation.10. Develop a program to provide promotional services and technical assistance to local governments and industry members and to ensure the protection and development of Nebraskas attraction resources.11. The Commission shall develop and maintain a statewide strategic plan to cultivate and promote tourism in Nebraska.12. The Commission will monitor and represent the interests of the tourism industry while serving the citizens of Nebraska.Mission Statement: The mission of the Nebraska Tourism Commission is to expand Nebraskas 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. |
| How Many Affectable: | Not applicable |
| How Many Served: | Not applicable |
| Year Created: | 2012 |
| Year Active: | 2012 |
| Sunset Date: | NA |
| Authorization Citation: | Nebraska Revised Statutes Section 81-3710 |
| Parent Agency: | Not applicable |
| Number Of Members: | 9 (nine) |
| Who Appoints: | Governor |
| Legislative Approval: | Yes |
| Qualifications Of Members: | 1. One representative from the Game and Parks Commission;2. One representative from the Nebraska Travel Association;3. One representative from the Nebraska Hotel and Motel Association;4. One representative from a tourism attraction that records at least two thousand out-of-state visitors per year;5. One representative from the Nebraska Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus;6. One representative from the Western Nebraska Tourism Coalition;7. One representative who resides in eastern Nebraska and is employed by a business that derives a majority of its revenue from out-of-state visitors;8. One representative from the Central Nebraska Tourism Partnership; and9. One representative of a business that derives a majority of its revenue from out-of-state visitors. |
| Per Diem: | No |
| Expense Reimbursement: | Yes |
| Term Length: | Four years |
| Terms Rotate or Expire At Once: | Terms Rotate |
| Required FY 13-14: | 0 |
| Held FY 13-14: | 5 |
| Required FY 14-15: | 0 |
| Held FY 14-15: | 5 |
| Required FY 15-16: | 0 |
| Held FY 15-16: | 9 |
| Support Staff: | Yes |
| Shared or Separate: | Separate |
| FY 13-14 Budget: | $1,176,568 |
| FY 14-15 Budget: | $1,417,288 |
| FY 15-16 Budget: | $1,482,716 |
| Other Funding Sources: | Yes, State Visitors Promotion Cash Fund- (Lodging tax) LB 81-3715 and 81-3714. Hotel; occupancy; sales tax. |
| Spending Authority: | Yes, the Nebraska Tourism Commission advises and allocates the State Visitors Promotion Cash fund to be appropriated between the financial needs of the agencys programs. |
| Since July 1, 2012: | Since the agencys creation in 2012, much has been accomplished over the last four years: Printed and distributed the annual Nebraska Travel Guides. Enhanced the VisitNebraska.com website to make it more user friendly for 225,000+ users. Surpassed our social media goals in 2015 by increasing our Facebook fans by 35% over the year before, while Twitter followers also grew for @NebraskaTourism from 8,000 to 9,671 followers. Pinterest, YouTube and Instagram also saw growth and increased engagement in 2015. Completed the most successful year as far as program participation to date for the Nebraska Passport Program. Hosted numerous media tours each year exposing national travel writers to many of the states top attractions. Garnered major national press in popular outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Miami Herald, The Des Moines Register, The Minneapolis Star Tribune, AAA Journeys, Hemispheres Magazine, MSN.com, USAToday.com, Meetings Focus and many more. Reached millions of TV viewers across the country via paid commercial time and partnerships with national production companies for events such as the Big Ten Baseball Tournament, The College World Series and Husker sporting events broadcast on Big Ten Network (BTN), Husker Sports and other major networks.State Lodging Tax collections shows an upward trend in hotel stays and visitation and continue to grow at an average of rate of 6.8% yearly since the Commission became an agency.In order to maintain an international standard of excellence and consistency of performance, including professionalism of best practices, the Nebraska Tourism Commission applied and became an accredited DMO through the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP) in 2013.Updated the 2012 strategic plan with a final draft being approved in 2016. Increased staff from three to 12 FTE personnel including Administrative Assistant, Marketing Manager, Passport Program Coordinator, Eco Tourism Consultant, Public Information Officer, Business Development Consultants and an Accountant II. Tourism Commission ProgramsEventsOther: Nebraska Tourism Serves, Nebraska Passport Program and Booklets, Summer Travel Counselors Program, NTC Annual Report, Bi-annual Nebraska Travel Guides, Community Impact Grant, Tourism Marketing Grant, Media Tours, Media Kit, Nebraska Calendar, AgriEco Tourism Conference, Nebraska Travel Conference, Industry Educational Webinars, VisitNebraska.com, NEBTOUR listserv, National Tourism Week Town Hall Meetings, Commissioner Meetings, Brochure Swap, Nebraska Travel Impacts Report 2003-2012, Update Strategic Plan 2016 and the Senators Luncheon. |