Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland announced Kansas Tourism received national recognition for its work on the Sunflower Summer program, which was named the Best Local Impact Campaign at the 2025 eTSY Awards. The honor was presented during the eTourism Summit, held April 22-24 in Las Vegas.
“The Sunflower Summer program is an investment in our young Kansans, highlighting for them all the great and exciting things to love and experience across our state,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “This program not only encourages exploration; it supports Kansas residents vacationing right here at home while showcasing our many quality attractions. We are grateful to be recognized on a national level and are excited to build on last year’s success.”
This award recognizes the outstanding success of the 2024 Sunflower Summer program, which provided Kansas families with school-aged children complimentary access to more than 200 attractions statewide. Nearly 500,000 tickets were redeemed – a 55% increase from the previous year. Tickets are claimed through the free Sunflower Summer app and redeemed at participating attractions upon arrival.
“The Sunflower Summer program has been extremely successful since its conception. It entices Kansans to travel around the state of Kansas and it promotes venues throughout the state on what Kansas has to offer,” Representative Troy Waymaster said. “This award only intensifies the success of the Sunflower Summer program, and I will always advocate for its continuation and the service it provides for our points of interest and Kansans.”
The eTSY Awards, organized by Informa Connect, celebrate excellence in digital tourism marketing by highlighting campaigns that demonstrate creativity, engagement and effectiveness in promoting travel and tourism. Presented annually at the eTourism Summit, these awards honor the most innovative and impactful digital marketing campaigns in the tourism industry.
“This award is a testament to the creativity, dedication and passion of the hardworking team that has brought this program to life for our residents,” Kansas Tourism Director Bridgette Jobe said. “Kansas is the only place in the nation with a program like Sunflower Summer, and while we were proud of what we accomplished in the 2024 season; we are looking forward to what the 2025 season will bring for our partner sites across Kansas.”
Thanks to bipartisan support from the Kansas Legislature, the popular Sunflower Summer program will return July 12 to August 3, 2025. For more information, visit the webpage here or download the Sunflower Summer app.
About Kansas Tourism:
The mission of Kansas Tourism is to inspire travel to and throughout Kansas to maximize the positive impacts that tourism has on our state and local communities. Kansas Tourism works hand in hand with other Commerce community programs to elevate and promote Kansas as a tourist destination. Kansas Tourism oversees all tourism marketing and PR for the state, produces travel publications and advertising, manages state Travel Information Centers, manages both the Kansas By-ways program and the Kansas Agritourism program, approves tourist signage applications, produces the KANSAS! Magazine, and provides financial and educational support to the tourism industry in Kansas through grants, education and support.