Iowa officials hope to see increase in tourism this Summer

The Memorial Day holiday ahead marks the unofficial start of summer and Iowa may be seeing more visitors than usual during the hot months. Nancy Landess, director of the Iowa Tourism Office, says a new national travel trends report predicts a rise in summer vacationers.Landess says air travel is still lagging after the nine-eleven terrorist attacks, which is actually a good thing for tourism destinations in the Hawkeye State.She says gasoline is still affordable and not as high-priced as last year, so on a tank of gas, people can travel closer to home and enjoy the many options in Iowa. Landess says Iowa now has 21 “welcome centers” where people can learn about the state’s attractions, events and lodging.Nationwide, summer travel is expected to increase two-percent from last year. For more information on vacation destinations in Iowa, surf to “www.traveliowa.com”. Landess named two new points of interest in the state: the nation’s largest working windmill that’s now spinning in Pella and Music Man Square which formally opens next weekend in Mason City, honoring composer and local son Meredith Willson.