Whether it’s for pork chops on a stick, country music concerts or the wild rides, hundreds of thousands of Iowans will make the trek to Des Moines over the next 11 days for the Iowa State Fair. Nancy Landess, director of the Iowa Division of Tourism, says many people don’t realize the impact of this single, massive event. It is the largest tourism event in Iowa, which last year drew more than one-million visitors to central Iowa. Landess expects a repeat in the attendance landmark this year, “as long as the weather cooperates.” Landess says fairgoers this year will notice a brand new Iowa Tourism building near the southwest corner of the fairgrounds. She says there’ll be 30 different exhibitors from all over the state. Landess says new tourism numbers indicate more people are visiting Iowa than ever before.During July, Iowa’s 21 welcome centers saw a nine-percent increase in visitors, compared to last July. Landess says travelers are staying closer to home, they want to be able to drive to their destinations and they want a good value — all things she says Iowa provides. For more details, visit “www.traveliowa.com”.