WICHITA, Kan. — According to the 2014 Skift report, “The Rise of Experiential Travel,” there is a demand globally for travel experiences that resonate on a deeper emotional level. Based on rising demand from consumers for more authentic, adventurous and engaging travel experiences, destination marketing organizations are marketing themselves as an experience versus a product. Visit Wichita not only understands this trend, but is reflecting it in their current marketing campaign, “Making the Most of Every Moment.”
To help visitors start building their own collection of memorable moments in Wichita, Visit Wichita is taking travelers beyond the guidebook to experience different cultures and ways of life through crafts, natural history, culture, connecting to wildlife and others.
Visit Wichita has partnered with nine area attractions to launch these kinds of unique encounters, called “Wichita Experiences.” These experiences include a variety of immersive, engaging and exclusive adventures at Botanica Wichita, City Arts, Old Cowtown Museum, Exploration Place, Mid-America All-Indian Center, Museum of World Treasures, Sedgwick County Zoo, Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum and Tanganyika Wildlife Park.
At the Museum of World Treasures, the experience, “Unlocking the Stories,” includes an interactive tour to see, smell, touch and hear the history surrounding some of the museum’s most special artifacts. Participants get a behind-the-scenes look at what is currently being researched in the curatorial work room as well as artifacts that are not on display. And finally, participants in the experience get to become the curator in a white glove, hands-on session.
Tanganyika Wildlife Park’s “Behind the Scenes at Tanganyika” provides up-close-and-personal animal encounters with either the park’s rare okapi or playful penguins. Participants can touch and feed the okapi or join the penguins in Trouble Maker’s Cove – and even take home a painting done by a penguin.
“Our city showcases beauty, history, culture and much more,” said Susie Santo, president and CEO of Visit Wichita. “The possibilities to immerse yourself in Wichita through Visit Wichita’s signature experiences are as diverse as the cowboys of the past to the entrepreneurs and innovators of the future.”
Other Wichita Experiences include:
- Botanica Wichita, “Sense of Nature”: Immerse yourself in the Chinese garden to honor Wichita’s sister city Kaifeng, China.
- City Arts, “Expressive Arts Experience”: Unleash your creative energy and design your own personal totem to connect you to your core energy and confidence.
- Old Cowtown Museum, “Boom or Bust, Taking a Chance on Wichita”: Encounter three pioneering citizens who contributed to the creation and development of Wichita in its early days.
- Exploration Place, “Piloting Innovation”: Discover Wichita’s global impact from aviation to architecture. Pilot a drone, explore the pathways to invention and unleash your innovative spirit in CreatorSpace.
- Mid-America All-Indian Center, “Walking in Two Worlds: Blackbear Bosin & the Keeper of the Plains”: Uncover the history of native peoples, learn about the powwow traditions and enjoy a hands-on fry bread experience. Discover how Blackbear Bosin, an Indian from the Kiowa and Comanche tribes united a community with his iconic Keeper of the Plains monument.
- Sedgwick County Zoo, “Wild Expeditions”: Be inspired and amazed during your backstage look at the Zoo.
- Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, “The Spirit of Wichita”: Connect with the enterprising spirit of Wichita’s people who turned an outpost on the Plains into a major American city. Participants will even meet one of them through a first-person interpretation.
The destination marketing organization partnered with Joe Veneto, “The Opportunities Guy” to create the signature experiences, which are available to group travelers – conventions, meetings, reunions, wedding parties and more – and also leisure travelers at select times.
Availability and pricing varies; visit www.visitwichita.com/Experiences for more information.
###
About Visit Wichita
Visit Wichita markets the greater Wichita area as a major convention and tourism destination, thereby enhancing the economic development of the city, county, region and state. Visit Wichita is led by president and CEO Susie Santo, and in 2016 travel and tourism contributed more than $1 billion in economic impact to the greater Wichita area.
