Tourism trends over the last couple decades and the aftermath of the pandemic were discussed at the Washington County Board of Supervisors’ meeting Tuesday.

Washington Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Michelle Redlinger and Kalona Historical Village and Museum Managing Director Nancy Roth discussed with the supervisors how tourism was one of the largest economic sectors that was hit by the pandemic, though with travel restrictions the number of road trips in Iowa is higher than it was prepandemic, and hotel/motel tax revenue statewide has returned to its 2019 level. Redlinger and Roth shared how they work to promote tourism in their respective communities by working with regional and state tourism organizations and publications. Roth commented that Washington County is a “smaller fish” in comparison to other tourist destinations in the state, but she and Redlinger want to work with the supervisors to figure out how to boost tourism across the county as a whole, “People within our own community don’t know what we have but we have people in Shipshewana, Indiana that know, that’s what’s really sad is that we’re known in multiple states but we’re not known within our own community. That’s sad.”

For events and projects this year Roth mentioned that the historical village is campaigning to raise $300,000 for a streetscape exhibit inside the new Wahl Museum building constructed in 2016, and this year will be the 50th anniversary of their fall festival. This year also marks the 75th anniversary of Washington’s Ridiculous Day this June, and Redlinger mentioned the Chamber’s ongoing mini-barn quilt installation project led by the Washington Middle School Talented and Gifted program that will be exhibited during the Washington Summer Classic.