Greene County Chamber members were honored Thursday evening when the Iowa Tourism Office and the Travel Federation of Iowa presented 27 awards recognizing excellence in the tourism industry during the 2015 Iowa Tourism Conference in Fairfield.
RVP~1875 Historical Furniture Shop of Jefferson received the award for Outstanding Retail Experience in the rural category. RVP~1875 was also runner-up in the Outstanding Attraction category. Artisan Robby Pedersen and his wife Angie own and operate RVP~1875. Angie Pedersen is also the Greene County Chamber’s tourism and events coordinator.
The 2015 award was the second for RVP~1875, as it was recognized as the 2013 Outstanding Tourism Business.
Hotel Pattee of Perry was recognized for the Outstanding Niche Marketing Initiative in the rural category. Jay Hartz, owner of the Hotel Pattee, was recognized as the Outstanding Individual Leader in the rural category. Hotel Pattee is a member of the Greene County Chamber.
“The Chamber is truly privileged to be partnered with RVP~1875 & Hotel Pattee in making this part of Iowa a widely-recognized, tourism destination,” Greene County Chamber president Omega Sang said. “We are also pleased to employ Angie Pedersen as our tourism and events coordinator. Her expertise is very beneficial to the promotion of our members.”
“Iowa is fortunate to have passionate people working hard every day to advance the tourism industry and grow the state’s economy,” said Shawna Lode, manager of the Iowa Tourism Office. “The Iowa Tourism Awards are a way to showcase those efforts and celebrate the successes of the past year.”
“The Iowa Tourism Awards are the highest honor given in our state’s tourism industry,” said Carla Eysink, president of the Travel Federation of Iowa. “The winners are truly the best of the best.”
The annual Iowa Tourism Conference brings together nearly 300 industry representatives from across the state to network, attend educational sessions and discuss emerging industry trends. Tourism in Iowa generates more than $8 billion in expenditures, employs 66,500 people statewide and generates $374 million in state taxes.
The Iowa Tourism Office is part of the Iowa Economic Development Authority. For more information about Iowa tourism, visit www.traveliowa.com
