Travel and event business coming back to Des Moines

DES MOINES, Iowa -- The travel and event business in Des Moines is slowly coming back from the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The core of the travel business is people travelling on business trips, going to meetings, holding conventions and things like that. We're starting to see a little bit of brightness in that market, particularly in the next six to eight months" says Greg Edwards with Catch Des Moines.

The Des Moines metro area is seeing a return of big spring and summer events this after losing them for a year during the COVID pandemic, starting with next week's Dew Tour stop and Olympic skateboard Trial at the Lauridsen Skate Park.

"We'll be hosting the Principal Charity Classic--the senior PGA golf tournament--nor restrictions on that for attendance. We're going to host the World Pork Expo which is going to draw 10,000-plus people to the Iowa State Fairgrounds. Later in June we'll host our first-even Ironman Triathlon with 3,000-plus athletes," Edwards says.

He says people coming to town for conventions and other events bring a lot of money with them.

"You're going to buy gas, you're going to shop in grocery stores, you're going to probably buy something in a retail outlet, you're going to stay in a hotel or eat in a restaurant. Those dollars go a lot of different places and support a lot of jobs," Edwards says.

He says the travel industry in Des Moines took a big hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 80 percent of 20-thousand jobs lost.


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