AMANA, Iowa- The Iowa Tourism Office and the Travel Federation of Iowa presented 27 awards recognizing excellence in the tourism industry on October 22nd in Fairfield during the 2015 Iowa Tourism Conference.
"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."
Awards to both metro and rural areas were made in 13 award categories.
The Amana Colonies won for Outstanding Community and again for Outstanding New Event with Wurst Festival which was held this past June.
The Amana Colonies ranks as one of the state's premier attractions and plays host to 800,000 to 1 million visitors each year. The combination of a unique culture and history along with events, culinary traditions, and unique shops and handcrafted items are some of the reasons Amana Colonies annually ranks at the top of the Iowa tourism scene.
The Wurst Festival attracted 1,500 people in its first year. The event centered on sausages and local sausage makers along with Wurst University which offered the "Wurst education in Iowa". The date for next year's Wurst Festival is June 18, 2016.
For a complete list of upcoming activities and events visit www.amanacolonies.com or call 319.622.7622
