(Spirit Lake)– Earlier we told you about the economic impact tourism had statewide in Iowa in 2025. Kylie Zankowski of Vacation Okoboji and Okoboji Tourism says the strong numbers in that report carried over to the Iowa Great Lakes as well…
“We had another really strong year for tourism here in the Iowa Great Lakes. We only saw a point one decrease in our money spent from visitors here in the Iowa Great Lakes, so $241.38 million dollars was spent in 2025 directly related to tourism.”
Zankowski says that has a ripple effect throughout the local economy…
“So those dollars are spent here at the local businesses which support the workers, the owners, and then they always say, you know, at least 50 percent of those dollars stay here locally. They support our schools; they support our students, our clubs, our nonprofits. And so really all of that money that’s spent here locally makes such a big impact in our community in so many different ways.”
When compared with other areas of Iowa, Zankowski says the Iowa Great Lakes continues to rank extremely high as a destination…
“You know it’s really amazing when you look at the share of the state percentage reports. Most of our counties are about point one percent or point two percent, and we’re three point two percent, which is the fifth highest county in the state of Iowa. That’s really something for our community to be really proud of. When you think about the fact that again, we only have around 18,000 full time residents here in Dickinson county and we welcome around a million visitors every single year. It’s something to be really, really proud of.”
Zankowski adds even though the numbers are strong, their efforts of marketing the Iowa Great Lakes are ongoing, especially when it comes to promoting the shoulder seasons…
“You know hunting, fishing, exploring, relaxation, camps. We have so much for people to enjoy here and we want people to continue to come to our area and choose it as a place for their family to vacation no matter the time of year.”
Zankowski adds they are grateful to the business community and others who make the Iowa Great Lakes welcoming to visitors.
