Image courtesy Kansas Tourism

Kansas Tourism has won the Gold Award in the State Bridging Communities category for its popular Sunflower Summer program. The award, given by the U.S. Travel Association at the 2025 ESTO Conference in Phoenix, honors tourism initiatives that connect communities and encourage travel.

Jordan Romerman, Deputy Director of Kansas Tourism, said the program is one of a kind.

“The amazing thing about our Sunflower Summer Program is that it really is a standout program from the ground up. Passport programs like this are relatively common within the tourism industry, but when you look at other like projects, many times they’re not free for participants to participate in. With Sunflower Summer, we are talking about a free-to-use program that allows people to get into attractions for free. So, from the ground up, this is really a pretty revolutionary program that is a unique benefit to Kansas residents.”

The Sunflower Summer program has received previous recognition as well, including Best Local Impact Campaign at the 2025 Etsy Awards. In 2024, the program saw more than 705,000 Kansas residents visit 223 participating attractions, showing its strong impact across the state.

More information about the Sunflower Summer program can be found at sunflowersummer.org.