When we began working with the Nebraska Tourism Commission, the state had been ranked dead last for the most desirable state to visit for four years in a row. In a crowded market, no one was listening. Clearly we needed to change the conversation. In fact, to sell Nebraska, we needed to stop selling and just tell the truth: “Nebraska: Honestly, it’s not for everyone.” It’s working. In the 2020 Portrait of American Travelers, Nebraska moved up three positions in the ranking for travel desirability, a very significant change in only two years. And whad’ya know? Real people are really showing interest in and really visiting Nebraska. Nebraska set all-time records for lodging tax collections in 2018 and 2019. In the month of June 2019 alone, visitors spent more than $88 million on lodging in the state.