Shipshewana awarded Destination of the Year.
During the Midwest Travel Network’s Conference, members voted for a variety of prestigious annual awards. For the first time, Shipshewana was awarded Destination of the Year.
For 2024 the winners are:
Destination of the Year: Visit Shipshewana
FAM Trip of the Year: Visit Fairfield
Rising Star of the Year: Erin Huiatt of Des Moines Parent
Destination Partner of the Year: Visit Fort Dodge
Collaboration of the Year: Brandy Gleason of Gleason Family Adventures
Best Social Media Campaign (Destination): Clear Lake, Iowa
Best Social Media Campaign (Blogger): Melody Pittman of Wherever I May Roam Blog
Blogger of the Year: Nicole Marie Kringstad of The Midwest Millennial
The Destination of the Year is chosen based on the destination that everyone seems to be talking about within MTN, and in the last year, Shipshewana has been at the top of that list.
Because the purpose of Visit Shipshewana, or the Shipshewana/LaGrange County Convention & Visitor’s Bureau (CVB) is promotion of the area as a travel destination, the award is an incredible step forward and wonderful validation of all of the hard work of the CVB director, staff and partners, the organization said in a release.
“Visit Shipshewana welcomed members of our network throughout the year and quickly showed up on the radar of hundreds of people within MTN,” said Sara Broers, co-owner of the Midwest Travel Network. “The willingness and extra mile that Sonya Nash and her team took to make all of these visits happen, speaks volumes to Visit Shipshewana’s dedication to tourism. Therefore, they earned the 2024 Destination of The Year Award for the Midwest Travel Network.”
The success of the MTN’s Annual Conference and of the CVB is also due to the Blue Gate Garden Inn, the Farmstead Inn & Conference Center, the Blue Gate Performing Arts Center, the Shipshewana Flea Market, everyone at Davis Mercantile, Cook’s Bison Ranch, the small business owners, the tour guides, the restauranteurs, the Amish homemakers and craftspeople, and so many more, the release said. It’s also important to mention the small but dedicated staff at the Visit Shipshewana/LaGrange County CVB who’ve worked countless hours for almost a year to make sure that the MTN Annual Conference was a success.
“To be selected as the 2024 Destination of the Year is truly an honor and a real confirmation that Shipshewana and LaGrange County are special places to live AND to visit,” said CVB Executive Director Sonya Nash. “This could not have been accomplished without the availability of amazing local locations and experiences, as well as the input and collaboration of our partners.
“It proves that with teamwork and Hoosier Hospitality, there’s nothing that can’t be accomplished. Shipshewana may be a small town, but it can do big things, and do them well.”
