(Grand Island, Neb.) Gov. Dave Heineman joined more than 200 tourism professionals at Nebraska's annual tourism awards banquet tonight at the Midtown Holiday Inn. The event capped the 30th Annual Nebraska Travel Conference, which is organized by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development’s Travel and Tourism Division and hosted by the Grand Island-Hall County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The Governor presented the following awards:

The 2005 Henry Fonda Award – The state’s highest tourism award for leadership, vision, and dedication to Nebraska tourism went to Roger Welsch. Welsch is a popular folklorist, humorist, and essayist who has written dozens of books and hundreds of articles about Nebraska’s history, culture, and folklore. Welsch was a regular guest who presented his “Postcard from Nebraska” on the CBS Sunday Morning Show with Charles Kuralt, who called Welsch “America’s premier storyteller.”  “From his lips, small-town life takes on the dignity of history,” Kuralt wrote. Welsch also hosted “Roger &….” on Nebraska Educational Television. Welsch, an adopted member of the Omaha Tribe, lives with his wife Linda near Dannebrog, where he continues to write and restore old tractors.

The Friend of Tourism Award – The Elgin Review received this Nebraska award for a business, organization or individual that assists in tourism development without a direct stake in the tourism industry. The Elgin Review is a weekly newspaper in northeastern Nebraska that provides regular updates of tourism activities in the area. The paper also sends stories to dozens of media outlets in the region. The efforts of the Elgin Review have greatly increased local and regional awareness of tourism. In addition, staffers promoted the work of the Highway 14 Association and the Northeast Nebraska Tourism Council.

The Outstanding Web Site Award – Red Willow County received this award for its Web site: http://www.VisitMcCook.com. The site, revamped to complement the city’s new visitors’ guide, is an impressive marketing tool that has increased site visits by 144% and has achieved an average of 88 digital downloads a month.

The Outstanding Regional Association Award – The Loup River Scenic Byway/Loup River RC&D, which promotes tourism in nine counties and 38 communities, was selected. This group coordinated the award-winning Junk Jaunt, developed a bird-viewing guide, hosted grant-writing seminars, produced an interactive travel CD and attended trade shows.

The Outstanding Tourism Publication Award for a Visitors Guide Not Supported by Advertisements – The McCook Visitors Guide was selected. This publication is well-designed, easy to read and shows the region at its best. The guide showcases recreational opportunities, shopping, and the famous Heritage Hills Golf Course.

The Outstanding Tourism Publication Award with Advertising Support – The Omaha Visitors Guide was chosen. This year, the publication reached a new level of excellence with a pullout map and liberal use of eye-catching photographs. The Greater Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau prints and distributes more than 160,000 guides to potential visitors across the country.

The Outstanding Publication Award for a Special Publication – The award went to Midwest Living for Half Lost, Half Found in American’s Heartland. Written by Dan Kaercher, editor of Midwest Living, the publication captured Nebraska’s beauty through stunning photographs and poignant prose.

The Outstanding Tourism Entity Award – The Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer in Grand Island was recognized. This year’s campaign used “love” to market events, such as a Romantic Night in the Old Town and Victorian Romance. Popular seasonal activities, including vintage baseball and a 100th birthday party for native son Henry Fonda drew visitors from across Nebraska – and beyond.

The Outstanding Tourism Campaign Award – The York County Visitors Bureau’s HIYA and Tanks a Lot Campaign won. This campaign rewarded visitors who stayed overnight with free gasoline. A colorful HIYA sticker was produced and given to visitors. This campaign generated widespread publicity for York and York County.

The Outstanding New Event – One award went to the Junk Jaunt along the Loup River Scenic Byway. Two hundred miles, 10 counties, 26 communities and a whole lot of items for sale added up to a wildly successful event in north central Nebraska. More than 15,000 people came from 17 states to buy antiques, crafts and collectibles. They also ate at local restaurants, and many stayed overnight at local lodging. Visitors spent an estimated $1.5 million dollars in the area. The other winner was the Pop-In, along Highway 14. Pop-In is an event focusing on Nebraska-made products and encourages entrepreneurs along the Highway 14 corridor to showcase their wares.

The Outstanding Event Award in a Community With a Population Over 20,000 – The Running of the Wieners at Grand Island was selected. This event featured more than 150 dachshunds from eight states competing for honors in several categories ranging from little smokies, frankfurters and senior sausages. A category called “Running of the Big Dogs” featured races with prominent local business leaders.

The Outstanding Event Award in a Community With a Population Between 5,000 and 19,999 – Homestead Days at Homestead National Monument near Beatrice won. For a quarter century, staffers at Homestead Monument have told the story of early 19th century on the prairie. This year, a little bit of Hollywood generated a lot of excitement when seven original cast members of the television show, Little House on the Prairie, came to help tell the story. Homestead’s attendance swelled to 7,000, its single-day attendance record.

The Outstanding Event Award in a Community With a Population of Less Than 5,000 – Brady Days, a three-day extravaganza that draws more than 1,500 visitors to a community of 345 people, was selected. Begun in 1965 as a one-day event, Brady Days has expanded into a regional celebration.

Before the banquet, the Nebraska Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus presented The Crystal Compass Award to Jessica Jungck with the Hastings/Adams County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Another travel group, the Nebraska Travel Association presented this year’s Frank Morrison Award to Nebraska State Sen. Don Pederson of North Platte.

PLEASE NOTE: Downloadable photographs of the Travel Award winners will be posted Friday afternoon on the Nebraska Tourism Web site at http://www.VisitNebraska.org.