Covid-19 Industry Resources

Safety is our top priority

Explore Lawrence’s top priority is the health and well-being of the general public, specifically travelers to and within Lawrence, Kansas as well as the businesses and organizations that serve and welcome travelers to Lawrence each and every day. Actions to slow the spread of COVID-19 have and will continue to impact the travel and tourism industry. Explore Lawrence is working diligently to stay up-to-date with news, updates, resources, and alerts that are of interest to the local tourism industry, and will share them on this page and through regular email communications. We will also use this page to provide you with ways to communicate any updates and changes to events and/or current business operations so that we can share them with our audience. Explore Lawrence is striving to serve and support you, the tourism industry of Lawrence.

eXplore Lawrence Announcements | Marketing Updates | Official Alerts & Recommendations | Local & State Press Releases | COVID-19 Resources

Explore Lawrence Announcements

eXplore Lawrence Road to Reopening

Ad Astra: A Plan to Reopen Kansas

Retail Industry Leaders Association Blueprint for Shopping Safe

State of Kansas COVID-19 Jobs and Hiring Portal

Updates from US Travel

The CARES Act, the largest economic relief package in our nation’s history, was signed into law on March 27 and includes major provisions U.S. Travel fought for to deliver economic support to travel businesses, travel workers and their families. Learn what the different parts of CARES Act mean for you and your travel business with the guides and webinar found here>

Updates from the Kansas Tourism Division>

Lawrence Restaurant Association announces the Hospitality Workers Relief Fund

Learn about the fund, donate, apply, and access other resources for hospitality workers here>

Business/Organization Changes

Explore Lawrence maintains listings on our website for retail, dining, attractions, meeting and sports facilities, and overnight accommodations. If you have adjusted your hours of operation, added or reduced services, or have any other information you would like us to update in your listing, please email Caleb. We will be updating the listing thumbnails with the following categories:

– Business as usual
– Open for business with new practices (details in description)
– Open for pick-up and delivery only
– Open for delivery only
– Shop online
– Closed until further notice

Hotels and event facilities – Our Sales Department is here and ready to help!

Explore Lawrence’s sales department assists in booking and servicing meetings and conferences. If you are working with a client or hosting a group in-house that has not cancelled their event/room block, and you are looking for resources to best assist them during their stay, we are still here to help you with that! Also, please keep us informed on significant cancellations at your properties. Contact Lauren or Kendra.

Stay informed

If you are not receiving email communications from Explore Lawrence at this time, please send your name, business, and email address to Kim.

Timely updates will be shared on Twitter

Marketing Updates

eXplore Lawrence remains committed to spreading the Unmistakably Lawrence message to our key audiences throughout the duration of the pandemic. Our marketing may look a little different, but the message remains the same:

Founded by pioneers driven to create a state where people of all races would be free, Lawrence has continued to define itself as an open, energetic and welcoming community. Quirky? Different? Unexpected? Yes! But more importantly, we invite you to explore a city where you are free to be you.

Unmistakably Us Blog

The purpose of Unmistakably Us is to share the stories of the people and places that make Lawrence unmistakable. So what is unmistakable to us? Our brand manifesto wraps it up…

Lawrence is your quirky, cool friend who brings fun to the neighborhood. Lawrence works hard and plays hard. Lawrence is both outgoing and welcoming, creating an atmosphere of acceptance and innovation. Its eclectic personality is reminiscent of the proverbial “Renaissance Man,” whose expertise spans a broad range of areas: Education, Arts & Culture, Sports & Social Accomplishments. Lawrence is a catalyst for organic creation and original thought, a lightning rod for cultural change. Its energy is contagious. Like a great film, it leaves you wanting more.

Do you know a Lawrencian or a Lawrence organization that fits that description? Nominate them to be featured on the blog by emailing Andrea Johnson.

Here’s our first post: So there’s this independent bookstore…

Virtual Events Calendar

Explore Lawrence takes great pride in hosting the most comprehensive list of Lawrence events on the web. Our events calendar is a go-to source for visitors and residents when they are looking for things to do in Lawrence and is the most viewed page on our website. We would like to continue to be a resource and use the tool to share online/virtual events that you are planning.

If you have an Extranet Account you may log in to add your virtual events. If you do not have one, please email Kim. She can provide you access and/or take your event information to add to our calendar.

If you have submitted an event that has been canceled or changed to our events calendar, please either login to your Extranet Account and make the changes or email Kim with your updates.

Free to be You Campaign

Explore Lawrence still plans to execute the Free to be You campaign, and we are continuing to accept Free to be You pledges. Learn more about Free to be You>

Official Alerts and Recommendations

April 23
Governor Kelly allows the sale of alcoholic beverages for carryout consumption and permits the sale of liquor in a container that is not the original container for any establishment holding a class A club license, class B club license or drinking establishment license.

April 15:
Governor Kelly extends statewide Stay-at-Home order until May 3, 2020.

March 28
Governor Kelly issues statewide Stay-at-Home Order effective March 30 – April 19.

March 23
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is now mandating 14-day home quarantine for Kansans who have:

Traveled to a state with known widespread community transmission (currently California, Florida, New York and Washington state) on or after March 15.
Visited Eagle, Summit, Pitkin and Gunnison counties in Colorado in the week prior to March 15 or after.
Traveled to Illinois or New Jersey on or after March 23.
Traveled on a cruise ship or river cruise on or after March 15.
- People who have previously been told by Public Health to quarantine because of their cruise ship travel should finish out their quarantine.
Traveled internationally on or after March 15.
- People who have previously been told by Public Health to quarantine because of their international travel to China, South Korea, Japan, Italy and Iran should finish out their quarantine.
Received notification from public health officials (state or local) that you are a close contact of a laboratory-confirmed case of COVID-19. You should quarantine at home for 14 days since your last contact with the case.