Goal: To promote and facilitate travel to and within the state of Minnesota

Why is this goal important?
Tourism generates more than $10.2 billion for the state, which is comparable to agriculture's contribution to Minnesota's economy. The tourism industry includes approximately 2,300 lodging businesses; 1,700 attractions; state parks and historic sites; tourism promotion organizations, including convention and visitor bureaus and chambers of commerce; and thousands of other businesses -- restaurants, shops, and service stations -- that derive a significant part of their revenue from travelers. More than 242,000 Minnesotans are employed by leisure and hospitality businesses throughout the state.

Minnesota’s leisure and hospitality industry:

         $10.2 billion in
            gross sales annually

         $628 million in state
            sales tax

          242,000 jobs and
             $3.4 billion payroll

         41 million person-visits
            annually

How will this goal be accomplished?
In 2004, the state’s tourism office was repositioned as a separate state agency called Explore Minnesota Tourism in order to facilitate increased public/private partnerships for promoting Minnesota tourism. In conjunction with the Governor-appointed Explore Minnesota Tourism Council, the agency works closely with the state’s tourism industry in the following program areas:

Advertising and marketing:  During FY07, Explore Minnesota Tourism implemented a new, integrated marketing campaign that directs consumers to www.ExploreMinnesota.com. A total Web site redesign leverages social networking and user-generated content trends to motivate more travel to Minnesota.

A special online feature- the My Favorite Minnesota ™ campaign- highlights consumer-generated, authentic lists of favorite things to do and places to go from real Minnesotans and Minnesota travelers. The lists, accompanied with photography and/or videos, give viewers the ability to share lists virally, rate videos, and search the broader industry database for more ideas.

The My Favorite Minnesota™ function is communicated as the central attraction to www.ExploreMinnesota.com, and used in all marketing and advertising materials. The campaign is supported through a comprehensive media mix, including television in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North and South Dakota, and Winnipeg and Thunder Bay Canada; radio; newspaper and magazine ads; online banner advertising; search engine key work searches; promotions and public relations.

Communications: Media relations, publications and electronic communications are essential to Explore Minnesota Tourism's marketing efforts. Media relations programs generate positive media coverage of Minnesota travel opportunities and of the state’s tourism industry. A large photo library provides the media with visual images of the state.

Explore Minnesota Tourism produces more than 15 different publications, highlighting activities, such as fishing, biking and canoeing, as well as a comprehensive travel guide and the Minnesota Explorer, which includes timely listings of festivals and events throughout the state.

The newly-redesigned www.ExploreMinnesota.com website showcases Minnesotans who provide travel information through our My Favorite Minnesota™ campaign. Lists of favorites are demonstrated through photo and video for a visual depiction of the great places to visit throughout Minnesota.

The backbone of the website is an extensive database of lodging, attractions and events. Microsites allow travelers to discover places of interest along scenic byways, and golfers can locate their favorite courses.

Consumer Services:  Explore Minnesota Tourism provides travel information to travelers and prospective travelers. Travel counselors handle customer inquires via the phone, fax, and Internet, often in response to consumer advertising programs.

Our Journey travel planning service uses our extensive database to give travelers detailed information on accommodations, attractions and events. We deliver travel information person-to-person to visitors at 10 highway Travel Information Centers located around the state. (We partner with local tourism organizations in four of our Travel Information Centers and 38 additional community visitor centers.)

Industry Relations: Explore Minnesota Tourism works closely with the state’s tourism industry and communities across the state. We facilitate interagency partnerships, offer educational programs, provide tourism development assistance and monitor public policy issues that may affect tourism in Minnesota. 

Organizational Partnership Grants support community and regional marketing programs. To provide these services, we have regional staff in Brainerd, Duluth, Mankato, Thief River Falls and St. Paul.

What is the department’s progress to date?
Minnesota's tourism industry is stable, and growing. Occupancy in Minnesota lodging properties is holding steady, and there's healthy growth in room revenues (6 percent in 2006).

There is strong job growth in the leisure and hospitality sector, which includes not only lodging, but also restaurants and entertainment businesses.

Explore Minnesota Tourism has increased the support it receives through corporate marketing partnerships, publishing partnerships, advertising revenue and other revenue sources. This total match in FY06 was more than $5.4 million. In addition, media contacts by Explore Minnesota Tourism resulted in coverage with a media value of more than $2 billion.

Explore Minnesota Tourism provides trip planning information to almost 390,000 consumers annually, most of whom contact the agency in response to its advertising programs. In addition, the travel website generates almost 25 million page views a year. Another 3 million travelers get information on the road at the state’s travel information centers.

Through Explore Minnesota Tourism partnerships grants, 110 communities and organizations received $747,647 for tourism marketing promotions, leveraging more than $1 million in additional funding.

Explore Minnesota Tourism is committed to attracting new travelers to the state, providing travelers with high quality information for planning trips, and being responsive to the changing needs of the tourism industry.

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