Explore Minnesota Legislative Session Update

Explore Minnesota sent this bulletin at 03/03/2023 12:35 PM CST

Explore Minnesota Legislative Session Update - March 3
Keeping you in the know of travel and tourism at the Minnesota State Capitol and beyond. Because #TourismMatters to all Minnesotans.

2023 Explore Minnesota Tourism Conference Recap
The 2023 Explore Minnesota Tourism Conference took place earlier this week in Bloomington with remarks from Executive Director Lauren Bennett McGinty and special guest Governor Tim Walz. With tourism industry leaders from across the state attending, speakers and panelists shared their wisdom and vision for navigating the rapidly-evolving landscape of travel. Conference information and select recordings of keynote speeches and breakout sessions are available here.

WATCH: Executive Director Lauren Bennett McGinty’s remarks here.
WATCH: Governor Tim Walz’s remarks here.

Explore Minnesota Releases 2022 Annual Travel Trends
The annual study from Explore Minnesota spotlights key travel indicators to better understand broad tourism trends and the industry's health. This year, the report showed that Minnesota welcomed 77.2 million visitors in 2022 who collectively had a $13.4 billion direct impact on the state's economy and communities. To put that into perspective, each household in Minnesota would need to pay an additional tax amount of $993 to replace these visitor-generated funds. To view and download the full report, visit here.

Proposed Budget Sheets and Suitcases Distributed to House and Senate Members
Resource sheets of Explore Minnesota’s proposed budget and suitcase graphics have been sent to House and Senate members encapsulating key tourism trends and statistics that reiterate how tourism is vital to Minnesota’s economy and how the proposed budget can fulfill top growth goals. Find the proposed budget here and the suitcase here.

EMT Conducts Northeast Minnesota #TourismMatters Roundtable With Local Leaders and Businesses
On Thursday, March 2, EMT Director Lauren Bennett McGinty joined Duluth Mayor Emily Larson and local businesses for a virtual roundtable to discuss the various ways that the tourism industry has impacted Duluth and northeastern Minnesota. Panelists spoke to the opportunities and challenges that they’ve faced in the industry coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how investment in Explore Minnesota will help increase the local economic impact of tourism.

In addition to Explore Minnesota Tourism Director, Lauren Bennett McGinty and Duluth Mayor Emily Larson, panelists included Visit Cook County Director of Marketing, Kjersti Vick; Iron Range Tourism Executive Director, Beth Pierce; Boomtown Woodfire Owner, Jessica Lietz; and Frost River Director of Marketing, Stephanie Anderson.

EMT will host virtual roundtables in each of the state's tourism regions over the coming weeks.

Why #TourismMatters to Minnesota

●	Tourism is a $16 billion industry for Minnesota, touches almost every industry in the state and is vital for Minnesota's economy.
●	With 229,000 jobs for Minnesotans, tourism is a gateway to economic expansion through attraction and retention of workforce and business investment.
●	Each household in Minnesota would need to be taxed an additional $993 to replace the visitor-generated taxes received by state and local governments in 2022.
●	In 2021 Leisure & Hospitality gross sales were $15.7 billion, with sales taxes of $998 million collected.
●	Leisure & Hospitality is the 4th largest industry for employment in Minnesota.

Rightsizing Our State Investment In Marketing Minnesota To The World
The pandemic changed the travel and tourism industry forever, requiring a new direction for a stronger future. While Minnesota's tourism industry continues to recover, we are falling behind the rest of the country. Minnesota was one of only three states not to receive a budget increase during the pandemic.

The time is now to increase investments in tourism to support Minnesota's communities and small businesses and to elevate our state as a top tier destination for national and international travelers. For more information, visit TourismMatters.org.

LEGISLATORS: Book a meeting to discuss #TourismMatters with Explore Minnesota's executive director Lauren Bennett McGinty.

COUNCIL MEMBERS: Be sure to book time with your legislators to discuss why #TourismMatters to Minnesota.

Stay tuned to Explore Minnesota over the coming weeks for more ways #TourismMatters to Minnesota. And Share your Why #TourismMatters to your local community on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!

###


Manage Subscription/Unsubscribe \| Help