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News/Happening Details
Minnesota Tourism Conference to be Held in Rochester
Release Date: Jan 19, 2012
Contact:
Joan Hummel
651-757-1850
joan.hummel@state.mn.us
Governor Dayton to Address Tourism Industry
With continuing, modest growth in travel projected for 2012, the annual Explore Minnesota Tourism Conference, to be held January 24-25 at Kahler Grand Hotel in Rochester, will feature a variety of strategies to attract visitors. Governor Mark Dayton will address the conference on Wednesday.
"There's renewed consumer interest in leisure, group and international travel, and the tourism industry is looking ahead to a year of gradual improvement" explains John Edman, director of Explore Minnesota Tourism, the state's travel promotion office. "The conference is an opportunity for those who work for tourism businesses and organizations to exchange ideas and get inspired. Explore Minnesota works closely with the tourism industry, developing partnerships to grow travel sales and jobs throughout the state."
The 2012 "More to Explore" advertising campaign and other marketing programs will be introduced. To prepare the Minnesota tourism industry to make the most of the recovering economy and growing travel market, the conference will also focus on strategies for developing new business, including marketing through new social media, drawing visitors through special events and deals, attracting visitors to trails, and working effectively with travel media.
Major speakers include Stan Gadek, CEO of Sun Country Airlines; Dave Serino of Think! Social Media; and Stevie Ray, corporate trainer and columnist for the Business Journal Newspapers. On Tuesday evening, the Explore Minnesota Awards Banquet will honor several individuals for their contributions to the tourism industry and several organizations for their outstanding marketing programs.
The conference draws participants from Minnesota's diverse tourism industry, including chambers of commerce, convention and visitors bureaus, museums and other attractions, hotels, resorts and other lodging businesses. See industry.exploreminnesota.com for the complete conference agenda and registration information.
About Explore Minnesota Tourism
As the state's tourism office, Explore Minnesota Tourism pursues an entrepreneurial approach, leveraging the state's tourism investment with increased involvement by the private sector. A council of representatives from the state's tourism industry strongly connects Explore Minnesota Tourism with tourism businesses and organizations.
Tourism is an $11.3 billion industry in Minnesota, a key sector of the state's economy. The leisure and hospitality industry, a major provider of tourism services, employs more than 235,000, representing 11 percent of private sector employment. Leisure and hospitality also generates 17 percent of state sales tax revenues.
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