National Tourism Week Puts the Spotlight on Minnesota’s $10.5 Billion Tourism Industry

ST PAUL, MN (May 9, 2008) - Tourism has played an important role in Minnesota’s history since it became a state in 1858. And, this year, National Tourism Week coincides with the state’s Sesquicentennial Celebration, so the entire state will celebrate tourism’s contributions this week.

"The leisure and hospitality industry brings in $10.5 billion dollars, creates more than 244,000 jobs, which pay $3.7 billion in wages, and touches our community in countless other ways," said John Edman, director of Explore Minnesota Tourism. "This week celebrates the people who visit here, the workforce that provides service for them and the development created as a result."

There are many celebrations of tourism and the state’s history going on throughout the next few weeks and the year. Here is just a sample:

The Governor’s Fishing Opener, which kickoffs off the summer tourism season, has been a traditional media event in Minnesota since 1948. The Opener provides the host community with an opportunity to highlight local fishing and other recreational activities, attractions and points of interest. This year’s celebration will be held this weekend in Pequot Lake and Breezy Point in the Brainerd Lakes area.

The Minnesota Sesquicentennial.
On May 11, a ceremony commemorating the passing of the statehood bill will take place in front of the Minnesota State Capitol. A Statehood Festival and Expo will take place on Saturday and Sunday, May 17-18, on and around the Mall in front of the State Capitol.

Many Minneapolis-Saint Paul area Convention and Visitors’ Bureaus have banded together to celebrate National Tourism Week and the State’s Sesquicentennial with an event at the Mall of America on May 14, 2008. The group has enlisted well-known celebrities and characters representing tourism initiatives and successes from the past 150 years to illustrate the vital role tourism has played throughout Minnesota’s history. Official will mark the occasion by assembling a tourism time capsule containing tourism related icons.

See exploreminnesota.com
for a list of sesquicentennial and other events going on throughout the Minnesota summer tourism season.

About National Tourism Week
National Tourism Week, May 10-18, 2008, is sponsored annually by the Travel Industry Association, a Washington, D.C.-based trade association that represents the common interests and concerns of travel in America. Designated by Congress and established by presidential proclamation in 1983, the event celebrates the value and scope of the nation’s $740 billion travel and tourism industry, and the economic and social contributions it brings to Minnesota.

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. More information can be found at industry.exploreminnesota.com.

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