Industry News
Industry News provides weekly news and tips for the people who market Minnesota and its destinations.
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July 28, 2025 |
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| Swimming at Lester Park, Duluth / Photo Credit: Visit Duluth |
Take the Destination Development Stakeholder Survey
As a key member of Minnesota's travel community, your insights and experiences with Destination Development (Explore Minnesota's Industry Relations, Welcome Centers/Visitor Services and Market Development) programs are important.
We invite you to take part in a brief stakeholder survey to help us understand your needs and expectations , and to ensure we continue to provide the most impactful and relevant programs for Minnesota’s tourism industry.
Please respond to the Explore Minnesota Destination Development survey by the end of the day on Friday, August 22.
If you have any questions about this survey, please email Beth Helle, Deputy Director of Destination Development, at beth.helle@state.mn.us.
Attend International and Group Market Development Meeting Virtually This Week
Join us virtually on Wednesday, July 30 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. for our International and Group Market Development meeting. Due to low registration, this meeting will be held online only and no longer in person.
Explore Minnesota will provide an overview of FY25 activities and outline our FY26 strategy, encompassing international and group segments.
Advertise in Leisure Group Travel Magazine Special Minnesota Section
Explore Minnesota will have a special section in the October edition of Leisure Group Travel Magazine. We are working on a custom article and have negotiated discounted advertising rates for those interested in participating.
To learn more about this opportunity, please get in touch with Tom Tobiason at Tom@ptmgroups.com or review this flyer. Space must be reserved by Aug. 15.
Group market questions or ideas can be sent to Jen Schak at jennifer.schak@state.mn.us.
June Accommodations Performance Metrics Decreased Relative to Last June
In June 2025, Minnesota and Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area key hotel performance metrics, hotel occupancy, average daily rate (ADR) and revenue per available room (RevPAR) decreased year over year (YoY) relative to June 2024.
At the state-level, monthly hotel occupancy decreased .1% YoY to 67.2%, ADR decreased 1.6% YoY to $142.84 and RevPAR decreased 1.7% YoY to $95.95. For reference, in June, the total U.S. average occupancy was 68.5%, ADR was $162.51 and RevPAR was $111.32.
For the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, June hotel occupancy decreased 1.5% YoY to 70.5%, ADR decreased 3.2% YoY to $141.40 and RevPAR decreased 4.7% YoY to $99.69. In June, the average Top U.S. 25 U.S. Market hotel occupancy was 72.8%, ADR was $190.68 and RevPAR was $138.77.
Americans’ Travel Impacted by Gas Prices & Other Financial Concerns
According to a July 2025 Longwoods International survey, 91% of U.S. leisure travelers have travel plans in the next six months. In the July survey, traveler concerns about gas prices increased relative to June, with 23% indicating that gasoline costs will greatly impact their travel decisions. Despite fuel prices remaining lower than last summer, it is likely that these travelers are concerned due to the overall impact of inflation and personal finances or economic uncertainty.
Other survey questions focused on road trips following a touring route or scenic/historic highway. Over half of travelers have spent at least one night on a road trip in the last five years. Almost seven in ten road trip travelers used their own vehicle, and about one-third used a rental car. The top three interests while on touring routes or scenic/historic highways are local restaurants, outdoor scenery and historical sites or attractions.
For more research findings, review the full report.
Apply for a Culture & Tourism Grant
The Department of Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation (IRRR) has announced a Culture & Tourism Grant program open to cities, townships, nonprofits, Tribal governments and governmental entities within the IRRR's service area.
Culture & Tourism grants assist projects that support arts, culture, history, tourism and recreational activities, enhance the quality of life in the region and attract visitors.
The deadline to apply is Thursday, July 31. If program funds are available after the cycle, applications may be accepted from January 1 through May 1, 2026 or until program funds are substantially committed for the fiscal year, whichever occurs sooner.
For more details and application instructions, visit their website here.
Free Online Customer Service Training Program
The University of Minnesota Tourism Center and Hospitality Minnesota are excited to share an no-cost online customer service training program for Minnesota’s hospitality industry. This prorgam is free of charge to Minnesota residents and funded by the Minnesota State Legislature, this online program provides customer service training at the basic skill level. The training is mobile-friendly and can be completed at any time.
Click here to access the training program.
Small Town Grants Now Available from SMIF
The Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) is currently accepting applications for its Small Town Grant program. Towns, or Native nations, with populations of 10,000 or less in SMIF’s 20-county region are eligible. Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, public institutions and units or agencies of local, state, federal and tribal government are encouraged to apply. Requests of up to $10,000 for eligible projects will be considered.
Applications are due to SMIF by Aug. 28. Awardees will be notified by Oct.15. For the application and guidelines, visit www.smifoundation.org/smalltowngrant.
For questions, contact Sarah Scheffert, communications and community vitality specialist, at 507-214-7015 or sarahs@smifoundation.org.
Upcoming Industry Webinars
- Brand USA, Agents of Change DMO Leadership, July 30, 12 p.m. CST
- Cvent, How to Build Event Content that Connects and Fuels All Your Marketing Channels, July 31, 10 a.m. CST
- Webflow, AEO for the CMO: An Actionable Maturity Model, July 31, 1 p.m. CST
- Eventeny, Discover the Easiest Way to Build Event Maps, Aug. 7, 1 p.m. CST
- StackAdapt, From Ad to Inbox: Unifying Paid and Owned Channels for Full-Funnel Wins, Aug. 7, 1 p.m. CST
- On24, 5 Virtual Event Types to Increase the Reach of Your Marketing, Aug. 12, 1 p.m. CST
- Great Lakes USA, Working with Receptive Operators - Easy Steps to Success, Aug. 14, 1 p.m. CST