Industry News
Industry News provides weekly news and tips for the people who market Minnesota and its destinations.
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January 20, 2026 |
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| Sauna Camping, Excelsior |
Order Your 2026 Explore Minnesota Travel Guide
The new 2026 State Travel guides are now available!
Consumers can order free guides on exploreminnesota.com and interested businesses or DMOs can order bulk quantities for their own customers and guests. We encourage you to order a box and share it; each box contains 25 guides.
The new guides feature the latest travel itineraries created as a part of our Star of the North campaign, which also includes long-form videos on our website.
Thanks to everyone who supported the new guide with content, photos, and/or advertising. We can reach a broader audience with your support.
Announcing Tourism Conference Keynotes
Get ready to be inspired at the Explore Minnesota Tourism Conference. These internationally recognized keynote speakers are joining us in Duluth Feb. 11-12 to share smart insights and big ideas that will energize and elevate Minnesota’s tourism industry.
- Using Traveler Sentiment and Behavior to Guide Your Path Forward presented by Amir Eylon, President and CEO of Longwoods International.
- Catalyzing Change: How Tourism Innovation Builds Stronger Communities. Panel discussion with Lauren Bennett McGinty, Executive Director of Explore Minnesota; Steve Grove, CEO and Publisher of The Minnesota Star Tribune; Kenzi Klein, Executive Director of the Luverne Area Chamber and CVB; and Amy Stearns, Executive Director at Project 412
- Rethinking Tourism presented by Doug Lansky, Keynote Speaker, Award-Winning Travel Writer, World-Travel Expert & Travel Trends Futurist
- AI in Action, Practical Uses for Today’s Tourism Organizations presented by Todd Brook, Founder and CEO Envisionit.
View the full agenda and register to attend: https://www.eventleaf.com/e/TourismConference2026.
Ask Your AI or Social Media Questions to Our Conference Breakout Presenters
Do you have questions about AI or social media? During their respective breakout sessions, our presenters will answer a selection of questions submitted in advance. Please submit your questions by Jan. 28.
Applicable Breakout Sessions:
- Surviving in Social: How to Build Your Own Social Media Charter and Refine Your Strategy
- De-Mystifying AI: How to Think About Your Website in The New Era of Digital Marketing
Add Upcoming February and March Events to ExploreMinnesota.com
With the start of the new year, Explore Minnesota is looking for new and updated events for the following celebrations in February and March:
- Valentine's Day events
- Black History Month events
- St. Patrick's Day celebrations
To have your events considered for inclusion in various Explore Minnesota communications, please add or update the following events by Jan. 30.
Log into the Explore Minnesota extranet to update or create new listings. Please note that submitting an image with your event listing increases the likelihood that your event will be featured in an upcoming newsletter or social media post!
For technical assistance, contact our extranet team at tourism@state.mn.us.
Update your listing on the Explore Minnesota extranet.
Join Travel + Leisure Digital Flipcard Co-op
Boost your destination’s visibility through our Travel + Leisure Flipcard Program. This program features a dedicated digital destination page on TravelandLeisure.com, using interactive "flip cards" to showcase Minnesota’s premier experiences to an affluent, travel-hungry audience. Participants benefit from a robust media plan, including native and social distribution, targeting 60,000+ page views.
Secure your spot by March 6 to align your brand with award-winning content and reach passionate travelers at every stage of their journey.
America250: Share Your Community Events for Minnesota’s Celebration
On July 4, 2026, the United States will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a historic milestone that reflects on our nation’s past, honors contributions from all Americans, and envisions the future we want to create.
Explore Minnesota is working to elevate celebrations happening across the state. This is an opportunity for Minnesota communities to showcase their unique history, culture, and creativity during this once-in-a-generation event.
How You Can Participate:
If your community is planning an America250 event, we want to help share it with travelers and residents alike. Here’s how to submit your event:
- Log in to your Extranet account and add your event details, or
- Use the Submit an Event form on ExploreMinnesota.com.
Events will be tagged as part of America250 and featured on a dedicated landing page, making it easy for visitors to find and join your celebration.
Join the International and Leisure Group Market Update on Jan. 29
Please join the Explore Minnesota’s Market Development team for a virtual meeting on Thursday, Jan. 29, at 10 a.m.
We will share a mid-year update of our FY26 strategy and marketing tactics for international and leisure group market segments. Please register for this zoom meeting online in advance to receive the meeting link.
If you have questions, please contact Brenda Maas at 651-787-1886 or brenda.maas@state.mn.us.
Fall Travel Indicators Report Now Available
Explore Minnesota regularly reviews and analyzes travel indicators to better understand tourism industry trends and health. A new report focused on state-level trends from September to November 2025 is now available.
Minnesota and national travel indicators continue to offer a mixed perspective on the travel industry's health. Slight year-over-year increases were observed in state hotel and employment metrics. However, Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) air travel decreased this fall relative to last year and Canada-Minnesota inbound travel continues to be down 18% year-to-date through November 2025.
- Accommodations – Minnesota’s monthly hotel key performance metrics increased slightly or remained flat in fall 2025 compared to 2024. As expected, metrics were strongest in September and weakest in November. Monthly occupancy percentage ranged from 64% to 48%, monthly ADR ranged from $142 to $124, and monthly RevPAR ranged from $91 to $60.
- Leisure & hospitality employment – Minnesota’s leisure & hospitality (L&H) industry increased .6% for fall 2025 relative to 2024. Employment ranged from a monthly high of 282k in September to monthly low of 267k in November.
- Air travel – Minneapolis-Saint Paul Airport (MSP) airport had 8.5 million passengers during the fall travel season. This is a 2.8%, or almost 243k decrease from fall 2024.
- Canadian visitation – This fall, monthly Canadian travel to Minnesota was down 16-19% relative to the same months in 2024.
View the full report for more detailed findings.
2026 Call for Ideas at the Regional Partnerships
Southeast Regional Sustainable Development Partnership (RSDP) is seeking ideas from diverse populations and encourages those who have not previously partnered with the University to consider applying. Southeast RSDP supports local innovation by connecting community ideas to University of Minnesota resources. Community members partner with university students, faculty and or/staff to lead, research, design and plan their local sustainability projects. For examples of projects supported by the Southeast RSDP, visit z.umn.edu/RSDPProjectExamples.
Community members are encouraged to contact Andi Sutton at sutto364@umn.edu or 507-258-8774 or Danielle Piraino at pirai006@umn.edu or 630-797-8862 to discuss their ideas and ask questions. Visit the link z.umn.edu/RSDPIdeaBrief to learn more about the programs and download application forms. Successful projects are selected by the Southeast RSDP community-University governing board through a competitive process. Applications are being accepted through Feb. 14.
Submit a project idea to the Regional Partnerships.
Upcoming Industry Webinars
- Keap, The Marketing Fortune! It's All in the Follow-Up (But Only if You Do It Right), Jan 22, 1 p.m. CST
- Future Partners and Miles Partnership, The Future of the Meetings & Conventions Industry, Jan. 22, 2 p.m. CST
- UofM Extension, Starting Small to Innovate and Scale Up, Jan. 27, noon CST
- StackAdapt, 2026 Programmatic Advertising: Trends to Watch, Moves to Make, Jan. 28, 10 a.m. CST
- Meltwater, Marketing Trends to Watch in 2026, Jan. 28, noon CST
- ON24, Six Smart Steps to Scale Webinars into Full-Funnel Campaigns, Jan. 28, 1 p.m. CST
- MarketingProfs and SearchEngine Journal, XEO and the Future of Search, Jan. 30, 10:30 a.m. CST