Industry News
Industry News provides weekly news and tips for the people who market Minnesota and its destinations.
Subscribe for e-mail updates
September 29, 2025 |
 |
| Setting decoys in the morning, Traverse County |
Register Now for the 2026 Explore Minnesota Tourism Conference
The 2026 Explore Minnesota Tourism Conference will be held at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center on Tuesday, Feb. 11 and Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2026. This annual event is tailored specifically for the Minnesota tourism industry and features national keynote speakers, topical breakout sessions, networking opportunities and plenty of fresh and actionable ideas.
Registration for in-person and virtual attendance is now open. Tourism Conference Student and Tribal Nations Scholarship and Mentorship Programs are also now open and accepting applications. The cost to attend the in-person 2-day conference is $275 per person.
Become a Sponsor of the 2026 Explore Minnesota Tourism Conference
Conference sponsorships are a fantastic opportunity to promote your brand while connecting with hundreds of tourism and industry professionals from across the state. Sponsorships are available on a first-come, first-served basis and must be paid in full by Jan. 9, 2026. View the sponsorship opportunities available.
Sponsored brand activations and additional visibility opportunities may also be available at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center during this event. Please contact Kari Brumback at 612-513-8898 or kari.brumback@state.mn.us to learn more.
Reserve a Sponsorship Now.
U.S. Travel’s IPW Contact List & Meeting Notes Are Now Available
U.S. Travel’s IPW, the leading international inbound travel trade show for promotion of travel to the United States, took place June 16-18, in Chicago, Illinois. Explore Minnesota conducted 134 scheduled appointments with travel trade, travel media, marketing and technology representatives from around the world. Trade show leads from IPW are provided free of charge to Minnesota’s tourism industry
To discuss international marketing or request the contact list and notes from this trade show, contact Jen Schak, Market Development Manager at jennifer.schak@state.mn.us.
Road Tripper Trends Continuing Education Series Webinar Recording Now Available
The first session in Explore Minnesota’s fall Continuing Education series featured Erin Francis-Cummings, CEO of Future Partners, who explored the latest insights into the evolving profile of American road tripper.
Watch the recording of the Road-Tripper Trends webinar online.
The second session in the fall Continuing Education Series will feature Off-Season Product Development and kick off at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 21. Speakers Dr. Kristin Lamoureux from Virginia Tech and Simon Jones, founder of TourismWORKS and NatureScapes will explore strategies for building tourism products that thrive outside peak seasons. This webinar is free, but advance registration is required to receive the link to join.
Register for the Off-Season Product Development webinar now.
Register Now for Outdoor Recreation Economic Impact Discussion in Rochester
The Minnesota Outdoor Recreation Industry Partnership (ORIP) is hosting a public outreach meeting on Oct. 23, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Quarry Hill Nature Center in Rochester. The meeting will share findings from the newly released Minnesota Outdoor Recreation Economic Impact Report and discuss strategies to grow the state’s outdoor recreation economy.
This meeting is open to anyone interested in outdoor recreation, including business owners, nonprofit leaders, policymakers, economic development professionals, land managers, tourism/hospitality professionals and outdoor enthusiasts. Attendees will hear a short presentation on the report’s key findings and participate in an interactive discussion about how outdoor recreation benefits communities and creates economic opportunities.
Seating is limited; please register by Oct. 17. Know someone who should be in the room? Please forward this invitation to them.
Minnesota Hotel Accommodations Performance Metrics Down YoY
In August 2025, Minnesota's hotel metrics are down year over year (YoY) relative to August 2024. Key performance metrics consist of hotel occupancy, average daily rate (ADR) and revenue per available room (RevPAR).
- MN Occupancy decreased 1.6% to 68.9% in August 2025
- MN ADR decreased 1.2% to $143.84 in August 2025
- MN RevPAR decreased 2.8% to $99.07 in August 2025
For 2025 to date, state hotel performance metrics are mixed.
- MN Occupancy increased 1.3% to 57.5% year-to-date
- MN ADR decreased .8% to $133.26 year-to-date
- MN RevPAR increased .5% to $76.62 year-to-date
Minnesota's 2025 year-to-date performance metrics remain below total U.S. averages.
- U.S. Occupancy decreased .8% to 63.4% year-to-date
- U.S. ADR increased 1% to $160.17 year-to-date
- U.S. RevPAR increased .2% to $101.61 year-to-date
Through our new subscription to the CoStar dashboard, Explore Minnesota can share August and 2025 year-to-date hotel metrics for the five Minnesota Tourism Regions.
View the August 2025 key hotel performance metrics compared to August 2024.
View the 2025 year-to-date key hotel performance metrics compared to 2024.
If you have additional hotel data questions, please contact Explore Minnesota’s Research Analyst, Gretchen Nussbaum.
Minnesota MRPC Seeks Candidates for Regional Commissioner Positions
The Minnesota Mississippi River Parkway Commission (MN-MRPC) is accepting applications for Regional Commissioners to represent the Lake Itasca to Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids to Brainerd, and Brainerd to Elk River Regions of the Great River Road for four-year terms. Candidates must reside in the region. The MN-MRPC is a statutory Commission, recognized in 1963, whose mission is to promote, preserve and enhance the Mississippi River's resources and develop the highways and amenities of the Great River Road.
Recommendations for the positions will be made during Regional Meetings (via Zoom) on Oct. 21, 27 and 29, then forwarded to the MN-MRPC for final consideration. All are welcome at the meetings for Great River Road updates and conversation about activities in the region. Meeting and application information is available online at www.commissions.leg.state.mn.us/mrpc/Meetings24-25.html.
Contact Chris Miller at chris@togpartners.com or 651-341-4196 for questions, application timelines, to submit an application or to register for a regional meeting and receive the Zoom link.
Upcoming Industry Webinars
- MarketingProfs, Demand Generation, Marketing Strategy, Email Marketing, Oct. 10, 10:30 a.m. CST
- Explore Minnesota and Virginia Tech, Off-Season Product Development, Oct. 21, 2 p.m. CST
- National Scenic Byway Association, Birders, Bikers & Beyond: Who's Your Byway Traveler?, Oct. 23, 2 p.m. CST ($40 for non-members)