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Strong summer outlook for Minnesota tourism
Officials say Minnesota is seeing some rising demand for summer travel in the state.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - It’s no surprise that after a long winter, Minnesotans have a strong desire to travel.
State tourism leaders say this year, travelers are being more selective about where they travel, how they travel what exactly they're looking for. They’re looking for unique experiences and outdoor recreation, and they've come to the right place.
"I'm hearing a lot of folks maybe trying the Boundary Waters for the first time or going somewhere they've never been," said Lauren Bennett McGinty, the executive director of Explore Minnesota.
There's also a push to bring people to Minnesota from out of state. Explore Minnesota said it spends about 70 percent of its budget out of state. This year, it's expanding its marketing to Atlanta and Dallas.
In the Twin Cities metropolitan area, summer events are on the way. Bennett McGinty said visitors are ticking up and hotels are getting more full.
"We're also hearing that for more than half of travelers, time, availability, schedule, and affordability are key things that they're looking for. So Minnesota has a ton to offer in that category," she said.
Explore Minnesota's summer travel survey found that 40 percent of travelers plan to camp at a Minnesota state park at least once, and more families plan to take short drives.
That's consistent with what Katie Krantz, the marketing manager of Bluefin Bay on the North Shore is seeing, as people watch their dollars a bit.
"Car travel is less expensive than flight travel. So we're seeing a demand for that. And with that, we're also seeing people are looking for kind of a shorter length of stay," she explained.
Krantz is also noticing that people are booking closer to their arrival date. But make no mistake: Resort owners are watching their calendars fill up quickly, especially for the heart of summer.
"We are pretty full. There's just a couple openings left I'd say like, the beginning of June and then again starting mid-August," said Kayla Daigle, the owner of Two Inlets Resort in Park Rapids.
Daigle said many of her guests are regulars every year, but the newcomers tend to want unique experiences.
"It's lots of families with little kids wanting to go out and explore. We're right by Itasca State Park, so you can go to the park. We have a great downtown in Park Rapids. So I think it's just a great hub," she said.
For anyone who’s having trouble booking a place this summer, resort owners recommend reaching out to the chamber of commerce in the region where they’re headed or visiting the Community of Minnesota Resorts’ website to be connected with a resort that has availability.