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EMT Express

Welcome to EMT Express, providing bi-weekly news and tips for the people who market Minnesota tourism.

ExploreMinnesota.com Web Statistics for June 2009

Visits 312,687
Pageviews 1,960,261
Pages Per Visit 6.27

2010 Grant Guidelines Ready

Organizational Partnership Grant, Innovative Marketing Grant and Scenic Byway Grant guidelines for 2010 grants are now available. These three programs are offered to assist communities in attracting travelers to Minnesota.

Information on the program and guidelines for each type of grant are posted on the Industry Web Site at: http://industry.exploreminnesota.com/grants.

If you are a Minnesota non-profit tourism or scenic byway organization and want further information about guidelines contact your Regional Manager:

Central – Carol Altepeter 888-629-6466 or David Bergman 888-563-7777
Metro – Gayle Junnila 800-757-1852
Northwest – Carol Altepeter 888-629-6466 or David Bergman 888-563-7777
Northeast – Tim Campbell 888-876-6784
Southern – Dave Vogel 888-975-6766
OR call Explore Minnesota Tourism at 800-657-3637; 651-757-1848

New Resource for Vacation Home Rental Property Owners

Explore Minnesota Tourism has created a resource for vacation home rental owners in Minnesota on the Web at: industry.exploreminnesota.com/vacationhome. This Web page is a summary of information from regulatory and enforcement agencies across the state – and is a valuable resource to help vacation home owners sort through the rules and regulations that affect the short-term rental of their properties, and understand who to contact if they have questions or concerns.

Special Opportunity: Explore Minnesota Travel Minutes

Through a partnership with the Minnesota News Network (MNN – a statewide radio network of approximately 80 radio stations), Explore Minnesota Tourism records "Explore Minnesota Travel Minutes" each weekday. To have your content considered as part of this promotion, send us your ideas for interesting and unique scripts promoting Minnesota travel to Curt (C.J.) Johnson at curt.Johnson@state.mn.us. Materials are due 60 days prior to air.

For more information and to hear some samples, go to: http://industry.exploreminnesota.com/promotions/media-relations/#minutes.

Explore Minnesota Tourism Wants to Help You Promote Golf

Explore Minnesota Tourism has launched a bi-weekly golf newsletter – and we’d like to pass on information about promotions at the golf courses in your area. Our new, bi-weekly newsletter will consist of promotions, events, deals, leagues to join – any information you have about fun, new things going on at your golf courses.

All you have to do to be a part of this newsletter is send your information to golf@emt.travel. You may forward us materials you have already created about your promotions (please send them in text format), simply sign us up for your press releases/newsletters, or compose something new. We will compile select information from your submissions every two weeks and send to consumers who sign up to receive this information.

We will continue to take information received the Wednesday before publication date for all future issues. We will continue this year’s publications through the 2009 golf season (basically until you all tell us all the golf courses in Minnesota are closed for the season).

Early Bird Deadline for the Minnesota Travel Guide is July 17, 2009

Contracts and payment for the Minnesota Travel Guide that are postmarked no later than July 17, will receive an approximate 5% discount off of the already reasonable rates. Advertisers will reach a large, targeted audience of travelers, with distribution (press run of 300,000) that includes: 60 Travel Information Centers, Mall of America, sports/travel shows, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, thousands ordered from the Explore Minnesota website, and thousands more ordered as a result of Explore Minnesota advertising. Research has found that consumers use both print brochures and web sites to plan their trips, so its still important to reach consumers through print advertising.

Your ad in the Minnesota Travel Guide:

  • Makes you part of the only Explore Minnesota statewide travel guide.
  • Reaches a highly qualified, targeted audience of travelers interested in Minnesota.
  • Drives consumers to your website and can generate other leads.
  • Puts your community or business information in the hands of consumers as they plan their trips.
  • Places you in a travel guide highly rated by consumers.
  • Is a very cost effective way to reach more than 300,000 households with approximately 600,000 potential customers.
  • Complements your presence on www.exploreminnesota.com.

Get a discount by purchasing your ad by the Early Bird Deadline, July 17. The final ad deadline is August 14.

For more details and an ad contract:
http://industry.exploreminnesota.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/adbrochuretg10_5-20-09.pdf

For Northeast and Twin Cities Metro regions, contact:
tim.campbell@state.mn.us or 888-876-6784

For Northwest, Central and Southern regions, contact:
david.bergman@state.mn.us or 888-563-7777

Military Travel Discounts or Promotions (all travel industry)

Travel columnist Erica Peña-Vest is looking for any and all available travel discounts or promotions for members of the armed services. She has a national syndicated column in military newspapers with over half a million readers.

Erica recently launched her own Web site (www.guidetomilitarytravel.com) and is collecting a list of all available military discounts in the travel industry to share with members of the military and their families. Please e-mail her a few sentences about your place of business, information on discount, expiration date for discount, Web address (she will link published discount to your site) and a phone number where interested customers can call for more details (preferably in paragraph form so she can cut and paste it onto her Web site). E-mail information to ericavest@aol.com. Deadline: ongoing.

SMTA to Hold Meeting, Planning Session, and Seminar in Redwood Falls

The Southern Minnesota Tourism Association (SMTA) will hold their July meeting on Thursday, July 16, 2009 at Jackpot Junction Casino and Hotel near Redwood Falls. The meeting is open to the public with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m. Registration fee is $10 and includes lunch.

Dave Vogel, Explore Minnesota Tourism’s southern regional manager, will present a workshop titled, "Explore Minnesota Tourism’s Grant Program — How to Apply and Changes for 2010" at the end of the meeting. A special SMTA planning session will be held Wednesday, July 15 at the Redwood Falls Community center from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. For more information and to RSVP, call 888-975-6766 by July 14, 2009.

Minnesota Zoo has Record Attendance

The Minnesota Zoo has achieved its highest attendance level since it opened its doors over thirty years ago. A record 1,355,260 guests visited the zoo in the past fiscal year (July 1, 2008 – June 30, 2009). Memberships to the Minnesota Zoo, now totaling 44,229 households (175,000 individuals), are also at an all-time high.

Lanesboro Named Bed and Breakfast Capital of Minnesota

The 2009 Minnesota Legislative Session ended with a new designation for Lanesboro. A Senate resolution recognizing Lanesboro as the Bed and Breakfast Capital of Minnesota was proclaimed. After conducting research from the Minnesota Department of Health and other official avenues, Lanesboro Lodging Work Group requested to be officially designated the "Bed and Breakfast Capital of Minnesota".

With 15 bed and breakfasts in Lanesboro, and the immediate surrounding area, there is a great display of history and architecture, including Victorian homes, craftsman homes, and new homes.

International Tourism Courses Begin Spring 2010

Tourism contributes significantly to economies and communities around the world as well as here in Minnesota. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, 28 million visitors came to Minnesota in 2008 and of these 4% were international travelers. In response to the importance of international tourism and to enhance the University’s goal of internationalizing student’s educational opportunities, the current Recreation Resource Management (RRM) minor has been expanded to include an international tourism option.

Read the full article

DEED on the Road

The Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is going on the road this summer. DEED Commissioner Dan McElroy and other agency leaders are visiting 10 cities over a five-week span, reaching out to their core audience: economic developers, workforce development professionals, educators, local governments, business leaders and legislators.

The theme is "Advancing Economic Prosperity: Partnering to Shape our Future." They will be discussing the economy, how the recent legislative session affects workforce and economic development, and how federal stimulus dollars will be spent in Minnesota.

There will also be breakout sessions and a resource fair so you can talk to other state and federal partners about what matters to you.

Get the full schedule

If you’ve received this newsletter from a friend and wish to subscribe yourself please subscribe at EMT Express Subscriptions.

If you have an article you wish to submit for consideration, please contact: Colleen Tollefson, 651/757-1872, 800/657-3637.

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