Posted May 28, 2009 12:54 pmEMT Express – May 28, 2009
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Welcome to EMT Express, providing bi-weekly news and tips for the people who market Minnesota tourism.
- Senate Committee Hearings in Minnesota
- Minnesota Summer Tourism Outlook: Travel Trends Could Add Up to a Positive Bottom Line for Tourism Businesses
- Meet in Minnesota: Sample Opinion Editorial Piece Available for Your Community’s Use
- New Travel Trade Leads Posted
- Get Your Ad in the 2010 Minnesota Travel Guide
- Advertising on www.exploreminnesota.com
- Save the Date – Cultural Heritage Tourism Workshops
- Event Management Training
- New License Plate Hits the Streets
- In the News
- Electronic Marketing Tip
- USBC Women’s Championship Tournament
- White Bear Lake Promoter Featured on You Tube
- Minnesota and Manitoba Partner to Create International Birding
- WHTI Deadline Approaches!
Senate Committee Hearings in Minnesota
Senator Amy Klobuchar presided over hearings of the Subcommittee on Competitiveness, Innovation and Export Promotion of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, yesterday. The hearings were held at The Depot in Duluth, with a second forum at The Lodge at Brainerd Lakes in Baxter. The hearings focused on issues impacting the travel industry.
The committee heard testimony from several state and local tourism industry representatives on efforts to facilitate and promote travel to and within Minnesota. Explore Minnesota Tourism’s Director John Edman focused his testimony on the current state of Minnesota tourism, Explore Minnesota Tourism’s travel promotions, and areas in which federal efforts could aid the travel industry.
John Edman’s Testimony for Senator Klobuchar’s Committee
Minnesota Summer Tourism Outlook: Travel Trends Could Add Up to a Positive Bottom Line for Tourism Businesses
In spite of the challenging economy, Minnesota tourism businesses are hoping to provide relief to stressed-out consumers by the offering the affordable, close-to-home getaways travelers will be looking for this summer. Pent-up demand among consumers to take long-delayed breaks could help Minnesota lodging businesses weather this year’s financial storm.
Among the more than 350 lodging and camping businesses across the state responding to a recent poll by Explore Minnesota Tourism, the state tourism office, half expect business this summer to continue at normal levels, with 32 percent anticipating occupancy to match last summer and 21 percent expecting an increase in occupancy. On the other hand, just under half (48 percent) expect occupancy to drop from last summer, and even more, 51 percent, expect their revenues to decline as they lower rates to attract customers.
Nationally, the U.S. Travel Association forecasts a 2 percent decline in leisure travel this summer.
Meet in Minnesota: Sample Opinion Editorial Piece Available for Your Community’s Use
We have created an “oped” template (http://industry.exploreminnesota.com/promotions/meetings-and-conventions/) to tell your story. Add information pertinent to tourism in your own community and send out under the letterhead of your own organization, with a local contact. Or, use as the basis for your own letter to the editor to your local newspaper.
EMT’s Travel Trade staff post leads regularly from conference appointments and sales missions. Mary Ann Steen and Chris Van Meter concluded a 2009 Group Tour Sales Mission with ten Minnesota industry representatives to meet with qualified tour operators and bank club directors in South Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa. For these, and international leads and more information for Minnesota tourism industry professionals go to: http://industry.exploreminnesota.com/trade-marketing/group-tour/.
Get Your Ad in the 2010 Minnesota Travel Guide
Ad sales for the 2010 Minnesota Travel Guide are underway, with ad rates that are five percent lower than last year! Advertisers will reach a large, targeted audience of travelers, with distribution (press run of 300,000) that includes: 70 Travel Information Centers, Mall of America, sports/travel shows, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, thousands ordered from the Explore Minnesota Web site, and thousands more ordered as a result of Explore Minnesota advertising. Research has found that consumers use both print brochures and websites to plan their trips, so it’s still important to reach consumers through print advertising.
Get a discount by purchasing your ad by the Early Bird Deadline, July 17, 2009. The final ad deadline is August 14, 2009.
Advertising on www.exploreminnesota.com
While the summer season is upon us, there is still a chance to fill occupancy, generate increased attendance and create greater awareness of your Minnesota travel destination. Advertising on www.exploreminnesota.com is a cost effective and productive way to reach your audience and overall traffic to Explore Minnesota Tourism’s Web site is up as evidenced by year to date traffic.
April 30, 2007 to May 1, 2008 – 2,419,610 Visits
April 30, 2008 to May 1, 2009 – 2,645,599 Visits
One effective way to link to cost-conscious travelers is the Deals Option which is popular with users of the site who search the site and/or receive the information through an opt-in newsletter or RSS feeds. Information on this and other advertising buys is available at http://industry.exploreminnesota.com/advertising/electronic-advertising/
Save the Date – Cultural Heritage Tourism Workshops
Research shows that cultural heritage travelers make up a significant number of the travelers to Minnesota, and historically, this segment of the travel market has been on the rise. We also know that throughout Minnesota, there is a great deal to offer these travelers.
Workshops are being planned this fall to bring together the many types of organizations that make up “Cultural Heritage Tourism” and help capitalize on this growing market. Included in the workshops will be presentations of partnership success stories already working in other communities.
Workshops are being offered in each region to reduce travel costs. Save the date now to attend the workshop in your region:
Thief River Falls – Thursday, August 13, 2009, 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (the Heartland meeting will begin the day)
North Shore – Thursday, October 1, 2009, 9 a.m.- 3:30 p.m
Metro – Monday, October 5, 2009, 9 a.m.- 3:30 p.m
New Ulm – Wednesday, October 14, 2009, 9 a.m.- 3:30 p.m
Central – Monday, November 9, 2009, 9 a.m.- 3:30 p.m
Watch for more details at http://industry.exploreminnesota.com.
The University of Minnesota Tourism Center offers an annual opportunity for event organizers to update and improve their skills. After completing the program, participants report increased municipal support, greater clarity of event policies, and increased sponsorship sales.
The 2009 class will be held on the St. Paul Campus of the University of Minnesota, September 24-26 and October 1-3, 2009. In addition to the prepared curriculum, guest speakers and a “behind-the-scenes” event experience are included. Interested in bringing the class to your community? Contact us! www.tourism.umn.edu
New License Plate Hits the Streets
The new Minnesota license plates that carry “exploreMinnesota.com” have been distributed since early March and 15,000+ are already on the street. A total of 100,000 were produced and 40,000 distributed to Deputy Registrars around the state.
Two recent EMT news releases were picked up widely by media outlets. The National Tourism Week and the recent Summer Travel Outlook releases were carried by WAOW TV-Wausau; Fox 43 TV-Knoxville; KGUN9-Tucson; Fox 19-Cincinnatti; WECT TV6-Delaware; Brietbart.com; WVVA TV-West Virginia/Virginia; WECT TV6-Wilmington, NC; WAFB9 TV-Baton Rouge; The Saint Paul Pioneer Press; The Minneapolis Saint Paul Business Journal and MSN Money Central (which claims 24,452,000 visitors per day), and other outlets.
Asserting “staycations”, the Saint Paul Capital City Partnership launched www.SaintPaulSTAYcation.com Web site and campaign, which was covered in the May 14, 2009 Journal of Finance and Commerce.
Minneapolis’ FireLake Restaurant got a boost on March 31, 2009 when its Chef Paul Lynch was featured on the NBC Today Show. Lynch took NBC correspondent Tiki Barber out onto a frozen lake to visit an ice-house village (taped DURING the ice fishing season!). While on the ice they savored the chef’s breakfast sliders and homemade hot chocolate. Yummo!
If you have a paid upgrade on www.explorminnesota.com, it’s still important to keep your free listing current by using the extranet. Information such as your prices, dates of operation, contact people, address and phone numbers are all part of the basic free listing maintained at Explore Minnesota Tourism.
The Explore Minnesota database is the information source for the Journey travel planning service and for exploreminnesota.com. Listings can be entered or updated directly by tourism businesses and organizations online at: www.extranet.exploreminnesota.com. For more information, contact Kim Fitzgerald at kim.fitzgerald@state.mn.us
USBC Women’s Championship Tournament
The USBC Women’s Championship tournament is seeking bids for 2014. This tournament was last in Minnesota in the 1960’s. Please see attached bid information.
Womens Championships National Bowling Tournament Bid Info Sheet
White Bear Lake Promoter Featured on You Tube
When the 2009 Governor’s Fishing Opener was held in White Bear Lake this month, they had one of the champion promoters of White Bear Lake and Minnesota tourism as their leader. Many know Bill Foussard, who works tirelessly on behalf of his community and state. Bill donned a fish costume at public events for three years to try to “lure” Governor Pawlenty to select White Bear Lake as the first metro community to host the event.
His creative and fun promotions didn’t stop even after the event was being planned! Check out this video to see Bill in action! We don’t know if Bill has really ever fished in his life, but we do know that he is a great promoter!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxNvyHtd4aA
Minnesota and Manitoba Partner to Create International Birding
The state of Minnesota and the province of Manitoba have formed a novel partnership to create the newest international birding trail in North America. On Tuesday, May 19, 2009, partners including birders, tourism and wildlife officials from both countries met on the border North of Roseau to celebrate the Route’s international extension.
The combined trail is 500-miles long and extends from west central Minnesota northward through Winnipeg to Hecla Island in the Interlake region of Manitoba. The 300-mile Canadian portion of the trail connects in the U.S. near Warroad, Roseau and Lancaster to Minnesota’s Pine to Prairie Birding Trail, a 200-mile long trail with 45 outstanding wildlife viewing sites.
New International Birding Trail Groundbreaking
The deadline for full implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) is almost here. Beginning June 1, 2009, U.S. and Canadian citizens will need a passport or other WHTI compliant document to enter and re-enter the United States by land or sea from the United States, Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean and Bermuda.
Some of the WHTI approved documents are a passport, a passport card (PassCard), a NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST trusted traveler program card, and/or a state issued enhanced driver’s license, such as Washington state’s EDL. Children under the age of 16 only need a birth certificate. For a full list of WHTI compliant documents and other exceptions, please visit:
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Department of Homeland Security
The Department of State
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has created a WHTI stakeholder tool kit to assist you in communicating this message to your constituents. On this CD, they have included: print collateral materials, TV spots (U.S. English, U.S. Spanish, Canada), radio spots folder (U.S. English, U.S. Spanish), PSAs, print ads (U.S., Canada), 0nline buttons, billboards (U.S. English, U.S. Spanish) and posters. If you would like copies of the WHTI stakeholder tool kit CD, please email your name, organization, address and phone number to Joanne Ferreira (joanne.ferreira@dhs.gov) so that they can mail a kit to you.
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If you have an article you wish to submit for consideration, please contact: Colleen Tollefson, 651/297-2635, 800/657-3637.
