Gov. Mark Dayton and the state's top tourism official are making a dramatic push to increase tourism with a new campaign to showcase things visitors can do only in Minnesota.
An additional $11 million in state funding is allowing tourism officials to reach beyond the immediate Midwestern states and Canadian provinces to 14 new markets including, for the first time, into Missouri, Kansas and Western states.
The campaign features new television commercials that showcase local musicians. It also has an aggressive social media effort that officials hope will allow them to capture the interest of people thinking about visiting Minnesota.
"This new campaign is a movement that will highlight unique Minnesota attractions and engage consumers in conversation about Minnesota travel," said John Edman, CEO of Explore Minnesota. "This cutting-edge campaign allows our state to be more competitive and grow tourism across Minnesota."
Tourism officials are trying to get an edge locally as states such as Wyoming, Michigan and Wisconsin are spending millions to lure Minnesotans there.
Without an aggressive campaign, Edman said, Minnesota would lose out to those other states, many of which have larger tourism budgets.
The new campaign, the most expensive tourism push in state history, is designed to help Minnesota hold and expand what is already a $12.5 billion industry employing more than 245,000 workers.
Tourism officials are paying for the new campaign from a 65 percent increase in their funding authorized in Dayton's budget.
