Westopolis reports near‑prepandemic lodging‑tax recovery, outlines sports‑tourism and partnership strategy

Becky Bakken, president of Westopolis, told the St. Louis Park City Council that visitor spending in St. Louis Park and Golden Valley totaled $211,000,000 in 2024 and that lodging‑tax revenue is almost back to 2019 levels.

Bakken, the president of the destination marketing organization formerly known as Discover Saint Louis Park, opened her annual report by citing statewide 2023 tourism figures from Explore Minnesota Tourism: “$24,200,000,000 in total economic impact, 80,200,000 total visitors, $2,300,000,000 in state and local taxes generated, $14,100,000,000 in visitor spending and 180,000 jobs,” she said. She described Westopolis’s mission as promoting St. Louis Park and Golden Valley to drive hotel occupancy, restaurant and retail spending, and event activity.

The nut of Bakken’s presentation was funding and strategy. She explained how the group is financed: “3% is collected [on lodging], the city…keeps 5% of that 3 percent for their administrative fees…but then 95% of that revenue must go to a separate nonprofit…