Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Tourism Promotion topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Explore Minnesota urges deeper promotion of the Great River Road, cites large tourism impact
Summary
Explore Minnesota outlined plans to market the Mississippi River corridor and Great River Road, citing recent visitor-economic indicators and offering editorial and international-marketing support; commissioners discussed partnerships and a Drive the Great River Road month kickoff.
Lauren Bennett, executive director of Explore Minnesota Tourism, told the Mississippi River Parkway Commission on March 16 that the agency is prioritizing marketing for the Mississippi River corridor and the Great River Road and offered the department’s editorial channels and international partnerships to boost visitation.
Bennett said Explore Minnesota’s recent indicators show a large statewide tourism economy and described core promotional tools — itineraries on exploreminnesota.org, video and social campaigns, and trade missions. During the presentation she highlighted international market work, including recent outreach to Japan and partnerships with tour operators and airlines, and said Canada, India, the U.K. and Germany remain important source markets.
Why it matters: commissioners and staff said the Great River Road benefits from coordinated promotion because it links multiple interpretive centers, scenic byways and tourism partners across Minnesota; stronger statewide marketing could help funnel visitors into longer, higher-spending river itineraries.
Commissioners asked how Explore Minnesota might feature interpretive centers and local towns on the department podcast and whether the agency could repurpose the department’s America 2.50 road‑trip initiative as a Great River Road itinerary. Bennett said Explore Minnesota is willing to amplify commission material on social channels and to add Great River Road stops to existing itineraries and promotional briefs.
Several members suggested a state‑fair or other public kickoff for a Drive the Great River Road month and asked for more coordination on app-based scavenger-hunt style itineraries; staff said existing program pages and a Goose Chase app-based itinerary are already in use and could be adapted.
The presentation emphasized the commission’s marketing need without committing Explore Minnesota to long‑term administrative duties. Bennett encouraged the commission to provide concrete briefs and partners for any joint campaigns so the department can prioritize resources.
Next steps: the commission and Explore Minnesota will continue planning for Drive the Great River Road month and discuss how interpretive centers can be showcased on podcasts and other editorial channels.
