State Tourism Bureau Says More People Are Vacationing In Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- More travelers are choosing to stay the night in Minnesota.

New numbers show there's been a spike of people vacationing this summer in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

The state tourism bureau, Explore Minnesota, says lodging numbers are up from last summer vacation season. More people are choosing to stay in hotels and campgrounds.

According to their new survey, 83 percent of people in the lodging business say they are stable, healthy or growing.

Jenny Stimler helps run Hotel Landing in Wayzata, a boutique hotel with bay views, a spa and a sprawling restaurant.

She says business has sharply increased the past few months.

"We're very thankful everybody is traveling and vacationing and doing their business as is because in the hospitality industry that's very, very important to keep everything strong," Stimler said.

One of those travelers is Michelle Cona from New York. She's here to see their cousin Chris marry Minnesota native Kate Kirkland.

"It's beautiful here, it's really nice. It's green, lots of lakes, kind of blows my expectations," Cona said.

Tourism specialists say blowing expectations is just what they are trying to do, and lodging business in the state is up from last year.

Erica Wacker is the Communications Manager of Explore Minnesota.

"A lot of people attributed it to a strong economy so when they are stable in their jobs and the economy is strong, they are more likely to travel," Wacker said.

They also credit more social media advertising, and the mostly ideal weather.  Those are just a few reasons people are finding Minnesota nice.

The team at Explore Minnesota says they expect this tourism streak to go into fall based on the bookings they've already seen, and the early predictions for fall colors.