saint paul festival & heritage foundation

Tourism Industry Achievements Highlighted at Explore Minnesota Tourism Conference

ALEXANDRIA, Minn.  (Feb. 26, 2020) – During the 2020 Explore Minnesota Tourism Conference, held at Arrowwood Resort last night, several individuals, organizations and tourism businesses were recognized at the annual Explore Minnesota Tourism Awards for their contributions to the state’s $16 billion travel industry.

The Saint Paul Winter Carnival took home one of those awards, The 2019 Only In MN Icon Award. 

ABOUT EXPLORE MINNESOTA

As the state's tourism promotion office, Explore Minnesota pursues an entrepreneurial approach, leveraging the state's tourism investment with increased involvement by the private sector. Tourism is a $16.0 billion industry in Minnesota, and a key sector of the state's economy. The leisure and hospitality industry employs nearly 273,000 workers, representing 11 percent of Minnesota's private sector employment. Leisure and hospitality also generates $1.0 billion of the state's sales tax revenues. Minnesota welcomes more than 73 million domestic and international travelers annually.