The University of Minnesota Tourism Center helps communities realize the economic, social, and environmental sustainability of tourism and outdoor recreation. Below, find tourism-focused news articles, webinars and research reports to help inform and support your community.
Minnesota’s $16 billion tourism industry relies on research and education from the Tourism Center. Our research and education stays relevant because we stay in touch with both the industry and communities.
Since 1987, the Tourism Center has strengthened every Minnesota county and tourism sector. Explore our 2025 Year in Review for highlights on our recent work in community tourism development, outdoor recreation, and agritourism.
Learn five tips to show how your festivals and events boost the local economy and attract visitors.
Discover a report that helps estimate the tourism-related economic effects of your local festivals and events.
Learn about our focus areas in the following section. Explore our research reports for completed community-led and partner projects.
Discover how our research-based education and programs help communities create and sustain local tourism experiences.
Tourism has evolved as a development priority for many communities. It can enhance the local economy and foster the protection of local resources. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, residents and visitors alike have increasingly sought festivals and events that create community and provide unique experiences. The Tourism Center has a long history of assisting communities that want to develop or enhance tourism and festivals.
Our educators work with communities at all stages of tourism development to identify local assets, explore new ideas and create sustainable tourism efforts. Our Festival and Event Management (FEM) online course provides hands-on knowledge that strengthen festival organizers' skills in managing successful and fiscally sustainable festivals.
The community of Currie — Funded by the Empowering Small Minnesota Communities program and working with the Currie Area Revitalization Enterprise, this project facilitated a community engagement effort to identify and prioritize potential future projects, with the goal of increasing commerce and tourism, revitalizing infrastructure, and creating recreational opportunities.
The community of Henderson — Funded by the Empowering Small Minnesota Communities program, the Tourism Center participates in this project by helping Henderson develop short- and long-term strategies for tourism and economic development, and weave together community assets such as parks, trails, and ecological assets for long-term planning.
Another way the Tourism Center helps your community and local businesses with community tourism development is getting data and information on your visitors. The Tourism Center employs a variety of approaches, from traditional survey methods to mobile analytics, to gather consumer intelligence as appropriate.
2025 Twin Cities Marathon EIA study — In collaboration with Extension's Applied Research Specialist, we worked with Twin Cities in Motion to conduct an economic contribution study of the marathon-weekend events held in Minneapolis and Saint Paul.
Economic impact of the U.S. Gymnastics Olympic Team Trials and associated events in Minnesota: 2024 — Led by Extension's Senior Economic Impact Analyst, we worked with Minnesota Sports and Events, the lead local organizer of the team trials and associated events, to conduct an economic impact analysis of the events.
Outdoor recreation is a growing sector of the United States economy. The outdoor recreation economy accounted for 2.4% of the gross domestic product (GDP) for the United States in 2024.
According to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) recently signed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development, Forest Service, and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) on supporting the nation’s outdoor recreation economy, building the recreation economy in the United States is one of USDA’s top priorities. The Tourism Center has been working diligently at community, state, and national levels to help Minnesota communities leverage the benefits of the growing outdoor recreation economy.
Outdoor recreation dashboard using regional household survey data: In fall 2024, the North Central, Northeast, and Southern Regional Rural Development Centers (RRDCs) conducted a demographically representative household survey in their regions. The Tourism Center created an interactive dashboard that summarizes and compares data from the survey's outdoor recreation questions. Check out the dashboard for a rare opportunity to compare regional and state-level data – see how Minnesota stacks up against other states near and far!
Equitable access to recreation at Lake Superior (EARLS): Exploring perceptions, constraints, and opportunities among Minnesota’s Black population — Funded by MN Sea Grant, this project explores barriers to outdoor recreation along Lake Superior's North Shore among Black and African American population in Minnesota. In collaboration with UMN's Department of Forest Resources and community partners, the project team has assessed current visitation inequities to public lands along the North Shore and conducted focus groups with Black and African American residents in Minnesota.
Entrepreneur-friendly community curriculum for the recreation economy — Free of charge and publicly available, the curriculum helps communities become entrepreneur-friendly in the context of the growing outdoor recreation economy. We would like to thank the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD) for funding this project and Ohio State University Extension for leading the project. Access the curriculum.
Participation in the National Extension Outdoor Recreation Working Group — The National Extension Tourism Network, of which Tourism Center Director Dr. Qian is the Past Chair, hosts an outdoor recreation working group. Dr. Ami Choi, Tourism Center Specialist whose work is primarily focused on outdoor recreation, is an active participant in the working group.
Agritourism is most simply defined as where agriculture and tourism meet. Over the past few years, the Tourism Center built and maintained a statewide agritourism workgroup with comprehensive representation from state agencies, non-profit organizations that serve producers, and on-campus entities that support agritourism. Workgroup members actively leverage each other’s expertise and resources across the country to serve agritourism operators in Minnesota.
Sign up for our quarterly agritourism newsletter
On-farm experience case studies — The case studies were created in response to Minnesota farmers' and producers' interest in creating on-farm experiences for their customers. Access the landing page here, which includes direct links to the three case studies.
We want to express our deepest gratitude for the four farmers whom we interviewed in fall 2024 — the case studies would not have been possible without their generous sharing of time and insights.
Agritourism emergency planning resources: Extension Educator Freya Thurmer has developed an agritourism emergency and crisis planning guide. Alongside the guide, a fill-in-the-blank emergency planning worksheet helps farms put information in the guide into practice.
Agritourism resource folder: The Tourism Center has created a resource folder for agritourism. This is a living, breathing folder. More resources will be added to this folder as they become available. We strongly encourage you to send us agritourism-related resources that you’d like to share, so this folder can grow into a one-stop place that supports our agritourism businesses.
Participation in the National Extension Agritourism Working Group: the National Extension Tourism Network, of which Tourism Center Director Dr. Qian is the Past chair, hosts an agritourism working group. Freya Thurmer, Extension Educator with an agritourism work portfolio, actively participates in the working group.
Join our mailing list for updates on agritourism resources and efforts in Minnesota from the below link.
We have been strengthening Minnesota tourism for more than 30 years. Our partnerships extend our work to all 87 counties in Minnesota and beyond.
In 1987, the University of Minnesota Tourism Center was created. That same year, Curtis L. Carlson made an initial gift to establish the Carlson Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Chair. This gift inspired additional gifts from more than 130 tourism industry supporters.
Over the years, projects supported with Carlson Chair funds have made an impact in every Minnesota county and tourism sector. As a result of our research and educational efforts, social, political and cultural capital has increased across Minnesota.
An experienced, passionate, and knowledgeable industry advisory committee drives our success. Advisory committee members provide insight and ideas related to applied research, education and engagement. The 22-member committee represents the depth and breadth of the industry in Minnesota. Each member is an individual with a passion for, and commitment to, the tourism, travel or hospitality industry.
Tourism Center affiliates bring additional expertise in areas that impact the tourism industry. They are faculty, researchers, and professional staff in multiple disciplines across the University of Minnesota system. Their academic areas of interest align with Minnesota’s tourism industry and the mission of the Tourism Center.
The Tourism Center Fund supports our work helping communities use research, education and collaboration to guide local decision-making, drive marketing strategies, and inform policy and strengthen local economies through tourism.
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© 2026 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.