In 2023, travel spending generated $2.8 trillion in economic output and supported jobs for nearly 15 million American workers. To shine a spotlight on the profound economic impact of travel, U.S. Travel has been hitting the road for a nationwide “Travel Works for America” advocacy tour, with stops designed to demonstrate first-hand how travel works for America by spotlighting its extensive impact at the local level.

Our latest Travel Works destination was Minnesota, where we visited Bloomington, Minneapolis, Saint Paul and ended at the iconic Minnesota State Fair. 

Each visit on our Minnesota leg of the Travel Works roadshow served as a vivid testament to the essential role of travel in the economy, fueling industries core to Minnesota’s legacy. We had the great privilege of working closely with many Minnesota elected officials over our two-day tour. 

Stops Along the Minnesota Roadshow

Our roadshow kicked off with a roundtable discussion, where more than 30 Minnesota business leaders gathered at Bloomington Minnesota Travel & Tourism’s office to hear from industry executives, elected officials and local business leaders about the tangible impact that travel has on the local region and businesses. Travel is indispensable to Minnesota—supporting more than 180,000 jobs, welcoming 80 million visitors annually and generating $24 billion in economic impact.

Next, we toured the one and only Mall of America, the largest retail shopping mall in the United States. This mall welcomes 40 million visitors and adds nearly $2 billion to Minnesota’s economy annually. The U.S. Travel team, alongside Mall of America CEO Luiza Lopes, enjoyed a behind-the-scenes tour where they learned more about the mall’s top-notch security systems, marketing efforts, partnerships and long-standing history that makes it one of the state’s most treasured cultural landmarks. 

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Our final stop was the legendary Minnesota State Fair. The fair—located halfway between Saint Paul and Minneapolis—draws over 100,000 visitors daily during its annual 14-day run—showcasing the best of the state’s culinary, agriculture, art and cultural offerings. Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, co-chair of the Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus, helped us kick off the day with remarks in front of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Park, where she underscored the transformative power of travel. Thank you Senator Klobuchar for being a steadfast champion for the travel industry. 

This Roadshow would not have been possible without our travel industry partners: Meet Minneapolis, Explore Minnesota, Bloomington, Minnesota Travel & Tourism and Visit Saint Paul. Thank you for hosting and showing us around the North Star State. 

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Follow Along

U.S. Travel’s Travel Works program elevates the narrative surrounding travel’s pivotal role in bolstering the economy while also highlighting the challenges that affect both the travel industry and businesses nationwide. Travel Works also presents a unique opportunity to foster increased engagement and understanding among elected officials at all levels, enabling them to effectively champion our industry’s priorities.

Stay tuned for the addition of more stops across the nation as we continue to amplify and celebrate the undeniable impact of travel on our economy. Learn more about Travel Works.