Visit Minot takes action, improves economy By Visit Minot staff During the pandemic, tourism and hospitality was noticeably hit in Minot. The Convention and Visitor’s Bureau of the city, Visit Minot, saw the pandemic, rolled up the sleeves and got to work. Visit Minot has focused on bringing in visitors from outside of Ward Country to experience the hospitality that Minot has to offer. With regard to 2020, the Minot area saw a reduction in visitors of 40 percent due to the pandemic. This was heightened by the loss of the North Dakota State Fair in July as well as the Norsk Hostfest in October, both of which are the two biggest injections of dollars for the city of Minot over an aggregate 14-day period. The desires of out-of-state visitors also started to shift, with more interest being placed in outdoor-related activities and outdoor dining options. However, like Visit Minot and the city have done for so long, they adapted. Without these large events, however, more smaller events and outdoor events started to flourish with visitors looking for things to do. Not surprisingly, the influx of people interested in outdoor activities such as hiking, fishing and camping dramatically increased. It was also no surprise that people wanted safe summer activities to do; what was a surprise was the unprec-
edented desire for digital information on things to do in Minot, which prompted the creation of a new webpage for outdoor activities at Visit Minot. Today, the page continues to be an ever-growing resource for avid explorers and casual outdoorsmen-and-women alike. During COVID-19, the Magic City remained a popular stop for those looking to leave metro areas and spread their wings after getting out of the big city. As time progressed, another bright spot moving into 2020 was the slow return of youth sports, which provided a bevy of visitors from outside the area that attended baseball, softball, hockey, and basketball. Even in the Visitor’s Bureau office adjacent to the Scandinavian Heritage Park, over 46 states were represented in July and August 2020 from people coming to the Visitor’s Center and signing the Visitor Center guest book. With the Canadian border closed for the previous 18 months, youth sporting events and tourism since the pandemic began have helped lessen the financial burden of cancelled events, missed seasons and reduction of visitors. For those in the hospitality industry (such as hotels, restaurants, events, shops and attractions), this effort has brought welcomed new life into a community hustling to persevere. The hospitality industry is arguably one of the top employers in the region, and subsequently
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