5 minute read
improves economy
Visit Minot takes action, improves economy
By Visit Minot staff
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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 unprecedented 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
was hit hard during the pandemic. Represented within this industry are over 450 business locations in Minot, and the Visitor’s Bureau must be in-tune with all of them. It is a mutually symbiotic relationship that is meant to cater to outside visitors, and this relationship is vital to the sustainability and growth of the city. During the pandemic, not only was the goal to encourage people to explore Minot and still highlight things to do, but Visit Minot also had an aim to keep people safe during these events. After all, the main name of the game in tourism is comfort and convenience, two things which could have easily been in short supply during a pandemic. Instead, Visit Minot went to work, finding ways to coordinate events and bring dollars into Minot.
One such example was the American Collegiate Hockey Association’s (ACHA) Women’s Division-I tournament in April of 2021. This was only the second time that an ACHA tournament was held in Minot (the other being the 2000 Men’s Division-1 Championship). This five-day event maintained COVID-19 protocols while providing an excellent experience for many visiting Minot that, a) had been starved for sports to watch and, b) brought crowds and good business to the city.
But that was just the final product. 11 weeks earlier, the city of Minot was given notice that this tournament (originally scheduled to take place in Boston) would be relocated to Pepsi Rink at Maysa Arena. Typically, tournament bids and planning are completed 1-2 years in advance, so that cities and organizations have time to plan for an influx of players, coaches and fans, and that arenas can accommodate the tournament into their packed schedules.
Visit Minot and other entities got 10 weeks. With the help and dedication of Minot Hockey Boosters, Minot State University, the Minot Parks/Maysa Arena Staff, and others, the 2021 ACHA Women’s Division-I tournament became a successful reality, made even more impressive with 12 games played over five days.
As the direction of the city shifts and changes, so does Visit Minot. The overarching goal is to drive tourism to the region and help every visitor experience Minot to the fullest; the pandemic may have been tough, but it showed that Visit Minot was prepared to do just that.
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