Ongoing Resolutions for Explore Minnesota Tourism Council

Approved by Public Policy Committee on 11-26-07

School Year Calendar

Introduction: A change in current law regarding the start date or length of the school year is not necessary to make progressive change in Minnesota’s educational outcomes.

Increased learning outcomes are compatible with Minnesota’s tradition of summer.  There are many reforms proposed for K-12 education; all day-every day kindergarten, longer school days, increasing the number of education days per year, and many more.  Reforms that compliment students, families and the many businesses that depend on the school calendar can be accomplished.

Whereas, Minnesota claims one of the highest levels of K-12 learning in the country;

Whereas, increasing classroom time does not have to compete with Minnesota’s tourism industry;

Whereas, learning benefits and outcomes are important to the tourism industry;

Whereas, school calendars can have an impact on both family vacation options and seasonal employment;

Therefore, the Explore Minnesota Tourism Council supports:

Quality education as a high priority for the state;

A school calendar that addresses the best learning outcomes available while preserving Minnesota’s heritage of summer, includingpreserving a post Labor Day School start; and

Investigating other tools to increase learning outcomes before changing the start date or increasing the number of educational days in the school year.

Lodging Tax

Whereas, local economies around the state utilize the local option lodging tax to attract visitors from outside of their area ;

Whereas, the Minnesota lodging tax in M.S. 469.190 is to be used exclusively to market and promote tourism destinations through a variety of methods;

Whereas, the ability to fund these promotion efforts to a level that is competitive in the marketplace is critical to a destination’s success;

Whereas, the ability to impose a local option lodging tax to secure funding for these promotional efforts is critical to the promotion of  many of Minnesota’s tourism destinations.

Therefore, the Explore Minnesota Tourism Council supports:

The existing statute, M.S. 469.190, providing a local option lodging tax of up to three percent on the gross receipts from lodging and dedicating ninety-five percent of the gross proceeds only to marketing and promotion of tourism.

Tourism Funding

Whereas, tourism is a key sector of Minnesota’s economy, comparable to agriculture in its contribution to the gross state product;

Whereas, leisure and hospitality in Minnesota generates $10.2 billion in gross annual sales;

Whereas, more than $628 million is generated annually in state sales taxes;

Whereas, Minnesota’s leisure and hospitality industry employs more than 242,000 workers;

Whereas, every $1 invested in state tourism marketing returns an estimated $4.60 in state and local taxes; $20.40 in wages and $53 in gross sales;

Whereas, Minnesota tourism has slipped from 25th to 29th in overall U.S. state tourism budgets;

Whereas, Minnesota is being severely outspent by many of our competitors;

Therefore, the Explore Minnesota Tourism Council supports:

Funding to market Minnesota tourism with a goal of $20 million per year by 2010.