Meet Minneapolis recently revealed Destination Transformation 2030, the city’s first-ever tourism master plan. Inspired by multiple major events coming to the city in the next few years, the CVB decided to seize the opportunity to achieve long-term gains in tourism.
“We want to celebrate and enhance the very best of our city and everything it offers. And we want the world to know about it,” says Mayor Betsy Hodges, co-chair of Destination Transformation 2030. “The objectives outlined in this plan will help us achieve those goals.”
The major goals of Destination Transformation 2030 include increasing winter visitation from 6 million travelers to 11 million travelers; developing a $10 million annual awareness-building marketing campaign; supporting 40,000 hospitality jobs, an increase from 32,500 jobs in today’s market; and attracting 50 million annual visitors to the metro area. The plan’s name is derived by Meet Minneapolis’ aim to achieve these goals by the year 2030.
Development of the plan started with gathering input from 3,000 people over the past year. This input came from tourists, meeting planners, local stakeholders, residents, industry experts and travel writers. Six subcommittees then worked together to formulate the plan.
“Rather than coming up with one monumental tourism attraction or idea, our subcommittees recommended using the advantages we already enjoy in Minneapolis while also addressing the deficits, such as lack of awareness and poor wayfinding,” says Bob Lux, Alatus LLC; chair, Meet Minneapolis Board of Directors; and co-chair of Destination Transformation 2030 committee. “Our goals are ambitious but with this plan as a roadmap, we can get there.”
Destination Transformation 2030 is made up of eight initiatives for 2030:
• Attract 50 million visitors to the metro area annually by 2030
• Grow and emphasize hospitality jobs as important to social equity and the metro economy
• Launch a metro-wide branding and marketing campaign
• Implement a unified transportation, wayfinding and information program for Minneapolis
• Build an iconic visitors center on downtown’s central riverfront
• Adopt a comprehensive place-making plan to drive Minneapolis tourism priorities and investments
• Accentuate winter as a novel tourism adventure
• Identify and secure ongoing resources to implement the tourism master plan
To continue the work of accomplishing these goals, the Meet Minneapolis Board of Directors will meet with three subcommittees to lead tactical efforts. For more details on the Destination Transformation 2030 plan, visit Minneapolis.org/DT2030.