It's summer--why talk about the school week?
As of 2012, 13 Minnesota school districts have implemented a change to a four-day week. More districts are considering the switch. Applied Economics Assistant Professor Elton Mykerezi found two changes to travel behavior as a result of the school week switch: 1) the four-day school schedule caused sizable increases in "day trips" - trips that are at least 50 miles away from home but require no overnight stay, and 2) parents reported significantly fewer trips of five days or more. Perhaps a surprise, the number and nature of "weekend trips" stayed the same. More details of this groundbreaking study are found in the full report.
The study, funded by the University of Minnesota Tourism Center's Carlson Chair for Travel, Tourism & Hospitality sought to help the tourism industry understand the implications of this change so that businesses can better adapt.
Stay tuned! Dr. Mykerezi is investigating the impact of the Labor Day school start on leisure travel at a national level. |
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Certificate in Festival & Event Management: Online & energized
As the 4th of July approaches, many of us are organizing or preparing to attend an Independence Day event or festival. Minnesota has more than 1200 festivals and events--each of which contributes to community pride, civic engagement and strengthened economies.
This summer we're preparing an updated online version of the Certificate in Festival & Event Management training program. A team of experts is creating an engaging and educational online course to maximize the benefits of festivals while minimizing the challenges and costs. In this updated class you'll find engaging online sections with videos, practical advice from experts, essential readings, emerging research and best practice examples. The online offering will be six weeks, starting September 17th--register by September 1 and registration is just $499! Register after September 1 for $599.
Already taken the program? Perhaps you'll want to join us for our $99 'Timely topic: Social Media & Events' offered the week of October 29. The timely topic registration opens early July. We hope you'll join us! If the fall doesn't suit you, we'll be offering the class February through March in 2013 with a timely topic on Customer Service & Events. Need help with service before then? Check out the At Your Service training program--also available in Spanish!
Are you looking to know more about your event attendees? Find our consumer research on festival and event attendees on the events research page. |
Economic impact of museums
Museums preserve our heritage, inspire artists, entertain and educate children, conserve the natural world and capture scientific advancements. But what kind of economic value do they bring to Minnesota?
The state's documented 562 museums provided an economic impact of $674 million in 2011, according to research sponsored by the Carlson Chair for Travel, Tourism & Hospitality. This impact included $250 million in wages paid to an estimated 5,300 employees, and $157 million in capital improvements last year. Direct spending by museums also had ripple effects across the state's construction, restaurant, health care, and real estate industries. Find the full report on our research reports page.
Moving beyond museums, the Cultural Data Project will be tracking expenditures and income for the breadth of arts and cultural programs and organizations. Make sure your organization is participating and reaping the reporting benefits! |
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Spiritual tourism, cycling safety & Celtic celebrations: oh my!
Did you miss our celebration of 'Travel & Tourism week'? Have no fear, you can find links to the great posters presented here.
Ever year, we celebrate National Travel & Tourism week with a poster event and light lunch to highlight our partners and the work we do. At this year's event we also continued the celebration of our 25th year with Goldy cupcakes! Keep your eyes and ears open for other celebrations on or around the 25th of every month! |
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Carlson Chair for Travel, Tourism & Hospitality Proposals due Oct 1
As we've done the last several years, we welcome proposals for tourism education and research ideas through the Carlson Chair for Travel, Tourism & Hospitality. Our Advisory Committee reviews projects and recommends several for funding. Perhaps you have an idea to submit for the next round of funding? Consider applying for 2013 funds; applications are due October 1, 2012 and details can be found here. |
