Beyond Fishing: The Mille Lacs Visitor Profile

Abstract

Visitor Profile, an applied research program, provides data on visitor characteristics and behavior essential to destination marketing and tourism planning. Based on information gathered from visitor “intercept” surveys, the program helps destinations know their customers and grow their businesses, with spillover benefits for the broader community. Target Audience: Lake Mille Lacs has been known for walleye fishing. However, increasingly strict fishing regulation on the lake has had complicated impact on its tourism industry. Additionally, the most recent traveler information for the area dated back to 2001. Clearly, updated visitor profile information was needed to assist with its tourism marketing and product diversification efforts. Why Extension? The Tourism Center, respected for its research rigor and credibility, has over 20 years of experience in conducting visitor profile projects throughout the state. The Center has built trust by establishing long-standing relationships with key stakeholders in the state, including tourism promotion organizations, public agencies, tourism businesses, and industry organizations. Outcomes and Impacts: The Visitor Profile findings have informed the county’s economic development plan and marketing campaigns by Mille Lacs Tourism Council. The poster will highlight the key messages of the Visitor Profile and the ways these messages are changing tourism discourse in the area.