Faribault’s new director of community marketing is looking forward to promoting his hometown. Nort Johnson was the guest on today’s KDHL AM Minnesota program and outlined his new duties for our listeners.

In addition to tourism, Johnson also will oversee the Main Street Program downtown. He took the opportunity to thank all those in the community who have invested in the downtown area to keep it vibrant.

Johnson explained the state declares how the lodging tax money will be used. In terms of gross sales, Rice County ranks third in the 36-county southern Minnesota region, according to Explore Minnesota, the state’s tourism department, with just under $151 million. The sales tax revenues for the county are just over $6.5 million, and the private-sector employment generated by the leisure and hospitality industry ranked fourth, with 2,307 jobs. Olmsted County was tops and Blue Earth County second. Winona County ranked third in jobs, but Faribault’s gross sales were more than $56 million more. I broke down the numbers for an 11-county southeast Minnesota area where Rice County ranked second in gross sales and third in private-sector employment from the travel/tourism industry.

I noted that often, Explore Minnesota’s advertising emphasizes fishing in northern Minnesota when we have fine fishing in the Rice County area, and Faribault specifically, and Johnson agreed, saying he recently hit Lake Mazaska after the Chamber's annual banquet last Saturday night. He also said recently he visited with some writer friends who were fully aware of the fishing in this part of the state.

According to Explore Minnesota information, advertising has worked. For every dollar spent on advertising last spring and summer, the state saw a $68 return on their investment. You can hear Johnson's comments today on KDHL newscasts at 12:05 p.m, 5:05 p.m. and 6:05 p.m., and Thursday morning at 7:05 and 8:05.

 

 

 

 

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