Carlson Travel, Tourism & Hospitality Chair

Projects conducted with Carlson Chair funding have made an impact in every Minnesota county and tourism sector. Carlson Chair dollars have been leveraged to obtain an additional $0.95 for every dollar spent. With these dollars we have informed decisions, engaged communities, and supported an educated tourism workforce through timely and topical research and research-based training. As a result of our research and educational efforts, social, political, and cultural capital has increased across Minnesota.

Initiated in the mid-1980s and fiscally cemented in 1995, The Carlson Chair has been used to support a variety of research and education efforts across Minnesota. The Chair is managed by the University Foundation Investment Advisors.

Decisions about fund use are made by the director in consideration of established criteria, advice from the Advisory Committee, and approved by the Dean and Director of Extension. Industry demand exceeds our resources:  Give today.

2012

• Economic Impact of Minnesota Museums
• Digital Presence of Minnesota Tourism-related Businesses

2010

• Ethnic Culture Tourism Destinations Conference
• The influence of a four-day school week on tourism and recreational spending in Minnesota
  

2009

Economic and social values of scenic byways

• Paul Bunyan (.pdf)
• Lake Country (.pdf)
  

Reasons for and constraints to MN resort vacations

• Qualitative Research Regarding Vacation Decision Making and Perceptions of the Minnesota Resort Experience (.pdf)

2008 project support

• Farm stay interest, inventory and marketing (.pdf)
• Agricultural tourism
• Economic impact of trails and group interaction in Minnesota  (.pdf)

2007 project support

• Economic impact of travel to Minnesota (with Explore MN Tourism & Regional Tourism Associations) (.pdf)
• Sustainable tourism in Minnesota Conference
• State of Sustainable tourism in Minnesota (.pdf)

2006 project support

For the first time, the Tourism Center issued a request for proposals to expend Carlson dollars. Several interesting projects were reviewed by a subcommittee of the Tourism Center Advisory Committee and a handful of these projects were recommended for funding. Check back for their reports!

• 2007 Sled Dog Sports Participant Survey (.pdf)
• Meetings market in Minnesota
• American Indian Tourism in Minnesota
• The Economic Impact of Expenditures by Travelers on Minnesota’s Northcentral/West Region and The Profile of Travelers June 2005 – May 2006 (.pdf)

2005 project support

Research: Economic impact of tourism in Minnesota. In partnership with Explore Minnesota Tourism and the state tourism associations, the Chair supported data collection and analysis on tourism economics and visitor profiles. These reports will provide county level economic impact of tourism in Minnesota, as well as provide a statewide visitor profile.

In addition to economics, a statewide assessment of resident’s attitude toward tourism was funded through Chair dollars.

Beyond primary data collection, Chair funds enabled dissemination of research information through print and verbal presentations.

2004 project support

Research: Two visitor profile studies, Leech Lake Area Summer Visitor Profile: A Focus on Interest in Culture and Nature-based Experiences (.pdf) and Study of Current Area Tourists: Customer Profiles--Southern Minnesota (I-90) (.pdf), leveraged Chair dollars with state and private funds.

Education: The Travel Counselor Certification was created in part by Chair supported personnel.