DULUTH, Minn. — The future of the city of Duluth’s multimillion-dollar tourism marketing contract is being guided by a task force requested by Mayor Roger Reinert. Then, in late May, businesses and the general public will have an opportunity to weigh in.
This comes after Reinert announced in March that he believed next year’s marketing contracts should go to local talent.
In 2021, former Mayor Emily Larson selected Twin Cities-based Belmont Partners to market Duluth for $1.8 million. This marks the end of Visit Duluth’s 85-year history as the city’s only marketing agency.
Visit Duluth will be reduced to its current visitor center focused on attracting conventions. Visit Duluth’s $650,000 annual contract also expires at the end of December and will be considered through an RFP process.
Commenting on the upcoming listening session, Karen Pionk, Chair of the Tourism Marketing Working Group, said: “These listening sessions are a rare opportunity for us to connect with our community and gain valuable insight into how we can strengthen our tourism marketing. We look forward to working with industry partners and passionate individuals to do the same.”
The dates for in-person and virtual listening sessions are as follows:
Date and time: May 14th, 1:00 p.m.
Location: Lake Superior Zoo, 7210 Fremont Street, Duluth, MN
Date: May 15th, 8:00am
Location: Lake Superior Railroad Museum, 506 W Michigan Street, Duluth, MN
Date and time: May 16th 4pm
Location: Glensheen Mansion, 3300 London Road, Duluth, MN
In addition, virtual listening sessions will be held the following days for those unable to attend in person.
Date and time: May 20th, 12:00 p.m.
Virtual platform: Microsoft Teams
Participation Link: Click here to join the meeting
Meeting ID: 268 324 755 621
Passcode: 8r77hQ
