The Itasca County Historical Society (ICHS) is in the process of developing a new exhibit highlighting the areaâs connections to the Mississippi River.Â
According to ICHS Executive Director Lilah Crowe, Megan Christianson representing the Mississippi River Commission approached ICHS with the proposal that the museum become an interpretive site for the Itasca County portion of the Mississippi River. After the ICHS Board of Directors approved the application, fundraising and construction began during the Covid-19 crisis.Â
While workers came in behind the scenes by themselves to put in the temporary walls, volunteers began right away to gather information on the Serpentine portion of the river south of Blackberry. Minnesota Timber & Millwork from Rajala Forestry donated birch boards for the East Wall. Artist Peggy Hagan began the River Wall, a muriel that is 16 feet long on the North Wall.Â
Local businesses must decrease hours of operation because they cannot find employees
Itasca County proclaimed the week of May 2-8, 2021 as National Travel and Tourism Week. The proclamation came during the Itasca County Board work session on Tuesday.Â
Travel and tourism have been a consistent driver of Itasca Countyâs economy and workforce. Last year, government shutdowns following the corona virus pandemic devastated the travel industry, including Itasca County.Â
According to the proclamation, domestic and international travelers in Minnesota declined by 44 percent in 2020. Federal, state, and local tax receipts declined by 36 percent in Minnesota.Â
Visit Grand Rapids Executive Director Megan Christianson said travel spending decreased in Minnesota by $7.1 billion in 2020. This was following a banner year in 2019 when leisure and hospitality gross sales increased 3.5 percent and visitation grew at a 2.6 percent average annual rate between 2017 and 2019, according t
National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW), the annual celebration of the contributions of the U.S. travel industry, will spotlight the critical role that travel will play in driving economic recovery efforts and building the path forward through the theme Power of Travel.
Celebrated annually the first full week in May, NTTW was created by Congress in 1983 to elevate the economic power of travel in the U.S. The 38th annual NTTW (May 2-8) arrives at an opportune moment to recognize the importance to the U.S. economy of initiating a post-pandemic travel recovery.
âNTTW takes on a special significance this year as the travel industry looks to rebound quickly from the pandemic and accelerate recovery efforts,â said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow. âThe past year was incredibly challenging, but we saw the full power of the travel industry on display in the way we united and supported one another through this crisis. Before the pandemic, travel generated $