Duluth Tourism Numbers Up Drastic 11.6%

City on Track for Another Record Summer, Potentially Record Year

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The tourism tax includes the hotel/motel tax and the food and beverage tax, and in Duluth not only are those numbers up so far this year compared to last, they’re up by quite a lot.

“It’s been a very active summer, there’s been a lot of traffic in town,” said Gene Shaw, Public Relations Director at Visit Duluth.

And the numbers are there to prove it.

This year, January through June, Duluth’s tourism revenues increased by 11.6 percent.

“An 11 percent growth in the first six months is really unheard of during my time, the last 16 years,” said Mayor Don Ness.

Typically, Duluth averages a three to five percent increase each year.

“Generally speaking, three to five percent growth is really robust growth,” Ness explained.

More recently, that number has jumped between five and eight percent.

“But then to see an 11 percent growth – over a record year last year – 11 percent growth is really unheard of,” Ness admitted.

Ness says the boost is a result of a combination of factors.

First being the city’s effort to attract a new class of tourists.

“We’ve always done well bringing folks up that want to walk the Lakewalk and watch the ships come in, but now we’re expanding into more of that adventure tourism,” he explained.

Second, the construction.

“There’s very little vacancy available on weekends in Duluth during the summer, but it’s filling those rooms Monday through Thursday that really results in these types of numbers,” Ness told FOX 21.

And, of course, the weather.

“It’s been warm, but not hot and not cold, it’s been just perfect,” Shaw smiled.

Which brings out crowds to all sorts of events.

“Bayfront has been active – has had something going on every weekend,” Shaw said. “The Huskies have been having a fantastic year – they had, what? 400 or 500 people at the game the other night.”

The growth in economic activity helping support Duluth businesses.

“People in Duluth make money, and then they have money, and then they can come and be our customers, and they can come and be our customers,” explained Carla Blumberg, Co-Owner at Sarah’s Table, Chester Creek Café.

In an expanding cycle of success.

“Just things like that have really made the town buzz for the summer,” Shaw added.