st. cloud area convention and visitors bureau

With large gatherings not allowed right now, there are a lot of meetings, conventions and sporting events there are being canceled in the St. Cloud area.

Construction of two new hotels in Waite Park continues to move along. Meanwhile, the River's Edge Convention Center in downtown St. Cloud is a very busy place, which means the three existing hotels downtown can also be very busy.

Whether you're new to town, or have lived here for a while, there is a new mobile app that can help you find fun things to do. The St. Cloud Area Convention and Visitors Bureau has launched the app.

Downtown St. Cloud is bidding to host the 2017 Governor's Fishing Opener. Julie Lunning is the Executive Director of the St. Cloud Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. She says they have a unique proposal to host the opener on three stretches of the Mississippi River.

The St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce and St. Cloud Area Convention and Visitors Bureau have moved into a new collaborative location. The building is near the Great River Regional Library at 1411 West St. Germain Street. The building has more available parking compared to the previous Chamber location.

The hotel business is slowly rebounding this year, and at least one report says next year should be an even bigger year. Industry tracker TravelClick says occupancy nationwide is expected to increase by 5%, and rates will go up by about 4%.

The summer is over, and for tourism experts they have started shifting their focus from outdoor concerts and festivals to sports tournaments and conventions.

With this being the Labor Day Holiday weekend, the summer tourism season is coming to an end. Julie Lunning is the Executive Director of the St. Cloud Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. She says overall it was a good summer for tourism in the area.

Plan your pit stops ahead of time, if you're traveling long distances this weekend. All of the state's rest areas are shut down, in anticipation of the state government shutdown.