Several members of the Cook County Events & Visitors’ Bureau presented an annual report to the Cook County Board of Commissioners Tuesday, June 9, 2009 at the conclusion of its first year as a special taxing district.
Income so far for FY 2008-09, which ends June 30, has been $15,000 from Grand Portage, $17,121 from the Gunflint Trail Association, $25,898 from the Grand Marais Area Tourism Association, $143,144 from Lutsen Mountain Corporation, $151,207 from the Lutsen-Tofte Tourism Association, and $4,959 from grants and miscellaneous income.
Out of the $357,328 total income, $215,446 was spent directly on events intended to increase tourism to the area, and $30,007 was set aside in contingency funds.
Events supported by the tax included Becoming a Boundary Waters Family, Gunflint Green Up, Taste of the Gunflint, Wintertracks, and the Volks Ski Fest on the Gunflint Trail; the North Shore holiday (Christmas), the Jazz Festival, the Volks Ski Fest, and a summer events magazine in Grand Marais; ski season cultural activities, a North American Snowsports Journalists Association conference, the Volks Ski Fest, low season winter weekend bands, a winter events magazine, and May/June golf events in the Lutsen-Tofte and Lutsen Mountains area; and various events in Grand Portage.
“There’s a lot of positive momentum in the community,” said business owner Eric Humphrey.
Cook County lodging tax income is down during the first quarter of 2009, with the Lutsen-Tofte Tourism Association seeing 16.2% less than last year at this time; the Grand Marais Area Tourism Association, 17.7% less; and the Gunflint Trail Tourism Association, 25.2% less.
Lodging tax income for 2008 was 2% higher than in 2007, but during the first three months of 2009, the county has seen a 17.3% decline in lodging in the three tax districts overall compared with last year at this time.
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