Ely’s tourism economy took a vicious beating in July.
Nearby wildfires combined with temporarily smoky air, the temporary closure of the Boundary Waters Area Wilderness and a barrage of media attention turned the peak of the tourism season into a nightmare for tourism operators.
“There was a lot working against us this year,” said Whitney Woods, marketing director for VisitEly, also known as the Ely Tourism Bureau.
Virginia Nelson, a VisitEly board member and local canoe outfitter, described the aftermath of the fires as “economic devastation,” for numerous Ely area businesses.
And while political leaders have talked of relief and even a special legislative session to address the damage, Nelson told Ely Area Lodging Tax Board members that “I’m not holding my breath that I’m going to get money from anybody else and a lot of other businesses are in the exact same position.”
Both Woods and Nelson said that timing is critical as efforts continue to reach out to potential customers - and draw them back to Ely.
“Getting people to come back here and think about here is very important,” said Nelson. “The marketing of this era is more important now than ever before.”
The recent crisis has prompted VisitEly to pause some of its promotional efforts and make some readjustments, according to Woods.
“We are thinking about different markets than just the Boundary Waters,” said Woods. “We still want to push the Boundary Waters but we want to diversify.”
Woods also noted that factors beyond the recent fires have also challenged Ely’s tourism economy.
She cited the cancellation of this fall’s Ely Marathon as well as civil unrest elsewhere in the state, and an overall decline in tourism both in Minnesota and across the nation.
VisitEly is exploring ways to promote the September Harvest Moon Festival, and there’s a focus on recent “goodwill we’re getting from the media,” which has included many news stories about the impact the fires have had on the economy, and Ely’s efforts to let people know that it remains open for business.
“A lot of people are seeing what is happening up here,” said Woods. “People are seeing Ely working together... Once the Boundary Waters are open and things are ready for people to come back in, we’re going to utilize that goodwill to get people interested in coming back.”
City council member John Lahtonen, who represents Ely on the lodging tax board, suggested promoting “ATV trails, snowmobiling and fishing. Those are all good avenues to explore I think.”
Woods also spoke of a push to promote winter tourism.
“In the lower 48, Ely is the one place you can have that Alaskan, Scandinavian winter experience without going very far,” said Woods. “You can stay within the continental United States.”
She added that, “We have dog sledding, we have saunas. If people are interested in ice fishing they can do that. I recommend expanding the marketing outside the Midwest area and start experimenting with Texans who may want to come up here. That’s one of the big markets that come to our website.”
Morse supervisor Terry Soderberg said, “The whole BWCA didn’t burn,” and suggested a push toward marketing the fall.
“There’s nothing better than fall camping - no bugs,” said Soderberg.
