2024 Annual Impact Report
Telling our story through action, partnership and purpose.
Tourism starts with curiosity—but its true power lies in transformation. In 2024, Visit Saint Paul leaned into this truth, positioning our work not just as promotion, but as powerful, purpose-driven storytelling that booked events, built community, and celebrated Saint Paul's vibrant identity. Across campaigns, platforms, festivals, and sales efforts, we didn't just market a city—we helped define it.
A Message from Mayor Carter
*Scroll to read the full statement
All eyes are on Saint Paul and for good reason.
A new vision is emerging for downtowns across the nation, and Saint Paul is leading the way. We’re prioritizing a people-focused development plan that strengthens our downtown as an economic, cultural, and social epicenter.
Our population is growing. Tourism is rebounding spectacularly. Though downtowns across the country are still figuring out what comes next, we’re not waiting to see what happens. Saint Paul is leading the way with vision, action, and urgency. We have never been more focused on bringing fresh energy, new jobs, and vibrancy to the heart of our city.
We’re investing over $2 million into revitalizing our downtown through office-to-housing conversions, beautification and way-finding projects, and expanded public safety plans that add downtown patrol shifts, upgrade camera infrastructure, and support the Downtown Investment District.
We continue to be a destination of choice for visitors and event organizers. Our historic attractions and cultural institutions draw record crowds. Fans of the Minnesota United and St. Paul Saints bring their energy to each game. The Xcel Energy Center has already hosted over one million fans of the Minnesota Wild, Minnesota Frost, and high school athletic tournaments. Together with our Saint Paul RiverCentre and Roy Wilkins Auditorium, our Arena Complex contributes roughly $383 million annually to our economy.
Red Bull Heavy Metal, our Winter Carnival, and the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade brought hundreds of thousands to our streets to celebrate winter. The Frozen Faceoff and the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championship secures our title as the Capital City of the State of Hockey. And this summer, the Yacht Club Music Festival returns to Harriet Island with an expanded three-day concert lineup. Lowertown Sounds, our Saint Paul Farmers’ Market, Twin Cities Jazz Fest, Irish Fair, and more enhance the vibrancy of our community. We take equal pride in our nationally ranked parks and recreation system and our unmatched access to the Mississippi River. With more riverfront shoreline than any city in America, Saint Paul continues to be a premier river city.
But we’re not just a place to visit—we’re a city where you belong. We’re a richly diverse and culturally robust city that shows up for one another. Everything we do is rooted in connection among our neighborhoods and residents, and through our shared past, exciting present, and bold future.
Whether you’re here to explore our arts and culture, attend a world-class festival, dine your way around the globe, or invest in Saint Paul’s future, there’s a place for you here.
This is Saint Paul. And our best is yet to come. Join us!
Melvin Carter, Mayor of the City of Saint Paul
Convention & Event Bookings
Driving Economic Impact Through Strategic Bookings
We booked the city solid with a mix of sports, science, and creativity — driving millions in future impact.
- 122 definite bookings
- 54,469 room nights
- Estimated economic impact: $58.1 million
Notable Groups:
Tradeshows
Ten shows, 183 meetings, 9,262 miles traveled—turning leads into long-term business.
Hotel Performance
- Occupancy: 53.1% (up 2%)
- Revenue: $65.2M (up 13.7%)
- Demand: 450,800 (up 12%)
Compared to 2019: Demand +23%, Revenue +19%—even as rates and occupancy rebound post-pandemic.
Marketing & Digital Engagement
We didn’t just reach people — we inspired them to explore.
Our digital platforms became powerful storytelling engines in 2024, connecting with audiences and driving engagement:
- 1.1M+ sessions on VisitSaintPaul.com (+13%)
- 2M+ pageviews (+17%) with 75k outbound clicks to local partners (+106%)
- 7.4M total video views across social media
- 155k+ total social media followers—with most engagement coming from organic reach & strategic collabs
Top performer? The @Chef.Reactions collaboration with the St. Paul Saints—1.1million views from 99% non-followers, and huge praise from both locals and visitors.
Top Reels on Instagram
Top Organic Videos on Facebook
Chef Reactions Organic Collaboration
Chef Reactions is a foodie influencer that wittily rates and reviews dishes, restaurants and attractions. He reached out to his followers on X to seek suggestions on what to eat at the Minnesota State Fair. These responses then prompted a post requesting to throw the first pitch at a Twins game while he was in town. However, the St. Paul Saints were quick to respond and offered to give him the role at CHS Field instead.
With his interest in coming to the Capital City, we collaborated with The Saint Paul Hotel to provide him with a free stay, offered recommendations for Saint Paul hotspots and gifted him with his first ever swag bag.
In response to his Twin Cities video, there was a lot of praise for his in-depth coverage of Saint Paul and how well he represented it. We are proud to see that our recommendations were not only taken into consideration but were also received in such a positive light from Chef Reactions and the viewers.
Campaign Highlights
The Fun Side (Summer Campaign)
Running June–August, this campaign positioned Saint Paul as a Category of One for summer fun. We expanded into Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin markets, creating a summer-long engagement funnel that delivered clicks, visits, and enthusiasm.
- 17 million + impressions
- 90K clicks
- 53K + new website users
- 3K new email signups
Top performing ads: Pride Festival social ad, Jazz Festival social ad, Ludacris weekend giveaway ad and Chance the Rapper weekend giveaway ad.
Saint Paulidays (Holiday Campaign)
We showcased the city’s winter magic, spotlighting culture, shopping, theater, and holiday tradition.
- 1.1M+ impressions
- 23.7k ad clicks
- 3.6k new email signups
- 1,656 total leads: Trip planning, Guide requests, hotel inquiries, and more
More than numbers, these campaigns made memories. They helped travelers say yes to Saint Paul.
Festival & Event Support
Amplifying Community Celebrations
Supporting over 25 community and cultural festivals, strategic media placement and digital amplification extended the reach and impact of these events:
- 230K+ webpage sessions
- 25K+ referral clicks to event websites
- 4.5 million+ billboard impressions
- 4.2 million+ MPR on-air impressions
- 4 million+ impressions through Star Tribune newsletters
Why It Matters: These events aren’t just moments—they’re movements. And we helped power them.
Strengthening Connections Across the City
Tourism isn’t a solo act — it’s a collaboration and our members and partners bring our mission to life. Our commitment to partnership and community engagement was evident through various initiatives:
- 41 new members
- 6 MyVSP meetings at local venues with 25% YOY increase in attendance
- 500+ guests at the return of Taste of Saint Paul
- New Partnership Manager (2025!) = more connection, more support
- National Travel & Tourism Week celebrated at Rafiki Coffee & Cafe, Wrestaurant, and Palace Theatre
Looking Ahead
Building Momentum for a Bold Future
We’ve entered 2025 with momentum, fueled by the completion of our new three-year strategic plan - a roadmap to guide our work through 2027. This plan sharpens our focus, aligns our community impact goals, and reinforces our role in leading Saint Paul's visitor economy forward.
Our focus remains guided by five key goals outlined in the plan:
- Drive tourism and events year-round
- Connect our industry to deliver on the Saint Paul brand promise
- Boldly share Saint Paul’s story across audiences
- Strengthen Visit Saint Paul internally through talent and systems
- Collaborate with partners to enhance the city’s livability and visitor experience
These goals ensure we continue to align our work with what matters most to our community, visitors, and partners.
Our focus remains on story-first messaging, strong regional partnerships, deep community inclusion and elevated visitor experience.
A Word from Our Board Chair
*Scroll to read the full statement
2024 was a year of great momentum for Visit Saint Paul. We proudly completed our first Strategic Plan in a decade — a true team effort resulting in a bold plan that aligns with our core values of integrity, optimism, belonging, and creativity. This plan lays a strong foundation for the years ahead and is already guiding our efforts to drive tourism, strengthen partnerships, and share Saint Paul’s story with the world.
Our passionate and dedicated staff continue to shine. In 2024, we secured an estimated $59 million in economic impact through convention and event bookings and launched impactful campaigns like Fun Side and Saint Paulidays highlighting what makes our capital city unique. From strategic partnerships to steady event bookings, our impact on Saint Paul’s visitor economy translates into more jobs, lower taxes, and a vibrant community for residents, businesses and visitors.
Looking ahead, we are thrilled to welcome visitors from around the globe to Saint Paul for the 2026 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship. This will be an incredible opportunity to showcase our city on an international stage. It also underscores just how essential Visit Saint Paul is to the economic vitality of our city.
Thank you to our leadership, staff, board members, and partners. Your commitment, creativity, and collaboration are instrumental in Saint Paul’s success. I’m proud of what we accomplished in 2024 and excited for what we’re working toward, together.
Emma Burns, Board Chair, Visit Saint Paul
Visit Saint Paul Board of Directors
Emma Burns
Chair
Saint Paul Downtown Alliance
Mimi Daly Larson
Vice Chair
Nonprofit Strategy Solutions
Rich Ginsberg
Secretary
Rotunda Group
Michael Solomon
Treasurer
Saint Paul Port Authority
Liz Xiong
Past Chair
LIUNA
Michael Bauerle
Delta Air Lines
Anika Bowie
Saint Paul City Council
Krystle Cruz-Williams
City of Saint Paul
Sara Daggett
Minnesota United FC
Richard Dobransky
Morrissey Hospitality
Trisha Duncan
Xcel Energy
Amanda Heu
Commander of Saint Paul Police Department
Liz Lee
Minnesota House of Representatives
Monique Linder
OMG Media Solutions
Wade Luneburg
UNITE HERE Minnesota
Rebecca Noecker
Saint Paul City Council
Connie Shaver
Ordway Center
Holland Tudor
InterContinental Saint Paul Riverfront
About Visit Saint Paul
The RiverCentre Convention and Visitor Authority (RCVA), operating as Visit Saint Paul, serves as the official convention and visitors bureau for Saint Paul, Minnesota's capital city. Our primary goal is to drive economic growth in Saint Paul by effectively promoting the RiverCentre campus, Saint Paul, and the region as a premier convention and tourism destination for diverse cultures and groups.
Working under contract with the city of Saint Paul, Visit Saint Paul manages the city-owned convention center and ramp while also acting as the Destination Marketing entity, showcasing Saint Paul’s brand to attract visitors and secure conventions, meetings, and events for the city.
Saint Paul Arena Company is engaged by Visit Saint Paul to oversee the Saint Paul RiverCentre, the renowned Roy Wilkins Auditorium, and the RiverCentre Ramp. Our combined efforts contribute to the community by fostering economic growth and positioning the city as a top choice for conventions and tourism.
Through our partnership with the city, our teams leverage our expertise in destination knowledge, brand management, facility operations, and promotional activities to attract, market, sell, and engage with potential visitors. By focusing on initiatives that drive visitor traffic, we enhance Saint Paul's economic standing and vibrancy, creating opportunities for all residents of the city. Our vision is to enrich our community by boldly and creatively evolving the positive impact Visit Saint Paul creates as we invite the world to fall in love with our vibrant city. We do this work in alignment with our values of Integrity, Optimism, Belonging and Creativity.
