Visit Mankato plans for the next 5 years of local tourism

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - Visit Mankato’s director, Ashlee White, was honored as Explore Minnesota’s 2026 Developing Leader for her work to expand the tourism industry in the city.

White says over the past 6 months she and her team have been developing a 5 year plan to make sure that industry continues to grow, while providing new opportunities for the existing hospitality industry.

White says currently there are three main draws for visitors to come to Mankato including sports, conferences and leisure at local restaurants and parks like Minneopa State Park.

She says in between 2026 and 2031, Visit Minnesota has one goal, to grow the tourism economy by attracting visitors and promoting the Greater Mankato area.

As part of that plan, the organization has five imperatives:

• Develop a greater destination awareness for the region through marketing and social media
• Strengthen and expand existing hospitality partnerships
• Amplify Mankato’s reputation as a destination for meetings and conventions
• Strengthen Mankato’s position as a regional leader in sports tourism
• Build upon Visit Mankato’s organizational excellence, capacity and operations

As Visit Mankato moves forward with that plan, White says collaboration between members of the local hospitality industry is key.

“A part of what we’re also trying to do is niche itinerary building, so packaging different types of experiences up so it’s easier for a visitor to come in and explore different areas,” White said.

White says as part of that Visit Mankato is exploring co-op marketing with different types of hospitality businesses including restaurants, hotels and other attractions.

Bryan Sowers, a developer with Hotel Mankato LLC, is working to bring a new Marriott hotel and an Element by Westin hotel to downtown Mankato.

When looking at the next decade of potential development in the city, Sowers says he thinks Visit Mankato is looking in the right direction.

“Every six months we should be seeing progress that says there are new things to be considering, there are new partnerships and new things to look at for having more people involved,” Sowers said.

Sowers says as the downtown area continues to grow he hopes the city’s business community will prioritize maintaining walkability and livability so that it can become a regional draw.

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