06.h Revised Tourism Mission and Vision Statement Staff Report
Staff Report
Date of Meeting: September 19, 2023
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Brenda “Bee” Stignani, Office Assistant
Re: Recommended Update to the Scandia Tourism Mission & Vision Statement
The Tourism Committee recommends adding the following paragraph to the Scandia Tourism
Mission & Vision Statement to clarify the role of the Tourism Committee:
Tourism Committee Mission
The Scandia Tourism Committee exists to support the (above) tourism mission.
The committee will work to drive visitors from throughout Minnesota, Western Wisconsin and
beyond to visit Scandia and patronize area businesses, events and community offerings.
This will be accomplished by:
- Supporting existing community efforts and events (e.g., Taco Daze and Gammelgarden
events).
- Hosting and developing new events to attract visitors and press (e.g., Best of Scandia at
Vinterlights and the Garage Sale).
- Developing marketing campaigns and messaging to promote Scandia as a tourist destination.
- Establishing success metrics and evaluating event performance over time to measure success
and inform changes.
Options:
1. Accept the Tourism Committee’s revised Mission & Vision Statement as recommended.
2. Do not accept the Tourism Committee’s revised Mission & Vision statement as
recommended.
Recommended:
Option 1.
SCANDIA TOURISM DEVELOPMENT
2020 – 2025
Tourism Mission
To promote Scandia as a travel destination in ways that enrich community life and bring
economic vitality to the City by capitalizing on Scandia’s historic, cultural, art, and environmental
assets.
Tourism Committee Mission
The Scandia Tourism Committee exists to support the (above) tourism mission.
The committee will work to drive visitors from throughout Minnesota, Western Wisconsin and beyond to
visit Scandia and patronize area businesses, events and community offerings.
This will be accomplished by:
- Supporting existing community efforts and events (e.g., Taco Daze and Gammelgarden events).
- Hosting and developing new events to attract visitors and press (e.g., Best of Scandia at Vinterlights
and the Garage Sale).
- Developing marketing campaigns and messaging to promote Scandia as a tourist destination.
- Establishing success metrics and evaluating event performance over time to measure success and
inform changes.
Core Values
These values guide our work:
Diversity of all types. We believe that as a tourism destination, Scandia offers a diverse array of
destinations, activities, features, and events. We believe that as a tourism destination, Scandia offers a
diverse array of destinations, activities, features, and events to welcome people of all race, cultures, and
origins.
Sense of Place: We embrace the charming, unique character of our community, recognizing its roots as
Minnesota's first Swedish settlement and a historic center of mercantile business and agriculture on the
St. Croix River.
Creativity in product and problem solving. We believe we can develop creative ways to market
Scandia as an attractive tourism destination.
Teamwork. We embrace members of the committee working together with other groups and individuals,
including the broader Minnesota tourism industry, who share similar goals, to promote Scandia as a great
place to visit.
Our Vision
Scandia will be a community that has worked together to build on its community historic,
cultural, arts and natural landscapes by preserving, restoring and celebrating them. It will have a
vibrant village center with preserved buildings that complement the existing Gammelgarden
Museum and an expanded community center complex that includes the Water Tower Barn:
Scandia Arts and Heritage Center, an amphitheater and connecting trails. Tourism will be
appropriately scaled to support the small-town, rural character of the community.