Eagan, Minnesota, a Minneapolis/St. Paul suburb, celebrates a decade of serving visitors by unveiling its new promotional campaign and revealing its successful 10-year growth.

Leisure travel is back with strong gains and the ever-crucial business and corporate travel markets, including the meetings industry, showed significant signs of recovery.

After experiencing an up and down year in 2004 with adverse economic impact from the Iraq war and multiple weather related tragedies, the Eagan Convention & Visitors Bureau estimated that 410,335 room nights were recorded at Eagan hotels, an increase of 28,360 room nights sold compared to last year. For the first time, Eagan visitors surpassed the one million mark at 1,025,837 and spent nearly seven million more in 2004 than in 2003 totaling nearly $97 million in tourism economic impact. As the Eagan Convention & Visitors Bureau is funded by a hotel lodging tax, the importance of filling Eagan�s 1,541 hotel rooms every day is a top priority. Last year, hotel occupancy increased six and a half percent to 71.86% (national occupancy rates average 60.5%) while the average daily rate was up 1.5%. Revenue per available room, a key measure of hotel productivity increased 8.3% compared to a nationwide upswing of 5.8%. Sales calls rose 65% last year compared to a year earlier and leads increased 52%. Telephone inquiries were up 8% and the bureau�s website averaged 83 visits a day. Tourism brings new dollars into Eagan's economy and helps create jobs within our community. One of every 18 U.S. non-farm jobs is directly created by travel and tourism. Tourists require few public services beyond those that already exist, such as highways, parks and utilities, but through the dollars they bring to a community, tourists help to pay for these services that benefit everyone. Tourism is one of America�s largest retail sales industries contributing $95 billion in tax revenue for local, state and federal governments, in fact, each U. S. household would pay $889 more in taxes without the tax revenue generated by the travel industry.* The Eagan hospitality industry contributed an estimated $6.3 million in state and local taxes in 2004.

According to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, 24.5 million travelers visited Minnesota generating over $24 million in gross receipts/sales per day or $8.9 billion in 2002. The leisure and hospitality industry employs over 232,000 Minnesotans. The Metro area is the top destination in Minnesota and 45% of pleasure travelers in Minnesota are residents of the state. In fact, 84% of all overnight pleasure travel comes from the North Central region. Pleasure travel accounts for 87% and business travel amounts to 13%. * TravelScope 2003

EXTREME is the word for the next decade � the Eagan Convention & Visitors Bureau is going to the EXTREME�s to make each visitor�s experience special. The Eagan Extreme Team is on its way with a new vehicle the ET Cruiser (Extreme Team Cruiser), so watch for our Eagan Extreme Team at various attractions doing extreme things to encourage visitors to travel to our area. We are going all out�in fact, we are going to the EXTREME�s to promote Eagan and all it has to offer.

2004 SUMMARY OF ACHIEVEMENTS

Eagan welcomed over one million tourists last year and they spent more than $96 million�six million more than last year, and nearly $55 million more since the bureau�s inception a decade ago. The number of visitors has more than doubled and those visitor dollars were spent for hotel rooms, meals at local restaurants, shopping at local retailers, fuel at local convenience stores and other businesses. � Explore Minnesota Tourism Award for Minneapolis South cooperative promotion � Affiliate Explore Minnesota Tourism Travel Information Center designation � Sponsored a Snoopy statue to promote Eagan � on display at the ECC � Partnered with Burnsville on two-group tour shows to reduce costs & share leads. � Developed the Minneapolis-Saint Paul advertising promotion with partners. � Toured the Midwest with the promotional E-Van in parades, festivals & sales calls. � Donated the E-Van to Dakota Area Resources and Transportation for Seniors (DARTS) after using it as a promotional advertising vehicle for the past two years. � Sponsor of the American Society of Association Executives meeting in Minneapolis � New promotion of 3rd night free with Saturday stay amounted to increased business. � Winter Carnival Palace motor coach tours from Eagan were filled. � Host sponsor of the first Explore Minnesota Television show � New event-Cruise Night-prior to Back to the 50�s Car show attracted 500 attendees � Initiated the Top 10 hospitality employee recognition as part of the 10th anniversary � E-Ambassador program educates volunteers about Eagan and utilizes their skills in welcoming visitors, promotional opportunities and event activities.

MISSION STATEMENT: The Eagan Convention & Visitors Bureau promotes Eagan as a year-round Business and Leisure Destination to domestic and international travel markets, generating a greater impact on the Eagan area, thus enhancing the Quality of Life for all residents.

Contact: Ann Carlon 651-675-5546