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Prairie Waters Regional Tourism

Western Minnesota Prairie Waters Regional Tourism has branded and marketed our region as a great place to work, live and visit. Prairie Waters is funded through program support from the region's counties, cities, economic development organizations and local convention & visitors bureaus who see the importance of tourism as an economic impact.

2022 Highlightswww.prairiewaters.com

Two people canoeing down a calm river surrounded by trees.

2020 MN’s Economic Impact

Bag of money.

$42MM a day

Gross sale annually

Brief case.

270,000 jobs

11% of total private sector

Graph with arrow indicating positive growth.

$5.2 to $10.3

Leisure & Hospitality Gross Sales (in billions) 2005-2017

Blank map.

$996MM state sales tax

Generated annually 18% of all state tax revenue

Prairie Waters started in the early 1980’s as a small coalition of partners in the region who saw the benefits of collaborating marketing efforts. It is a program of the Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission. Prairie Waters enables our communities to work together and market ourselves regionally. Pooling resources allows us to coordinate regional events, create and maintain a regional website, provide a toll-free hotline for requests, and produce regional marketing materials.

Our efforts generate around 3,000 informational requests each year, and we produce a high quality visitors guide to send out. To help with this regional effort, Prairie Waters depends on county, city, business and individual support.

Contact: Melissa Streich – Melissa@umvrdc.org || (320) 289-1981 x 105
Prairie Waters promotes the assets of our region through the following marketing materials
  • Website
  • Visitors guide
  • Local shops, dining, and lodging guide 
  • Regional events Calendar
  • Facebook 
  • 866-866-5432 Toll-free visitor request line
  • Minnesota’s Economic Impact
Download Visitor Guide

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Our Mission

Enable the region to thrive through assisting local units of government.

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323 West Schlieman Ave

Appleton, MN 56208

320-289-1981
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