The director of North Dakota Tourism says the 2021 travel season was very strong, especially in certain areas.
"Outdoor recreation continued to be the star, as well as road trips," said Sara Otte Coleman. "People were definitely looking for more safe options and alternatives for traveling amidst the pandemic."
Otte Coleman said some areas saw record numbers of visitors, but others didn’t fare quite as well.
"Of course, the Canadian border crossings being closed impacted the northern tier of the state," Otte Coleman said. "That was unfortunate."
But Otte Coleman said a lot of events came back this year, after cancellations — including the State Fair.
"Overall, we're on the right path for recovery," Otte Coleman said.
North Dakota Tourism is continuing its marketing efforts into this fall.
"We're going later than we ever have," Otte Coleman said. "We're trying to build up the anticipation for next year, and to motivate some trips for this fall and winter."
