Member Update
June 15, 2020
What's Inside:
$60M for Small Business Relief Passes
Travel Analysis Take-Aways
Coronavirus Survey Results
COVID-19 Design Strategies
"Google My Business" Webinar
In the News
$60M for Small Business Relief Passes
The Legislature has approved $60M in Small Business Grant relief during the Special Session.  As we have been requesting for some time, the Legislature has created  a state relief program  with expanded eligibility. (The previous $30M DEED emergency loan program was limited to businesses closed by the governor’s March order and left out hotels, resorts, campgrounds and other tourism businesses). Under the new grant program, businesses with under 50 full-time employees that experienced a financial hardship due to COVID-19 can apply for grants up to $10,000. Businesses who received a DEED loan through the prior program are  not  eligible. The governor is expected to sign  the bill  swiftly. 
Travel Analysis Take-Aways
The US Travel Association ’s Weekly Travel Report provides data and insights on the current state of the travel industry. Here are some key takeaways from the recent edition as of the week of 6/8: 

  • American travelers’ feelings about their health, financial and travel safety continue to improve. 
  • More Americans report they are already traveling or ready to travel. 
  • 70% will take at least one leisure trip in the remainder of 2020. 
  • Over three quarters (76.4%) have a sense of where and when their next leisure trip will take place and the majority say there is little chance of cancellation. 
  • 40% say their next road trip will take place this summer. 
  • Safety considerations are still important to travelers decision making, from which destination they choose to the hotel they select. 
  • Younger generations are likelier to use a multitude of social media and digital tools to research their trips.   
  • Baby Boomers are more likely to concentrate their travel research activity on web searches. 
  • 4 out of 10 conventions/conference travelers would be happy to attend a convention in the fall. 

Coronavirus Survey Results
New research from the National Restaurant Association indicates that the restaurant industry has lost $120 billion in sales during the last three months due to the impact of coronavirus in the United States. State mandated stay-at-home policies and forced closures of restaurant dining rooms resulted in losses of $30 billion in March, $50 billion in April, and another $40 billion in May.
COVID-19 Design Strategies
The National Restaurant Association is developing tools to help you consider design strategies and hacks to minimize risk to employees, guests and food.
"Google My Business" Webinar
Explore Minnesota Tourism is hosting a "Google My Business" webinar on Thursday, June 25 at 1 p.m. CST. The one-hour informative webinar about using Google My Business to ensure your customers have the most relevant business offerings and hours information as Stay Safe Minnesota moves into its next phase. As potential consumers look to see which businesses are open, out-of-date Google My Business listings could be inadvertently turning people away.
Hosted in partnership with Miles Partnership, this informative webinar will highlight best practices and free resources available through Google My Business. During this webinar, you will receive instructions for updating your hours, menus, and making posts on Google, as well as setting your business up for success during recovery.


In The News
Our Member Updates are generally sent to members only. In the interest of public health and the health of our industry, we encourage you to share this update widely. Additional resources can be found on our  website  and through our social media posts on   Facebook , LinkedIn  and  Twitter .