A roundtable discussion hosted by Explore MN Tourism discussed how to increase the number of new visitors to Minnesota. Scott Pollock of the MN Marine Art Museum and Pat Mutter, Executive Director of Visit Winona, were among the guest panelists. A key component in attracting visitors is Minnesota’s environment because travelers are looking to decrease their impact on the environment and have an appreciation and respect for nature. The MN Marine Art Museum is making changes at the museum that will reduce its carbon footprint. “It has us evaluating everything,” Pollock said. “We feel that’s an important part of the next generation of tourism.” Mutter pointed to the Boats and Bluegrass Festival as an example of an organization that is focused on protecting natural resources especially at the location of their Festival which is at Prairie Island campground. “They make sure they’re taking care of and not overusing the land,” she said.