Rochester, MN sees $1.1 billion tourism impact amid local power outage

A University of Minnesota Extension study reveals that tourism generated $1.1 billion in economic activity for Rochester, Minnesota, last year. The report, commissioned by Experience Rochester, found that visitor spending supported 7,670 jobs and produced $323 million in labor-related income. Restaurants and bars were identified as the top employers in the tourism sector, followed by hotels.

Separately, Rochester Public Utilities reported a power outage affecting approximately 7,000 customers in downtown and northwest Rochester. The outage, which began late Monday night, was caused by an equipment failure at the Cascade Creek Substation. An insulation failure on a current transformer created an electrical arc, damaging nearby equipment. Crews restored service by 4:30 Tuesday morning.