The impact of tourism is a major boost for Minnesota's economy, especially for Duluth and the North Shore. On Thursday, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar talked about its importance as it translates to jobs.

Klobuchar chaired a tourism hearing in Washington on Thursday speaking tourism enterprises across the country, including Explore Minnesota.

The senator said the focus of the hearing was the concept of branding and ways to better market tourism in the U.S. to international visitors. Klobuchar said a better marketing plan translates into more jobs and stronger local economies.

"That's so important for Duluth. That's one of the reasons Duluth has kept its head above water, as has the North Shore and many other parts of northern Minnesota. It's keeping that tourism industry going through difficult times," Klobuchar said.

Klobuchar also talked about the concept of microtourism, appealing to countries with known regional interest here, like Scandinavian areas, Japan and the United Kingdom. Klobuchar said the recent visit to Duluth by the King and Queen of Norway was no coincidence.