How is the economy doing? That depends on who you ask.

On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis released the results of a new survey of Minnesota's tourism and hospitality sector — think hotels, food and drink and entertainment.

The results show profits were down for more than half of the 135 businesses surveyed.

“Hospitality businesses who responded to the survey had a pretty weak summer in Minnesota overall,” the Fed’s analyst Haley Chinander told MPR News host Clay Masters.

Chinander said a majority of those hospitality businesses saw declines in traffic and revenue.

In downtown St. Paul, MPR News producer Gretchen Brown spoke with Kesha Barber at the front desk of the DoubleTree Hotel.

Barber said it seems like guests still think experiences are worth shelling out fo

See Full Page