Every business and resident should welcome and appreciate these visitors. Travelers provide a significant swell to our local economy and impact nearly every business and resident in our community.

Over the years, the Brainerd lakes area economy certainly has diversified. Thirty years ago, resorts were the biggest industry in town. Now, health care, manufacturing, education and a wide variety of service and retail businesses are thriving. But even these industries are impacted by tourism.

Here in lake country, tourism is more than just a family on vacation for the week or a family friend that visits for the weekend. Tourism is a seasonal homeowner. Tourism is a group of women taking a day trip "up north" to shop and have lunch. Tourism is a hockey tournament, an annual festival and all sorts and sizes of business meetings - from a small gathering of executives to a major conference or convention.

Tourism is everyone's business. Providing more than $185 million dollars in gross sales to Crow Wing County (in 2006) and more than $91 million in Cass County is good, but the hospitality industry has much more than just this splash effect of revenue to the Brainerd lakes region. In fact, the tourism dollar has been shown to turn seven times in a community.

Businesses that don't directly interact with travelers may find it easy to dismiss the impact and importance of tourism to our market, but many businesses in our communities receive significant income and nearly all have an indirect impact from these visitors.

Consider this ripple effect: Travelers pay for lodging, gas and food. This allows the lodging property owner to hire staff and pay wages. These employees are your friends and neighbors. They buy or rent homes, purchase groceries, go to movies, and get their cars repaired. The employees also dine out, buy boats, and shop at local stores. Tourist activity creates business for everything from power companies to printers to hardware stores and even medical facilities.

Research has also found that many people who relocate to the Brainerd lakes area first came here as a visitor. The same can be said for those who choose to purchase a second home or retire here. These non-traditional tourists utilize contractors, and buy everything from home furnishings to boats to insurance.

So, that person pulling a boat in front of you in traffic could be your next star employee, your next boss, or that new business prospect you've been hoping to land.

Now, more than ever, with a shift in the economy we need the dollars spent from tourists in our local economy. Tourists can choose to visit many different places, but they've chosen to travel here. Yes, more car and boat traffic might add 10 minutes to your commute on Friday or require a few more minutes in the grocery check-out lane, but we're truly blessed to live in a region where others pay to visit. And everyone, regardless of their occupation, is impacted by the dollars spent by tourists.

So, give thanks to these visitors. Offer a smile to those who stimulate our economy. Help with directions or recommend a great restaurant. Even if these tourists don't buy a product or service from you, they are indirectly bringing sales to your doorstep. Help welcome this economic stimulus package to the Brainerd lakes area. It's the ultimate ripple effect.

(Gretchen Ennis is tourism director for the Brainerd Lakes Chamber.)