North Dakota tourism keeps growing

Third quarter 2026 numbers from North Dakota Tourism show continued growth compared with last year. Visitor spending rose 12.3%, overall visits increased 4.5%, hotel occupancy climbed 3.4%, short term rental occupancy rose 4.0%, and Theodore Roosevelt National Park visitation was up 14.7%.

At the annual Travel Industry Marketing Summit in Medora on October 15, ND Tourism reported that this year's campaign generated $4 million in hotel bookings and an estimated $379 million in incremental visitor spending. The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library has welcomed 160,000 visitors through early October. Plans for 2027 include new cooperative advertising opportunities and a stronger focus on winter travel, lesser known experiences, and multi day trips. Explore the state's tourism research and reports.

State creates a unified workforce agency

Gov. Kelly Armstrong announced a new unified workforce agency at the 2026 Governor's Workforce Summit and named Katie Ralston Howe the state's first workforce commissioner. The agency brings together workforce programs currently spread across several state agencies, including Commerce's Workforce Development Division, Job Service North Dakota, Adult Education, and Vocational Rehabilitation. The new ndwin.gov website now serves as a central place for employers and job seekers to find workforce programs and services. The governor plans to ask the 2027 Legislature to formally establish the Department of Workforce Development, which would take effect July 1, 2027 if approved. Read the announcement.

Talent Pipeline Fly-In Grants now open

Communities can apply for up to $25,000 in matching funds to host fly-in events that connect job seekers with local employers and showcase local quality of life. Learn more and apply.

NDHA will continue to share tourism and workforce updates that affect North Dakota's hospitality industry.

A growing number of North Dakota charities are purchasing bars and restaurants outright in order to secure permanent locations for electronic pull tab machines, rather than competing each year for limited space. With roughly 340 charitable organizations competing for only 940 available e-tab sites statewide, placements have become highly competitive in some markets, and the North Dakota Gaming Alliance has identified 22 charities now tied to business ownership, about 2 percent of all gaming-dependent charities in the state.

Charitable gaming remains a significant revenue source for North Dakota nonprofits, generating an estimated $2.5 billion in gross proceeds last year, with roughly $230 million of that from e-tabs alone. State lawmakers are currently reviewing whether this trend calls for updated legislation.

This is a developing issue for the hospitality industry, and NDHA is continuing to monitor it as the legislative and regulatory conversation evolves. For more background, see this explainer from KFYR-TV and this opinion column from The Forum.

 

NRA Urges Congress to Preserve Market for Hemp-Derived THC Beverages 

The 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp containing no more than 0.3% delta 9 THC, which allowed a market for low-dose hemp-derived THC beverages to develop on restaurant and bar menus. The 2025 Farm Bill reversed course, adding new restrictions on certain hemp-derived THC products, including beverages, and without further action from Congress, these beverages will be banned nationwide on November 12, 2026. The National Restaurant Association is asking Congress to delay the ban and give policymakers time to develop a long-term regulatory framework, one that would include age verification requirements, production and quality standards, clear labeling and dosing disclosures, and impairment guidelines for safe service alongside alcohol. The stakes are meaningful for operators: restaurants already run on thin margins, with a median fullservice pre-tax margin of just 2.8% in 2024, and hemp-derived THC beverages represent a potential $1.6 billion annual on-premises market. Currently 5% of restaurants that serve alcohol offer these beverages, and another 26% say they would be interested once there is a clear regulatory framework in place. An abrupt federal ban would eliminate this emerging revenue stream and create operational disruption, especially for operators doing business across multiple states with inconsistent rules. Read more at restaurant.org.