There’s nothing wrong with cracker-sprinkled tuna noodle hotdish, but it doesn’t mean you can’t crave a garlicky stir fry dotted with sesame seeds.

A recent tourism study says Minnesota is too bland — not flavorful enough to visit.

The really irritating factor about the assessment that labels Minnesota as dull is that it comes from some people who live in not-exactly-scintillating environs such as Michigan, Illinois and Nebraska. Ouch.

Explore Minnesota Tourism commissioned the study and found out that of the 844 people surveyed, only 22 percent said they would consider traveling to Minnesota in the next two years.

So it’s obvious the Wobegon effect isn’t pulling in visitors. It’s not enough to be the place where “All the women are strong, the men are good-looking and the children are above average.”

The state tourism bureau has some serious work to do. Finding a more attractive, encompassing theme is one of them, tourism officials admit. Tourists are urged to “Explore Minnesota.” Companies looking to do business here are given the message “Positively Minnesota.” And many others identify us as “The Land of 10,000 Lakes.”

Lakes are nice, but nobody needs 10,000 of them during one visit. We also have The Guthrie, Lake Superior, the start of the Mississippi River, the birthplace of Betsy Tacy books, the historical sites of the Dakota Conflict, a SPAM museum, a bald eagle center, waterfalls, petroglyphs, hundreds of miles of biking trails. The list goes on and on.

A tourism study of the Mankato area also unveils there is more work to be done to familiarize potential visitors with our myriad offerings. Visitors were intrigued by our trails, scenery and fun things to do. But fewer people knew about our arts offerings, which is a shame considering three colleges in the area and multiple community groups make the area rich in the visual and performing arts. Just this year an original play written by a Mankato native was performed, a belly-dancing group did an outdoor show, and Grammy Award winners Lucinda Williams, Taj Mahal and John Hiatt played here.

Most Minnesotans are known for downplaying success, being modest and humble — mostly, likely, just mumbling about great things. That doesn’t work when it comes to touting attractions. We also have the disadvantage of being known for the land of snow and ice for much of our year. Playing up the winter wonderland of outdoor recreation is key, but letting people know we have heat and lots to do indoors even in winter is of major importance, too.

Expanding the state tourism bureau’s share of state dollars is unrealistic in this economic climate. As Mankato found out as host of the Mankato Marathon, bringing about 4,000 runners and their families and friends to town pays off in many ways. The marathon relied on strong corporate sponsorship to pull off the event.

So if Minnesota is going to beef up its efforts to market itself, the private sector is going to have to step up, and tourism officials need to brainstorm unique ways to attract visitors to the wide variety of attractions and events our state offers. It’s time to show those Nebraskans a thing or two.

— Mankato Free Press, Oct. 30