The Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau is getting ready for a busy summer.

After seeing a small dip in bus tours with the Spam Museum closed for construction last year, the CVB is getting ready to kick a busy season into gear as the new museum at 101 Third Ave. NE is expected to bring in 125,000 by next April.

“Buses did slow down a little bit in 2015, our tour and travel buses did, but with the Spam Museum opening in 2016, those have started to increase again,” CVB Executive Director Nancy Schnable said told the Mower County board Tuesday.

Schnable updated the Austin City Council on Monday and the county board Tuesday during National Tourism Week.

Even without the museum in 2015, Schnable reported it was a “really inspiring year,” for tourism, as they hosted numerous conferences including Habitat for Humanity State Conference, Tour Minnesota had their bike ride in Austin and many others, which set the stage for 2016.

“We had to put our thinking caps on and make a positive impact on that,” Schnable told the council on Monday.

Though tourism slowed a little bit because of the Spam Museum construction, she said 2016 started right out of the gate with the robotics tournament in January and then the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities. It’s shaping up to be a busy year with conferences and meetings hosted in Austin, including 100 Crown Victorias in May, the annual National Barrow Show, Buffy the Cow’s 50th birthday and more.

Schnable said bus tours are also seeing more of Mower County than just the Spam Museum, noting many are going to places like the Mower County Historical Society and even outside Austin to Four Daughters Vineyard & Winery and even the wind farms.

The CVB hired another person at the bureau and that person has over 80 tour buses scheduled, she added. The 387 hotel rooms in Austin are often booked at times throughout the summer.

“The reservations keep coming,” Schnable said.

Schnable said she’s heard most hotels in Austin and neighboring cities are filling up quickly ahead of the Spam Museum’s grand opening in July, which will be in conjunction with Hormel Foods Corp.’s 125th anniversary.

The celebration will peak with a free community concert featuring The Band Perry downtown on July 29.

Schnable also said the lodging tax increased by 3.7 percent, which includes lodging for leisure, business and groups.

The report said they had visitor’s guides requests from all 50 states and 45 countries.

She also announced their summer challenge, which is the “Summer of Selfies.” The goal is for local residents to take selfies in front of local attractions and events.

Each week, a Photo of the Week will be chosen and the winner will get $10 Austin Chamber Bucks and then at the end of summer, we will choose one photo as the “Summer of Selfies” winner and that winner will receive $100 in Chamber Bucks.

In other news

—The Austin City Council appointed Tyler Hulsebus to the Austin Utilities Board to finish out James Schroeder’s term. Schroeder turned in his resignation, effective July 1. General Manager Mark Nibaur said they reviewed a few people for the position and Hulsebus turned out to be the best selection.

—The City Council passed a resolution Monday to continue the use agreement for the Izaak Walton League Cabin.

—The City Council passed a resolution to let a Christian rock concert, organized by Bethlehem Free Methodist Church, use the bandshell on July 23. Parks and Rec Director Kim Underwood said the concert would like to play until 9:55 p.m., at which time they would turn down the decibels, but if people complain to the police about the noise, the police can tell the concert to disband, Underwood said. She said she talked to Police Chief Brian Krueger, who didn’t see a problem with their request.

Top states and countries that have requested information on Austin

States: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, California

Top countries: Russia, Morocco, Algeria

Jason Schoonover contributed to this report.