ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Over the last few days, meeting planners from across New York State have toured Rochester as a potential destination for business travel and conferences. Visit Rochester, in partnership with the Upstate New York Chapter of Meeting Professionals Internation (MPI), invited these meeting planners to experience Rochester's restaurants, museums and more. Li-Cycle secures $475M loan, CEO say it’s a step forward for Rochester Hub “The goal is to bring them here to experience Rochester so that they have the opportunity to see what it's like and host their future events here. Conferences, meetings or their special events," Vice President of Sales for Visit Rochester Wendy O'Duffy said. Those visiting got to experience everything from The Strong Museum of Play to the restaurant and bar scene of downtown Rochester. One of the meeting planners visiting is Executive Director for the New York Geothermal Energy Organization Christine Hoffer, who said there's more to business travel than just business itself. “My attendees want to come and learn, but they also want to have an experience," Hoffer said. "Being able to come to a community like Rochester, it provides both. I'm able to achieve my goals as a meeting planner, but I'm also able to provide my attendees exactly what they need to enjoy the destination." rue21 now open at Mall at Greece Ridge By encouraging more business for local establishments, it provides potential for further growth to Rochester's economy. While the tourism industry already attracts over $1 billion dollars locally each year, local organizations like Visit Rochester aim to grow that figure. Overall, the professionals visiting have said they enjoy their stay so far, noting the friendly people that live here and its welcoming environment. “A big part of our role here at Visit Rochester is to bring these businesses to Rochester, and I think with our diverse culture, it's a great opportunity for them to see all that we have to offer.” Visit Rochester hopes to host more events to attract tourism to the Rochester area in the future.