Out-of-state visitors to North Dakota spend billions of dollars in the state every year. In fact, tourism is one of the top three industries in the state. And to help recognize National Tourism Week, the state tourism department intoduced two new television commercials. The goal of the ads is to lay out the welcome mat for vacationers. At the state Heritage Center this morning, the tourism department presented the commercials that will run in other states. They also introduced the improved tourism website. On the site, you can create a travel itinerary, read vacation blogs and view photographs capturing the culture and heritage of the state. (Sara Otte Coleman, Dir., ND Tourism Dept.): A lot of people don’t have an awareness of North Dakota, so their first experience and their first introduction to the state is their vacation or their trip to or through North Dakota. So in a lot of cases, we are creating that image and showing those folks what we have and what North Dakotans are all about. The North Dakota tourism website is ndtourism.com. You can view the new commercials on that site too. And also as part of Tourism Week, the state is launching its third annual Governor's Photo Contest. Any amateur photographer who lives in North Dakota can submit their entries. Categories include scenery, people, and outdoord activities. The deadline to enter is September 7th. For more information, visit the tourism department's web site. That address again is www.ndtourism.com.