wisconsin tourism economic impact

Press Release: Gov. Evers Announces Wisconsin Tourism Sees Record-Breaking Year

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Wisconsin sees record-breaking year for tourism

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin tourism broke records in 2022, Gov. Tony Evers and Wisconsin Department of Tourism Secretary Anne Sayers announced Tuesday.

What You Need To Know

Wisconsin tourism in 2022 $23.7 billion in total economic impact that’s up from the previous record year pre-pandemic in 2019, which generated $22.2 billion tourism last year supported more than 170,000 jobs in various sectors of the industry overall visitor spending jumped by 16% in 2022, bringing spending levels to 108% of 2019 levels.

The industry generated $23.7 billion in total economic impact in 2022, according to economy data . That’s up from the previous record year pre-pandemic in 2019, which generated $22.2 billion.

It’s an impact that was felt throughout all 72 counties in the state. Dane County had the highest economic impact increase from 2021 to 2022, rising by 19.7%. Milwaukee County was also on the higher end, with an increase of 16.8% in those same years. Monroe County had the least amount of change during these years at 1.1%.

“I’m so excited to be celebrating a record-breaking year for Wisconsin’s tourism industry. This is tremendous news and a testament to the hard work of the business owners, workers, and marketing partners across the industry and our strategic investments to bolster the industry at an especially difficult time,” said Evers.

Tourism last year supported more than 170,000 jobs in various sectors of the industry. Just over 120,000 of those were supported directly by visitor spending, an increase of 3.6% from the previous year. However, that number is still below pre-pandemic levels.

The industry also generated $1.5 billion in state and local tax revenue, according to Evers.

There is much that contributed to the record-breaking year, including historic marketing investments from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, relief dollars allocated by Evers and efforts of communities across the state.

Overnight visitors were another key factor.

Over 100 million visitors entered the Badger State in 2022, rising by 8.7% from 2021 to 2022. Almost half of those visitors stayed overnight. That’s an increase of 13.8% in overnight stays from 2021.

This is important because overnight guests spend nearly three times what day visitors do on average, according to Travel Wisconsin .

“Aided by strategic marketing, Wisconsin convinced more visitors to stay the night so they could add more activities to their itinerary, delivering a deeper economic impact. I congratulate the entire industry on an incredible record-breaking year,” said Sayers.

Overall visitor spending jumped by 16% in 2022, bringing spending levels to 108% of 2019 levels. The largest portion of that spending went to lodging (27.2%), then food and beverage (26%), followed by retail (19.5%), transportation (14.1%) and recreation/entertainment (13.2%).

Travel Wisconsin’s advertising campaigns have reached visitors in 12 Midwestern markets and received more than one billion impressions since launching their “Here’s to Those Who Wisconsin” brand in 2021. It highlights Wisconsin’s “welcoming nature and celebratory spirit.”

The latest numbers show that Wisconsin is well on its way to a strong recovery from the pandemic.

“Tourism is vital to the economic health of local communities, businesses, and workers across our state, and I’m proud of our work to support this critical industry and its success over these past few years. We must continue to make key investments in Wisconsin tourism to ensure it continues to be a key part of our economy for generations,” said Evers.

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Wisconsin tourism has mostly recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, but the recovery hasn’t been even across the state.

Data from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism shows that the industry generated nearly $21 billion in economic impact last year, an increase of 21 percent from 2020. That’s still below the record-setting $22.2 billion economic impact in 2019.

A recent Wisconsin Policy Forum study highlighted the contrast in recovery between communities. The report showed that the state’s top-75 municipalities generated less room tax than in 2019. When excluding Madison and Milwaukee, however, those same municipalities exceeded 2019 room tax collections.

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The difference illustrates that communities reliant on business travel recovered more slowly than those that rely on recreation, according to Wisconsin Policy Forum Research Director Jason Stein and researcher Tyler Byrnes.

“Areas that rely more heavily on tourism bounced back in 2021, pretty strongly, and you even had some communities that were ahead of where they had been in 2019,” Stein said. “But for places that are more dependent on business travel — like Madison (and) Milwaukee — they did not see that full recovery in 2021.”

Since the 1990s, room tax has been a growing source of revenue for Wisconsin’s local governments, researchers said. Under state law, local governments are required to allocate 70 percent of that revenue toward tourism promotion, often through local chambers of commerce or convention and visitor bureaus.

“Almost everything is funded by the property tax, but the room taxes are one exception to that rule,” Stein said. “To have them reasonably strong again is certainly a benefit to a lot of communities or certainly takes a lot of financial pressure off of local governments.”

Last year, Madison saw its room tax collections down by 36 percent compared to 2019, according to Wisconsin Policy Forum.

Destination Madison CEO Ellie Westman Chin said capacity restrictions in the early part of 2021 hurt the area’s ability to host gatherings.

Many organizers chose to move their events out of Madison, which limited indoor capacity to 25 percent, she said.

“In the first five months of 2021, we actually lost 39 conventions and events,” Westman Chin said. “… I don’t begrudge anyone who had to make the decision on public health and all the things that we had to juggle at the time, but definitely having those strict capacity restrictions put us a little bit behind the curve.”

Despite the lack of conferences and business travel, she noted Madison still saw strong recreational travel last year.

Westman Chin said the economic impact of tourism in Madison was $1.05 billion. For comparison, the impact was $1.4 billion in 2019 and $783 million in 2020.

“It’s the first time that I’ve seen coming out of a crisis where leisure travel actually led recovery because it’s usually sports, then meetings or conventions and then leisure,” she said. “But in our case, it’s been leisure, then sports.”

Brown County

Despite the Green Bay Packers welcoming fans back to Lambeau Field in 2021 after playing in front of an empty stadium for most of the 2020 regular season , Brown County’s room tax collections fell by 24 percent last year compared to 2019, according to the study.

Greater Green Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau CEO Brad Toll attributed the decline in room tax to a lack of business travel because the area saw many recreational visitors in 2021.

“Leisure is actually what held things together for the last two years,” he said. “When leisure came back, it came back strong. People were tired of sitting at home, I think, and they were out traveling.”

While many associate the greater Green Bay area with football, Toll said visitors often come for local shopping and dining options. Many travelers also come for the Oneida Casino. He said others stay in the area while getting medical treatment at local hospitals.

“A variety of things actually draw people in, but certainly the Packers are why people know of Green Bay, have heard of Green Bay and are interested in coming here,” Toll said.

Lake Delton and Wisconsin Dells

One of the communities that saw its room tax collections exceed 2019 levels was Lake Delton, which saw a 22 percent increase in 2021, according to Wisconsin Policy Forum.

Romy Snyder is the CEO for the Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau, which serves both Wisconsin Dells and Lake Delton.

After a record-breaking 2019, the Wisconsin Dells-Lake Delton area saw the economic impact of tourism jump from $1.2 billion that year to almost $1.3 billion in 2021, Snyder said.

“We started as a leisure travel destination, and that still is a large part of what this area is built for,” she said.

According to Snyder, Wisconsin Dells’ brand recognition also helped the area recover from the pandemic and made people feel safe visiting.

“(People have) either been here before or they knew about us well enough to feel that they weren’t taking any risks in trying out a new destination and hoping for a great experience,” she said. “They came back to where they were familiar with. It was almost like a comfort thing.”

Door County

Door County, long known as a vacation hot spot, saw its room tax increase by about 40 percent from 2019 to 2021, according to researchers.

Jon Jarosh, chief communications officer for Destination Door County, said the area saw record tourism in 2021.

He said the county’s location on Lake Michigan and having a variety of outdoor attractions also helped travelers feel safe visiting.

“In 2021 in particular, there were just lots of folks that were anxious to travel, they had money to travel and they were looking for outdoor recreational opportunities,” he said. “And I think Door County just really fit the bill for that.”

The overall economic impact of Door County’s tourism was $531 million in 2021, an increase of $53 million from 2019 and $134 million from 2020.

“It’s certainly our largest economic driver, and it really is who we are,” Jarosh said. “Tourism has been a part of the fabric of Door County for generations.”

Looking ahead

Tourism officials say this year has been stronger than 2021 so far and anticipate a full recovery for communities that lagged last year.

“We have a really great outlook for this year of rebounding to those 2018 numbers,” Westman Chin said. “… We’re seeing really great numbers on the weekend of folks taking long weekends and coming to Madison to just have fun in the city.”

She said meetings and conferences also have picked up this year because “people are ready to get back together.”

Jarosh said the return of tourism is important for Wisconsin because the industry is one of the state’s biggest.

“It’s vital to Wisconsin’s economy because of not only the economic impact that it brings but the jobs that it creates for people on all ends of the job spectrum,” he said. “That’s huge, but it also brings dollars into the state from outside of the state.”

Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2024, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.

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Wisconsin tourism’s 2022 economic impact breaks pre-pandemic record, sets new overnight visit record

Breaking the record, Wisconsin tourism generated $23.7B in 2022

OSHKOSH, Wis. (WSAW) - Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Tourism Secretary Anne Sayers announced a record-breaking year in 2022 for Wisconsin’s tourism industry. The total economic impact was $23.7 billion.

The previous record was set in 2019 with $22.2 billion.

Last year, tourism helped with 174,000 jobs in various counties and produced $1.5 billion in state and local tax revenue. Contributors to this increase were the distribution of critical relief dollars by Gov. Evers, marketing investments by the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, and the record-high overnight visitation rate to the state.

“Tourism is vital to the economic health of local communities, businesses, and workers across our state, and I’m proud of our work to support this critical industry and its success over these past few years,” Governor Evers said. “We must continue to make key investments in Wisconsin tourism to ensure it continues to be a key part of our economy for generations.”

2022 brought in 111.1 million visits to Wisconsin. Of those visits, 45.4 million were overnight, a 13.8 percent increase from 2021.

“Aided by strategic marketing, Wisconsin convinced more visitors to stay the night so they could add more activities to their itinerary, delivering a deeper economic impact,” Secretary Sayers said. “I congratulate the entire industry on an incredible record-breaking year.”

After the launch of Travel Wisconsin’s brand “Here’s to Those Who Wisconsin” brand in 2021, 12 Midwestern markets were reached with one billion impressions. Travel Wisconsin continues to promote Wisconsin as an all-season destination.

Copyright 2023 WSAW. All rights reserved.

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Wisconsin generates record $23.7 billion in tourism for 2022

MADISON – Wisconsin saw a record-breaking $23.7 billion in economic impact generated by the tourism industry last year, with communities across the state benefiting from the dollars spent, Gov Tony Evers' office announced Tuesday.

According to a release from Evers, last year's numbers surpassed the previous state record of $22.2 billion, which was set in 2019.

"This is tremendous news and a testament to the hard work of the business owners, workers, and marketing partners across the industry and our strategic investments to bolster the industry at an especially difficult time,” Evers said.

“We must continue to make key investments in Wisconsin tourism to ensure it continues to be a key part of our economy for generations,” Evers said.

More: Wisconsin lawmakers include $10M for Milwaukee tourism officials to spend during RNC, presidential debate

In all, more than 111 million visits were made to the state last year, up about 8.8 million over 2021. Those totals, notched as the country was emerging from the coronavirus pandemic, include 45.4 million overnight visits, the release said.

All 72 counties across the state saw an increase in economic impact from tourism, the release said, with 174,600 full and part-time jobs being supported by travelers. In addition to jobs, tourism generated about $1.5 billion in local and state tax revenue.

“Aided by strategic marketing, Wisconsin convinced more visitors to stay the night so they could add more activities to their itinerary, delivering a deeper economic impact," Tourism Secretary Anne Sayers said.

More: 2 lawmakers push for $2 million in the state budget to help pay the costs of the Packers hosting the NFL draft

Laura Schulte can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter at  @SchulteLaura . 

Wisconsin Tourism Sees Record-Breaking Year

Gov. Tony Evers, together with Wisconsin Department of Tourism Secretary Anne Sayers, recently announced Wisconsin’s tourism industry saw a record-breaking year in 2022. The tourism industry generated $23.7 billion in total economic impact, surpassing the previous record year of $22.2 billion set in 2019, according to 2022 economic impact data.

The economic impact of the travel and tourism industry is felt by communities in every corner of the state and, in 2022, all 72 counties experienced an increase in total tourism economic impact. Further, last year, tourism supported 174,600 part- and full-time jobs across various sectors of the industry, and generated $1.5 billion in state and local tax revenue. A confluence of factors, such as historic marketing investments from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, relief dollars allocated by Gov. Evers and the efforts of communities across Wisconsin, helped contribute to the new record, as well as the highest-ever overnight visitation rate.

“This is tremendous news, and a testament to the hard work of the business owners, workers, and marketing partners across the industry, and our strategic investments to bolster the industry at an especially difficult time,” said Gov. Evers. “Tourism is vital to the economic health of local communities, businesses and workers across our state, and I’m proud of our work to support this critical industry and its success over these past few years. We must continue to make key investments in Wisconsin tourism to ensure it continues to be a key part of our economy for generations.”

In 2022, there were 111.1 million visits in Wisconsin, which was up 8.8 million visits, or 8.7%, over the previous year. This includes a record 45.4 million overnight visits, an increase of 13.8% from 2021. Overnight visitors, on average, spent nearly three times as much as day trip visitors.

Since launching the “Here’s to Those Who Wisconsin” brand in 2021, Travel Wisconsin’s advertising campaigns have reached visitors in 12 Midwestern markets and resulted in more than a billion impressions. The brand highlights Wisconsin’s welcoming nature and celebratory spirit, while positioning the state as a premier travel destination to make lifelong memories.

Travel Wisconsin markets Wisconsin as an all-season destination, and the economic impact data reflects that as travel spending grew year-over-year in every quarter in 2022.

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Wisconsin tourism’s 2022 economic impact breaks pre-pandemic record, sets new overnight visit record

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By Joe Schulz | Wisconsin Public Radio

Last year, Wisconsin broke its pre-pandemic record for economic impact from tourism by more than $1 billion, and it set a new record for overnight stays, according to the state Department of Tourism.

The department released a report last week that showed Wisconsin tourism had an economic impact of $23.7 billion in 2022, surpassing the previous record of $22.2 billion in 2019.

In a statement , Gov. Tony Evers said the growth is a testament to the Wisconsin businesses, workers and marketing partners.

“I’m proud of our work to support this critical industry and its success over these past few years,” he said. “We must continue to make key investments in Wisconsin tourism to ensure it continues to be a key part of our economy for generations.”

Along with the report, the Department of Tourism released data on all 72 counties that showed only five generated less economic activity from tourism in 2022 than 2019. All counties saw their tourism impact increase from 2021 to 2022.

The report said the industry helped sustain 1-in-21 Wisconsin jobs last year and supported more than 174,000 jobs. It also said each Wisconsin household would have to pay an additional $620 in taxes to maintain the same level of government services that are generated by tourism spending.

“These tax dollars come into our state and lawmakers can then decide from there how to spend them to further the growth of our state,” said Anne Sayers, secretary of the state Department of Tourism. “We’re really proud as an industry to be part of the economic engine for our entire state that supports all taxpayers.”

Wisconsin also saw its most overnight visits ever last year with 45.4 million, an increase of 13.8 percent from the previous year, the report said.

“That wasn’t by accident,” Sayers said. “That’s something that we’ve really focused on helping visitors to see the importance of staying a little bit longer in Wisconsin and packing those itineraries with even more activities.”

Local tourism officials attributed the record-breaking year to pent-up demand as visitors felt more comfortable traveling than they had since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think 2021 still felt a little bit like things were opened back up, but people’s comfort levels were all over the board,” said Amy Albright, executive director of Discover Oshkosh. “In 2022, (that) was sort of that first year where people really felt like, ‘We can do this event (and) we’re back to meetings and conventions.'”

In Oshkosh, Albright said the annual EAA AirVenture air show had record attendance last year, drawing 650,446 guests to the Fox Valley. That helped boost Winnebago County’s economic impact from tourism from $509 million in 2019 to $522 million in 2022.

“EAA is such a large contributor to tourism, in Oshkosh and Winnebago County, but really is one of leading events in the state,” Albright said.

Other northeast Wisconsin communities also saw their tourism impact increase from 2019 to 2022. One of those includes Door County, which has long been a tourist destination.

In fact, the economic impact of tourism in Door County grew by more than $100 million from $478 million in 2019 to $582 million last year, according to data from the state. Julie Gilbert, president of Destination Door County, said the county exceeded 2019 impacts in 2021, which she believes shows it’s a destination that made people feel safe.

“This is the type of destination that people wanted to come to, and they still are continuing to do that,” she said of 2022 surpassing 2021. “It’s really a tribute to our tourism businesses.”

She said it doesn’t hurt that one of the county’s most high-profile boosters is Green Bay Packers running back AJ Dillon, who often showcases Door County on his social media and received the “key to the county” in 2021 .

“He and his wife, they are absolutely incredible,” Gilbert said. “We can’t thank them enough for their support and love for the county. We have adopted him, and he has adopted us.”

Similarly, Brown County, home to the city of Green Bay, also saw its tourism impact rise from nearly $1.2 billion in 2019 to almost $1.3 billion last year. Nick Meisner, vice president of digital marketing and communications for Discover Green Bay, said the greater Green Bay area saw an increase in the number of visitors last year.

He said the area’s events were key to attracting tourists last year, including Packers games, meetings and conventions, the 2022 Para Ice Hockey Women’s World Challenge and an international soccer match . 

“All of these things kind of came together to build towards these numbers that we’re seeing,” he said.

In looking ahead to 2023, local tourism officials are optimistic — as is the state Department of Tourism. Sayers said the state has already seen a good number of winter visitors and now it’s headed for the peak summer season.

“We’re also seeing the traveler sentiment numbers where they tell us whether they plan to travel or not — those are really high,” she said. “We continue to feel really good about the role that Wisconsin tourism will play for the state.”

This story was produced by Wisconsin Public Radio and is being republished by permission. See the original story here .

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Wisconsin Department of Tourism: Wisconsin tourism surges in 2021

Amanda Weibel, Communications Officer

(608) 577-7065;  [email protected]  

Economic impact report shows double-digit growth in all 72 Wisconsin counties

MADISON, Wis. (June 8, 2022) –  The Wisconsin Department of Tourism released its 2021  economic impact data  today, showing Wisconsin tourism generated $20.9 billion in total economic impact. Statewide, total economic impact increased 21 percent, with all 72 counties reporting double-digit growth over 2020.

In 2021, tourism supported more than 169,700 full and part-time jobs across diverse sectors of the industry, up 7 percent over 2020. Wisconsin also hosted over 102.3 million visitor trips in 2021, up 12 percent from 2020.

Visitors generated $1.4 billion in state and local taxes because of tourism spending. Without this tax revenue, each Wisconsin household would need to pay $580 to maintain the current level of government services generated by tourism. For more data, including individual county figures and year over year growth, visit  industry.travelwisconsin.com .

“With a $20.9 billion economic impact and $1.4 billion generated in state and local taxes, there’s no question that Wisconsin’s travel and tourism industry is a major economic driver for our local and statewide economies,” said Governor Evers. “That’s why we’ve worked hard over the course of the past few years to make strategic investments to ensure the industry, as well as the dedicated folks who make up the industry, could rebound, recover and thrive, and it’s great to see that happening.”  Gov. Evers has invested $1 billion of Wisconsin’s federal funds in small businesses and other industries impacted by the pandemic, about $200 million of which was invested in the travel and tourism, hotels and lodging and entertainment industries alone, including more than $70 million for lodging grants, more than $14 million in grants for movie theaters, summer camps and minor league sports teams, more than $27 million in grants that went to 204 event venues and live event small businesses and $15 million for destination marketing organizations, among other initiatives. The governor also invested $21.9 million in grants for the  Tourism Capital Investment Grant Program  which assisted 27 local governments and organizations with major tourism-related capital improvement projects across the state that help promote, maintain or bolster Wisconsin’s tourism industry.

In addition to federal relief funds allocated by Gov. Evers, the hard work of tourism industry partners and hospitality workers combined with Travel Wisconsin’s strategic statewide campaign to support the industry’s ongoing recovery. Wisconsin is well-positioned for continued recovery, as more travelers are opting for road trip vacations closer to home amidst rising gas prices.  

“Wisconsin’s tourism recovery is something to be proud of. These successes are the result of intentional and strategic action by everyone who makes up our industry,” said Secretary-designee, Anne Sayers. “I feel so fortunate to work alongside all of our hospitality partners every day who provide travelers with incredible opportunities to make memories while driving economic impact.”

Wisconsin tourism continues to recover but has not fully recovered to Wisconsin tourism’s record-setting year of 2019, which saw $22.2 billion in total economic impact. Meanwhile, 2022 is off to a strong start, with Travel Wisconsin’s summer campaign boasting its biggest spend and deepest reach than in any previous campaign in Travel Wisconsin’s history. The  “Here’s to Those Who Wisconsin”  campaign, which launched in April, showcases the fact that Wisconsin is ready to deliver on exactly what travelers are looking for — joyful moments shared between friends and family in the perfect place for making lasting memories. 

 Start your summer getaway at  TravelWisconsin.com .

About the Wisconsin Department of Tourism The mission of the  Wisconsin Department of Tourism  is to inspire travelers to visit Wisconsin. Because we believe in the power of exploration and travel, we work to market the state as a premier travel destination. By executing industry-leading marketing programs and establishing strategic partnerships, the Department plays a significant role in generating greater economic impact for Wisconsin through tourism. Learn more at  industry.travelwisconsin.com .

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Wisconsin tourism impact rose 21% in 2021

But industry still lags behind record-setting 2019

Wisconsin’s tourism industry in 2021 generated $20.9 billion in total economic impact, up 21% over 2020, according to data released Wednesday by the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.

All 72 counties across the state saw double-digit growth in total tourism EI compared to 2020, which was a devastating year for hospitality and tourism due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In Milwaukee County, tourism’s economic impact jumped 19.5% over 2020, generating $3.4 billion; direct visitor spending was up 33%, at $1.8 billion.

Statewide, direct visitor spending rose 31%, totaling $12.9 billion. Tourism supported more than 169,700 full and part-time jobs across multiple sectors of the industry, up 7% over 2020. Wisconsin also hosted more than 102.3 million visitor trips, a 12% increase from 2020. Visitors generated $1.4 billion in state and local taxes through tourism spending, according to a news release.

“Wisconsin’s tourism recovery is something to be proud of,” said secretary-designee, Anne Sayers. “These successes are the result of intentional and strategic action by everyone who makes up our industry.”

Pandemic recovery aside, 2021 was a big year specifically for sports tourism in Wisconsin. The return of in-person, large-scale entertainment events nationwide brought some of the most notable spectacles in sports to southeastern Wisconsin. The Milwaukee Bucks’ playoff run to win the NBA Finals last summer brought tens of thousands of fans to watch games from the seats of Fiserv Forum or outside on giant TV screens at the Deer District, generating $57.6 million impact in direct and indirect spending to the Milwaukee-area, according to VISIT Milwaukee .

The Ryder Cup, which took place in September at Whistling Straits in Sheboygan County, drew 45,000 spectators a day to the course as well as 4,000 volunteers from 47 states and 13 countries, and 1,300 temporary employees. As a result, monthly tourism spending across the state in September surpassed that of September 2019, which was the state’s best year on record. With 1% positive growth, Wisconsin was the only state among its Midwest competitors to exceed spending for any month compared to 2019 since the start of the pandemic.

While the latest data shows significant recovery from the pandemic’s devastation, Wisconsin’s tourism industry still lags behind 2019’s record-setting $22.2 billion in total economic impact, with 113 million visitor trips.

The department touted its strategic statewide campaign to support the industry’s rebound, noting that Wisconsin is “well-positioned for continued recovery, as more travelers are opting for road trip vacations closer to home amidst rising gas prices.”

Gov. Tony Evers has allocated $1 billion in federal funds to small businesses and other industries impacted by the pandemic. About $200 million of that was invested in the travel and tourism, hotels and lodging and entertainment industries alone, including more than $70 million for lodging grants, more than $14 million in grants for movie theaters, summer camps and minor league sports teams, more than $27 million in grants that went to 204 event venues and live event small businesses and $15 million for destination marketing organizations.

Evers additionally allocated $21.9 million in grants for the Tourism Capital Investment Grant Program, which assisted 27 local governments and organizations with major tourism-related capital improvement projects across the state that help promote, maintain or bolster Wisconsin’s tourism industry.

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The Wisconsin Department of Tourism releases data surrounding the economic impact of tourism in Wisconsin. There is both statewide and county-level data.

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Tourism is an Economic Workhorse for Wisconsin

Tourism is an integral part of the Wisconsin economy. It generates millions in tax receipts, and its broad range of employment creation provides jobs that support the state’s economic health. By measuring and monitoring this impact, we can make informed decisions on funding, marketing and also carefully analyze trends, successes and future needs.

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Oshkosh's Paine Art Center one of just six organizations to win a 2024 Governor's Tourism Award

The paine beat out 18 other nominees across the state to win the arts, culture and heritage award..

OSHKOSH ― The gifts just keep coming.

One year after celebrating its 75th anniversary, the Paine Art Center and Gardens made it big yet again, winning a prestigious 2024 Governor’s Tourism Award at the Wisconsin Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Lake Geneva.

Competing against 18 nominees across the state, the local historic estate won the Arts, Culture and Heritage Award for a record-setting year that saw the Paine attract more than 100,000 visitors to its Algoma Boulevard grounds.

“It’s definitely a huge honor because we’re competing against a wide and broad range of organizations and events such as music festivals, street fairs and other types of attractions,” said the Paine Art Center Executive Director Aaron Sherer.

“We were definitely surprised, but that’s also a testament to our growth and how we can quantify the impact we’ve made in the community, as our estimated economic impact for last year was more than $6 million.

“We’re driving traffic into the community that wouldn’t be here otherwise and we’re only going to grow from here,” he added.

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The Paine Art Center was just one of six organizations and individuals to be awarded at the Governor’s Tourism Awards, which were started in 2010 to recognize excellence and leadership in travel and hospitality.

It came in recognition of a historic 75th anniversary, where the Oshkosh tourist attraction expanded its programming, set record-breaking attendance numbers and had its biggest operating budget.

The Paine’s outdoor lighting exhibition, The Nature of Light, attracted 50,000 people alone, and led to another successful holiday light show during Christmas.

“We have a historic property with a great art collection, and with our gardens, we’re so multifaceted, so we have something for everyone,” explained Sherer.

“But we’re considering it a launching pad as we’re going on and upward from here.”

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More than 800 people attended this year’s Governor’s Tourism Awards, including Gov. Tony Evers, who personally handed out the six individual awards.

Sixty-two individuals, businesses and destinations were nominated for the six categories, which included Rising Star; Service Excellence; the Innovation Award; the Legacy Award; the Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion Award; and the Arts, Culture and Heritage Award.

“These hardworking partners help drive the success of Wisconsin’s tourism industry, which is a critical economic engine for our state, generating $23.7 billion in economic impact,” Evers said.

“I want to congratulate all the winners on this well-deserved recognition and thank them for their leadership, dedication and innovation that help support our state’s tourism industry and make Wisconsin a place that people from all over choose to visit."

Have a story tip or public interest concern?   Contact Justin Marville at  [email protected] .

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