Stephanie Klett: Throughout Wisconsin, tourism means real fun, real success

During the past five years, we've seen our brand of 'real fun' result in real success for Wisconsin's tourism industry, and last year was another outstanding year. In 2015, the state's $19.3 billion tourism economy was up $800 million. The five-year growth of tourism is $4.5 billion, an increase of 30 percent.
Tremendous credit should be given to the tourism industry and the innovative work the industry's employees do to create the fun and exciting vacation experiences that rank Wisconsin No. 1 in affordability, family atmosphere, outdoor recreation and uniqueness when compared to other Midwest states.

Success also requires an effective marketing strategy to keep Wisconsin top of mind when consumers are planning their next vacations. This is no small feat in a competitive environment where Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Wyoming, South Dakota and North Dakota are advertising in the same markets to attract travelers.

This past spring, we announced that for every $1 the Department of Tourism spent on its ad campaigns in 2015, $8 was returned to state and local governments in incremental tax revenue, according to a study by Longwoods International. This is the highest return on investment since we began commissioning the study in 2010. These results let us know that what we are doing is working.

When most people think tourism, they see the camping trip in one of our beautiful state parks, the weekend in Milwaukee to attend the State Fair or Summerfest, or a family getaway to a Wisconsin Dells waterpark. But tourism puts dollars back into our wallets every day. During the last five years, tourism generated nearly $7 billion in state and local taxes.

This increase began when Gov. Scott Walker allocated extra funding for tourism marketing to bring even more travelers to Wisconsin. Since then, the state has seen a steady increase in travel expenditures, jobs and tax revenues used to pay for schools, health care, roads, police and fire protection and other essential services.

But these are just numbers.

Tourism also creates a halo effect by generating a positive impression of the state, which boosts economic development in other sectors outside of tourism. Longwoods International conducted another study that shows which travelers who have visited Wisconsin in the past two years rate the state much higher in attributes such as a good place to live, start a business, attend college, or buy a retirement home.

Pride in tourism is at an all-time high. Each year, more visitors are taking their hard-earned dollars and choosing Wisconsin as the destination to spend their precious time off with family, friends and even their beloved pets. Every day, our tourism industry gives the gift of lifelong memories. In turn, Wisconsin enjoys the benefits of a strong economy and a superior quality of life for its residents.

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