Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker kicked off this year's National Travel and Tourism Week on May 6, when he announced the results of a new state tourism study showing that traveler spending in the Badger State increased 1.8 percent in 2010.
"Tourism is part of Wisconsin's economic foundation and its continued growth is a priority for my administration because of the nearly 300,000 jobs it supports, the tax revenues it generates and the positive image it projects for the state," Walker said in a statement. "Even after a difficult economic recession where family budgets remained tight, travelers continued to choose Wisconsin for fun and relaxation."
Conducted by Davidson-Peterson Associates on behalf of the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, the study showed that tourism spending fell 4.1 percent year-over-year in winter 2010, but rose 1.7 percent, 3.1 percent and 4.1 percent, respectively, in spring, summer and fall — a growth trend that's expected to continue through 2011.
Numbers in Milwaukee, the state's largest city, were even stronger: Milwaukee County posted a 7.3 percent increase in tourism spending for the year, compared to the state's 1.8 percent.
Still, even modest growth was welcomed by state tourism officials. According to the study, tourism returned $1.37 billion to the state in tax revenues, as well as $621 million to local governments. Furthermore, tourism supported 291,964 full-time equivalent jobs in 2010, gaining 5,500 jobs over 2009 — most of them in small businesses, according to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, which said 15,000 businesses with less than 50 employees are currently employing nearly 220,000 of the 292,000 Wisconsin residents who rely on jobs in the tourism industry.
To keep momentum going, Walker has proposed a $1.191 million increase in the state's tourism marketing budget for fiscal year 2012, and a $2.344 million increase for fiscal year 2013.
With or without the additional funds, however, the Wisconsin Tourism Department plans to keep up the good work. "The Tourism Department will support this recovery by remaining focused on our primary mission to promote the state through effective marketing and supporting the work of our statewide tourism partners," said Tourism Secretary Stephanie Klett. "We know from new research that for every dollar spent on our summer and fall 2010 advertising campaign Wisconsin received $7 in state and local taxes from incremental traveler spending. This return on investment makes a strong case for the role of effective marketing to grow the state's tourism economy and create jobs for our residents."