The tourism economy in Wisconsin has topped to 20.6 billion in 2017. It was $631 million increase from 2016.
The direct visitor spending reached $12.7 billion, a 3.17-percent increase from 2016.
The announcement from Gov. Scott Walker’s office as he began traveling around the state last week for National Travel and Tourism Week, from Sunday to May 12.
Walker said that the region’s travel and hospitality industry is booming. Their tourism industry continues to be crucial to our state and is consistently a top performing sector of the economy.
Waukesha, Ozaukee, Washington and Milwaukee counties combined to increase direct visitor spending by $94.1 million or 9.18 percent from 2016.
Milwaukee County had the greatest increase of $59.4 million among the counties, but Waukesha County had the greatest percentage increase from 2016 at 4.40 percent.
Washington County experienced a $1.7million increase, which resulted in a 1.46percent increase from 2016, while Ozaukee County experienced a $300,000 increase, which resulted in a 0.25-percent increase.
According to the Department of Tourism, visitation in Wisconsin reached 110 million and has grown between 2.0 percent and 2.8 percent over the past four years.
Of Wisconsin’s $12.7 billion increase in direct visitor spending, 53 percent of it came from lodging and the food and beverage industry. Lodging brought in $3.4 billion, while food and beverage was close behind at $3.3 billion.
Tourism Secretary Stephanie Klett said Wisconsin’s tourism industry has had a positive impact on the economy and job growth for seven years in a row.
Klett said that the research shows us that the increased investment in marketing the brand of fun positively influences the way people think about Wisconsin as a top place to vacation, work, live, attend college and own a second home.
