Gov. Evers celebrates National Travel and Tourism Week
Last week, Governor Tony Evers celebrated National Wisconsin Tourism Week with a video message of stops across the state to highlight the strength of Wisconsin's tourism industry, the vital role it plays in the state's economy. Governor Evers allocated $1 billion of Wisconsin federal funds to small businesses affected by the epidemic and another $200 million, $200 million of which has been spent on travel, tourism, hotels, apartments and entertainment alone.
"We already knew that Wisconsin's travel and tourism industry was a vital part of our state's economy - we saw it firsthand last week from Dor County to La Crosse," Governor Evers said. "This industry is incredibly resilient, with our investments, the hard work, dedication and ingenuity of many entrepreneurs, employees, industry leaders, we work together to ensure these vital sectors are restored and moving forward."
National Travel & Tourism Week Kick-Off On Tuesday, May 3, Governor Evers attended Destination Door County's National Travel & Tourism Week Breakfast in Sturgeon Bay with newly elected Wisconsin Department of Tourism Secretary Anne Syers. While there, he learned from local leaders about the state of the Dor County industry, witnessed the signing of a new corporate agreement between the Dor County Tourism Commission, and shared updates on major state investments in tourism. Prepared by the government to support the recovery of the industry.
“We are thrilled to have Governor Evers and newly elected Secretary of Tourism Anne Syers join us for our Dor County Breakfast on May 3,” said Julie Gilbert, CEO of Door County Destination. "This is a special day in which we realized all the positive aspects that tourism has to offer our stakeholders, the people of Dor County, your personal presence here to celebrate with us, your support of our industry, not just in Dor County, but all over the world." the world. Express. "
After visiting the area, Governor Evers, newly elected Secretary Sayers traveled to La Crosse, where they joined the La Crosse study, toured the city with many local elected officials, and stopped at Grand Bluff to learn about the cruise ship. dock. Riverside Park Ö‡ A tour of the newly renovated La Crosse Center. Finally, they ended their day with an ice cream stop at The Pearl.
"This week, the La Crosse District welcomed Governor Evers and newly elected Secretary Ann Syers to National Travel Tourism Week 2022," said AJ Frles, CEO of Explore La Crosse. "As the La Crosse region moves into 2021, much like the state of Wisconsin, we are pleased to announce that the region's tourism industry is recovering much faster than anyone expected. By focusing on tourism, our The region has been able to post sales figures that correspond to our peak in 2019, even surpassing it in a few months."Explore La Crosse looks forward to supporting the growth of tourism in our region in 2022 and beyond."
Then, on Wednesday, May 4, Governor Evers, newly elected Secretary Sayers, visited the SentryWorld Inn in Stevens Point and joined SentryWorld, the Stevens Point Convention visitors' bureau, for a comprehensive press conference:. SentryWorld has been selected to host the 2023 US Open, which will be the first US Open and third USGA Championship they have hosted. There, the Governor, Secretary, and Stephens Point Convention presented the Visitors Bureau with two checks approved by the Board of Tourism on April 26, including "Ready, Ready, Ready!" $30,000 and Meetings Mean Business Subsidy: $29,488.
"Tourism is at the heart of everything we do," said Sarah Brish, executive director of the Stevens Point Convention Visitors Bureau. "From developing new ideas to strengthening relationships, creating positive economic impact that supports local businesses, jobs, communities and tourism can be the key to our success." We are grateful for two grants from Wisconsin. "These grants allow us to invest in tourism, to advance our industry."
Additionally, on Friday, May 6, Governor Evers and his Cabinet hosted Cabinet on the Road events in the Claire area, as well as events in Oseo, Altuna and Menomone to connect with local business owners and farmers. , elected officials. Discuss economic and community development programs that benefit the region. Stops included a visit to Hoplin Homestead Farm in Oceo to talk about agritourism, a tour of the Mabel Tainter Art Center, a discussion of housing insecurity, homelessness in Menomonee, a visit to a local business, and a discussion with city officials. Altoona plans to revitalize downtown, which will boost the local economy, attract new businesses, visitors to downtown, as well as several small local businesses and restaurants. To wrap up the day, Governor Evers and his office visited The Brewing Project with owner Will Glass in Eau Claire.
Finally, Governor Evers attended the 2022 Lake Shell Fisheries Governor's Inauguration on Friday, May 6, Saturday, May 7 to mark the end of winter, the start of the 2022-2023 fishing season in Wisconsin, as well as a vital role to play fishing Wisconsin tourism. In 2020, Wisconsin ranked third in the country for out-of-state fishing license sales.
In addition to the Governor's cuts outlined above, the Governor also announced last week that Wisconsin exceeded the national travel average for the past 24 months compared to 2019, indicating a strong recovery from the COVID-19 epidemic. By 2020, Wisconsin's tourism industry generated $17.3 billion in business revenue, creating more than 157,000 jobs. While 2021 economic impact data is expected to be released in June 2022, monthly visitor spending compared to Wisconsin's record 2019 has been above zero for four of the last six months, indicating that Wisconsin's recovery remains positive.