By Casey Nelson
May 5, 2021 | 2:44 PM
APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) – State tourism officials say the pandemic caused a 30% decline in direct spending by tourists across Wisconsin last year, but there is optimism that the industry will rebound quickly.
“It is time for us to return to some sense of normalcy,” Governor Tony Evers told reporters. “In turn, we’ve learned a lot of things during this pandemic too, that we want to make sure we continue to implement things to mitigate this happening again.”
The Wisconsin Department of Tourism reports spending dropped about $4 billion last year to $9.8 billion. That’s why Evers visited the Trout Museum of Art in downtown Appleton Wednesday to highlight Wisconsin tourism.
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Douglas County Excited for Tourism Comeback After Pandemic Dip
According to the Department of Tourism s report travelers to Douglas County spent $82.7 million in direct visitor spending last year a 22% dip from 2019.
May 3, 2021
SUPERIOR, Wis.- New numbers just released on Wisconsin’s tourism last year show a dip in visitor spending due to the pandemic. But Douglas County tourism officials look toward the future excited for a comeback.
“A lot of other areas are experiencing tourism impacts of much more than that,” said Taylor Pedersen, President and CEO of Travel Superior. “So we’re excited that we’re starting to see tourism come back.”
Tourism spending in Milwaukee was down nearly 40% in 2020
With no big sporting events, festivals or concerts luring people to visit Milwaukee during the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism spending in the area was down nearly 40% in 2020.
Visitors spent just $1.33 billion in Milwaukee County, according to data released Thursday from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism. Milwaukee is the largest tourism market in the state.
Direct visitor spending in Milwaukee County was down nearly 40% from 2019. The region s visitors bureau, VISIT Milwaukee, announced the year-end totals in a news release.
Across the greater Milwaukee area, which includes Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington counties, direct visitor spending was down nearly 37% from 2019. The area set new records for tourism spending in 2019.
RACINE â The COVID-19 pandemic cost Racine County hotels, restaurants and other visitor destinations $71 million last year, newly released state tourism figures show.
The Wisconsin Department of Tourism reported this week that tourism spending in Racine County during 2020 dropped from $260 million to $189 million, or a decrease of 27 percent.
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That is about average for the state, as tourism spending statewide dropped 28 percent, from $13.6 billion to $9.8 billion.
David Blank, executive director of the Real Racine convention and visitors group, said his organization tracked tourism spending throughout 2020, so officials knew that COVID-19 was taking a toll.
Best spots to go fishing in Wisconsin
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Whether you re a beginner or a pro, there are plenty of spots to cast a line across the state! Anne Sayers with the Wisconsin Department of Tourism joined us to share a roundup of some of the best places to go fishing in Wisconsin.
Click here for more tips from Travel Wisconsin.