More than 20,000 international cruise ship passengers are expected to visit Milwaukee this year as Great Lakes tourism continues to expand in the region. 

That’s according to the former head of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, Adam Tindall-Schlicht, who addressed members of the Rotary Club of Milwaukee during the group’s latest gathering. 

He noted about 64 vessels are expected to stop in Milwaukee this year, representing just a piece of the burgeoning Great Lakes cruise industry that’s seen substantial growth in recent years. 

More than 175,000 cruise passengers are expected across the region this year, contributing to a $300 million annual economic impact, said Tindall-Schlicht, who was the director of the Port of Milwaukee before his federal appointment in 2022. 

“This is in a market that did not exist in Milwaukee, and barely existed on the Great Lakes in 2021,” he said yesterday. 

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson touted the record number of cruise ships expected at the port this season during this week’s State of the City address, noting those visitors represent thousands of restaurant customers and hotel stays. 

“Passengers from all around the country and all around the world spending their money here means jobs and economic boosts for Milwaukee’s businesses and hospitality workers,” he said Monday. 

Meanwhile, Tindall-Schlicht yesterday also argued “we can’t ignore the fact that these lake levels are dramatically changing” when asked about the impact of climate change on Great Lakes commerce. He pointed to the January 2020 storm that flooded Milwaukee’s port, causing millions of dollars in damage. 

While water levels in the Great Lakes have continually shifted over time due to natural factors, substantial changes used to happen gradually over the course of decades, Tindall-Schlicht explained. Today, those drastic water level changes are happening much more rapidly, over just five years or so. 

“What we know is that climate change is dramatically changing the Great Lakes in real time,” he said. 

Since leaving the federal government in 2025, Tindall-Schlicht has joined the Danish firm Ramboll. The architecture, engineering and consultancy firm employs about 2,000 people in the United States, including 150 employees at its offices in Milwaukee. 

Watch the video. 

See more in an earlier episode of “Talking Trade” featuring insights from Tindall-Schlicht.