Hey there, Wisconsin! Governor Tony Evers here.
This week, we were pretty excited to announce that for the third year in a row, Wisconsin’s travel and tourism industry had a record-high economic impact in our state.
In 2024, travel and tourism brought in a whopping $25.8 billion to Wisconsin. And that’s not all, folks!
We pulled off a hat trick last year, folks.
In 2024, we not only had record-high economic impact, we also had a record-high number of visitors with 114.4 million visits to Wisconsin, which generated a record $1.7 billion in state and local revenue.
That’s money that goes right back into our state and our communities. That’s a big deal!
Over the last several years, I’ve been proud to help support our state’s tourism industry by making smart, strategic investments.
We created the Office of Outdoor Recreation, supported building projects in communities across the state, and bolstered support for marketing at the Department of Tourism—and more!
And I’m committed to building on this work in our next state budget to ensure our state’s tourism industry continues to grow and thrive.
Because we’ve seen what’s possible when we invest in this critical industry.
Because at the end of the day, it’s the hardworking folks in the industry that make record-breaking years happen.
It’s the marketing professionals and folks at the Department of Tourism, it’s the small business owners, brewers, and restaurateurs, and the tour guides and servers whose friendly faces keep folks coming back year after year.
And it’s the hundreds of thousands of Old Fashioneds sold and cheese curds consumed, the miles of trails hiked and biked, and it’s the unforgettable memories made at the State Fair, AirVenture, or while trying to break the record for the world’s largest polka.
So, as we celebrate another record-breaking year, we’re also celebrating all that makes Wisconsin the special place it is to live, work, and, of course, visit.
Thank you.
An online version of this release is available here.
