MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers this week visited several tourism and travel hotspots across the state in celebration of National Travel and Tourism Week, which extends through May 9, 2026. During the visits, the governor highlighted Wisconsin’s thriving travel and tourism industry and recognized the industry’s contributions to the state’s economy, workforce, and quality of life. This year’s National Travel and Tourism Week follows last year’s announcement of a third record-breaking year for Wisconsin tourism in 2024. Additionally, in March, Gov. Evers announced Wisconsin’s outdoor recreation industry also saw its third consecutive year of record-breaking economic growth in 2024.
“From unique natural spaces and historical landmarks to iconic museums and outdoor recreation opportunities and so much more, each year, Wisconsin’s vital tourism industry helps bring in billions of dollars in revenue for local businesses and our statewide economy,” said Gov. Evers. “I was jazzed to once again celebrate National Travel and Tourism Week by visiting some of our state’s most beloved attractions, highlighting all Wisconsin has to offer, hearing about the success of Wisconsin’s tourism industry, and meeting the hardworking local partners who keep Wisconsin tourism on top.”
According to 2024 economic impact data, Wisconsin’s tourism industry generated a record-high $25.8 billion in total economic impact, or about $70 million per day, surpassing the previous record of $25 billion set in 2023, which itself was a record year. Wisconsin also welcomed a record-breaking 114.4 million visitors in 2024—a 1.4 million increase from the previous year and eclipsing the former record of 113.2 million visitors in 2019, and the state’s tourism industry generated a record amount of state and local tax revenue, generating a record $1.7 billion that goes back to local communities and essential state services.
The 2025 economic impact report for Wisconsin’s tourism industry will be released in June, and travelers can plan their Wisconsin summer getaways at TravelWisconsin.com.
Additionally, this week, the governor’s travel included visits to projects that are expected to receive support through the latest round of the Non-State Grant Program. Gov. Evers recently announced $50 million for 71 projects in communities across Wisconsin through the Non-State Grant Program, which was created by Gov. Evers in the 2023-25 Biennial Budget to support local infrastructure improvement and community development projects across the state. Building upon these efforts, the bipartisan 2025-27 Biennial Budget signed into law by Gov. Evers continued funding for this critical program with another $50 million investment to continue serving communities across the state. These grants will be voted on to be approved at the State Building Commission meeting, which the governor chairs, on Wed., May 13, 2026.
On Mon., May 4, Gov. Evers, joined by Tourism Secretary Anne Sayers, visited Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison to tour the gardens, where they heard about the wide variety of events hosted at the gardens each year and toured the conservatory, which, thanks to the Non-State Grant Program, will utilize $500,000 to repair the conservatory’s windows. As noted in the Wisconsin Office of Outdoor Recreation’s most recent reports from the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Economic Impact Program, visitor spending associated with Olbrich Gardens contributed an estimated over $20 million to Dane County’s economy in 2025. Photos of the visit are available here and here.
On Tues., May 5, Gov. Evers and Secretary Sayers visited the Cable Natural History Museum in Cable, which is the only accredited Natural History Museum in the Northwoods. During the visit, the governor and secretary toured the museum and heard about its history before visiting the nearby Wayside Wanderings Natural Play Area, which was developed by the museum as a natural play area for kids to learn about the region’s wildlife, forests, and natural landscapes. Photos of the visit are available here and here.
Following this, the governor and secretary met tour guides from Ride Wisconsin Gravel at Memorial Park in Athens, where they went on a bike ride along the Athens Graventure trail, which goes through Erbach Park, and ended the visit with ice cream at Main Street Social. Ride Wisconsin Gravel received a $39,550 grant through the Wisconsin Department of Tourism’s Joint Effort Marketing grant program. Photos of the visit are available here and here.
To finish out the day, the governor and secretary visited the Mitchell Park Domes in Milwaukee, where they toured all three horticultural domes, all of which represent a variety of unique natural ecosystems, and heard about the park’s several tourist opportunities, including wedding venue accommodation, photography sessions, guided group tours, and educational field trips. Additionally, the governor and secretary heard about their renovation plans and the over $2 million they are expected to receive through the Non-State Grant Program to help with the project. Photos of the visit are available here and here.
On Thurs., May 7, Gov. Evers and Secretary Sayers visited Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, which is home to the Yerkes Great Refractor, the largest refracting telescope ever built for astronomical research. During the visit, the governor and secretary toured the ornate observatory and heard about the many scientific advancements made from the Yerkes Great Refractor since its creation in 1897, including helping establish the existence of other galaxies, as well as the countless visitation opportunities within the observatory, such as after-dark tours of the night sky, guest speakers, and professional development workshops. The governor also heard more about the observatory’s plans to utilize a $700,000 non-state grant they are expected to receive to create a play space and family pavilion at the observatory. Photos of the visit are available here and here.
Finally, to close out his statewide National Travel and Tourism Week tour, Gov. Evers and Secretary Sayers visited the USS Cobia at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc. The USS Cobia (SS-245) was a Gato-class submarine that served in World War II, and in 1986, the USS Cobia was incorporated as a part of the Manitowoc Maritime Museum before being declared a National Historic Landmark and placed on the National Register of Historic Places. During the visit, the governor and secretary toured the USS Cobia and heard about the recent restoration project, which was funded in part by a $500,000 grant secured by Gov. Evers in the 2025-27 Biennial Budget. The Wisconsin Maritime Museum was also recently notified that they are eligible to receive a $975,593 grant to revitalize the Wisconsin Maritime Heritage Center. Photos of the visit are available here and here.
ADDITONAL EFFORTS BY THE EVERS ADMINISTRATION TO BOLSTER WISCONSIN’S TOURSIM INDUSTRY
Since 2019, and especially in the wake of the pandemic, Gov. Evers and his administration have made investing in Wisconsin’s tourism industry a top priority. The governor has directed investments totaling more than $1 billion of Wisconsin’s federal pandemic relief funds in economic resilience, and more than $200 million of that total was invested in the travel and tourism, hotels and lodging, and entertainment industries alone.
The 2023-25 Biennial Budget signed by Gov. Evers included a historic $34 million investment over the biennium for the Department of Tourism to promote Wisconsin as a premier destination for leisure, business, and group travel, amounting to the largest increase in tourism marketing and advertising funds in state history. These funds ensured the department could run strategic campaigns and remain competitive with neighboring states. Building upon efforts of the 2023-25 Biennial Budget investment, the most recent 2025-27 Biennial Budget signed by Gov. Evers provided $31 million over the biennium for tourism marketing, which will help the agency attract events and increase advertising in key tourism markets.
Additionally, after several years of demonstrated success in strengthening Wisconsin’s outdoor recreation economy, the 2025-27 Biennial Budget made the Wisconsin Office of Outdoor Recreation, which was created by Gov. Evers in the 2019-21 state budget, a permanent state office. At the beginning of this year, Gov. Evers, along with the Office of Outdoor Recreation, released reports from the DIY Economic Impact Program, finding visitors and residents contribute over $49.1 million in economic activity through outdoor recreation at unique outdoor recreation destinations in Dane, Door, Iron, Oconto, Oneida, and Vilas counties. The Office of Outdoor Recreation launched the DIY Economic Impact Program in 2024 as a pilot to assist local governments and nonprofits in documenting the value of outdoor recreation. Following the success of its first year, the Office of Outdoor Recreation invited a second cohort of outdoor stakeholders to participate in the program throughout 2025.
Further, in March, Gov. Evers, along with Secretary Sayers and Wisconsin Office of Outdoor Recreation Director Cassie Mordini, announced another record-breaking year for Wisconsin’s outdoor recreation industry in 2024. According to the latest data from the Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, outdoor recreation contributed more than $12 billion to Wisconsin’s gross domestic product in 2024, a 3.8 percent increase over the previous record-breaking year in 2023.
During his 2026 State of the State address, Gov. Evers announced the highly anticipated launch of Wisconsin’s new film office, Film Wisconsin, and the state’s new film tax credit program, ushering in a new tool to bring creative endeavors to Wisconsin’s doorstep, bolster the state’s travel and tourism economy, and strengthen the film industry in Wisconsin. The state’s new film office and tax credit incentives program were created by the 2025-27 Biennial Budget signed into law by Gov. Evers last year to help attract film and television productions to Wisconsin.
Administered by Film Wisconsin, the new film tax credit makes $5 million available annually to assist the production of feature and short films, scripted and unscripted television shows, documentaries, broadcast advertisements, and production infrastructure in Wisconsin. Prior to the governor’s creation of the new film office, Wisconsin was just one of four states without a dedicated film office.
In addition to making the Office of Outdoor Recreation permanent, investing over $30 million over the biennium for tourism marketing, and creating the state’s new film office and film tax credit program, the 2025-27 Biennial Budget also provided:
- $5 million for a Taliesin Preservation Grant to support projects that sustain Taliesin’s unique mix of nature and Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture in Spring Green, Wisconsin, such as an education center, upgraded visitor amenities, and structural improvements;
- Three positions and associated funding to support the planning, preparation, and operation of the new, state-of-the-art Wisconsin History Center; and
- $340,000 GPR in fiscal year 2025-26 and $222,000 GPR in fiscal year 2026-27 to make security and safety improvements at historic sites across the state.
The state has also worked to secure major events to showcase Wisconsin on national and global stages, from hosting the Democratic National Convention and Republican National Convention in recent years to sporting events like bringing IndyCar back to the Milwaukee Mile and hosting the Ryder Cup in 2021, as well as supporting the filming of Season 21 of Bravo’s Top Chef in state and a Christmas movie filmed in Door County and released last year. Last year, the state also hosted the 2025 NFL Draft, which amassed around 600,000 ticketed attendees over the three days in Green Bay. According to the Packers and Discover Green Bay, the event far exceeded projections. Attendance shattered expectations, driving total economic impact in Brown County to nearly $73 million—more than $50 million over the original $20 million projection. Statewide, the total economic impact reached over $104 million, surpassing the initial $94 million estimate by over $10 million.
