Tourism Spending Up $14.6 Million in Door County Last Year
Visitor spending in Door County was up $14.6 million dollars last year according to a report released today by the Wisconsin Department of Tourism. The state’s tourism economic impact report comes on the eve of National Travel and Tourism Week, which runs from May 2-10, 2015.
Door County visitors spent $313.4 million in 2014, an increase of 4.89% over the $298.8 million dollars spent by visitors in 2013.
Overall visitor spending in Wisconsin totaled $11.4 billion last year according to an annual economic impact study prepared for the Wisconsin Department of Tourism by Tourism Economics. That’s a statewide increase of 5.3% compared to the $10.8 billion visitors spent in Wisconsin in 2013.
In Door County, the $313.4 million visitors spent last year supported 3,029 jobs and $66.3 million in labor income. Visitor spending also generated $34 million in state and local taxes, an increase of $1.5 million, or 4.65%, over 2013.
Jack Moneypenny, President and CEO of the Door County Visitor Bureau (DCVB), said the annual economic impact figures continue to show how vital the travel industry is to the state and to Door County. “For more than a century, the tourism industry has played an integral role in supporting Door County’s economy,” he said. “We are pleased to see the sixth consecutive year of visitor spending growth, and along with it, the positive impacts increased spending has on our destination.”
In Door County, the incremental growth in annual tourism spending has added up to $56.3 million, a 21.9% increase since 2009, the first year all 19 of Door County’s municipalities were part of the Door County Tourism Zone. Room tax collections increased 26.1% during that same time span, from $3.02 million in 2009 to $3.81 million last year, Moneypenny said.
“The economic data released today shows that our promotional efforts continue to help move our economy forward,” Moneypenny continued. “Marketing initiatives for 2015 are well underway and early signs point to another strong year for tourism in the county,” he said.
Door County ranked eighth among the state’s 72 counties in visitor spending last year with Milwaukee County topping the list followed by Dane, Sauk, Waukesha, Brown, Walworth and Outagamie counties.
The DCVB plans to celebrate National Travel and Tourism Week by hosting a Door County Travel and Tourism Summit on Tuesday May 5, 2015 at Stone Harbor Resort and Conference Center in Sturgeon Bay. This day-long educational event will feature a variety of destination marketing education sessions and a tourism luncheon that will be highlighted by keynote speaker Dr. Lalia Rach. Additionally, the DCVB will distribute a 4-page tourism information handout county-wide to help educate residents on the positive impacts tourism has on the community.
The Door County Visitor Bureau is the official tourism marketing organization for Door County, whose mission is to generate incremental economic impact for the community by attracting visitors with strategies that ensure sustainable tourism.
#####
