Dept. of Tourism: Tourist information centers awarded $80,000 in grant funding to serve Wisconsin travelers

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jocelyn Berkhahn, Wisconsin Department of Tourism

Phone: 608-261-8203

Email: jberkhahn@travelwisconsin.com

Media Room: http://media.travelwisconsin.com

MADISON, Wis. (August 23, 2010) — Tourism Secretary Kelli A. Trumble today announced that 15 tourism organizations will receive funding to offset expenses related to the operation of visitor information centers. The funding is available through the new Tourism Information Centers (TIC) grant program passed by the legislature last year. This is the first round of grants awarded through the program.

“We are pleased to offer the Tourist Information Center grant program to support local and regional efforts to care for our travelers when they are on the road,” Secretary Trumble said. “This new privatized business model puts Wisconsin in a stronger position to serve its visitors by allowing the Tourism Department to concentrate its marketing dollars on extending the invitation to travelers and our tourism industry, with their expertise in hospitality, to care for visitors when they are here.”

Secretary Trumble went on to say, “Providing customer care and travel information at regional tourist information centers presents an opportunity to further drive traveler spending for Wisconsin.”

In 2009, travelers spent over $12 billion in Wisconsin supporting 286,000 jobs and nearly $2 billion in revenues for state and local government.

The grants that have been awarded are as follows:

* Beloit Convention & Visitor Bureau, $3,641

* Door County Visitor Bureau, $12,708

* Florence Wild Rivers Interpretive Center, $1,452

* Janesville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, $413

* Kenosha Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, $9,536

* La Crosse Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, $3,377

* Manitowoc Area Visitor & Convention Bureau, $8,606

* Marinette Travel Center, $837

* Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center, $15,000

* Polk County Information Center, $7,355

* Prairie du Chien Area Chamber of Commerce, $2,637

* Sparta Area Chamber of Commerce, $3,510

* Stevens Point Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, $2,178

* Superior Visitor Center, $7,744

* Wausau/Central Wisconsin Convention & Visitor Bureau, $1,006

The Tourist Information Center grant program is open to non-profit tourism organizations, municipalities or Native American tribes who operate a regional tourist information center and provide information on cultural, recreational and other tourism businesses. The organization may be reimbursed up to $15,000 per year for operational costs pertaining to staffing, display equipment and promotional materials such as signage or audio visual equipment.

The deadline for the next round of applications is January 1, 2011 for eligible expenses incurred between July 1, 2010 and December 31, 2010.

More information about the Tourist Information Center grant program is available on the Wisconsin Department of Tourism website or by contacting Tourism Grant Program Coordinator Abbie Hill at 608-261-6272.