Contact:
Tamra Anderson
800-569-2160
Tomahawk Chamber
“Lincoln County Visitor Spending is Up 4.19%”
Tomahawk, Wis. (May 1, 2015) – For the travelers that helped Wisconsin achieve a $1 billion increase in tourism economic impact in 2014, it’s all about the fun and memories. For the state’s tourism industry, it’s big business. And for taxpayers and residents, it’s all about jobs and tax revenue those travelers generate. A study conducted by Tourism Economics shows the impact of tourism on the state’s economy was $18.5 billion in 2014, an increase of 5.5 percent from the previous year.
Locally, travelers to Lincoln County spent $52.8 million in 2014. Among the contributing factors for local tourism growth was our partnership with other local communities, attending trade shows around the state, targeted marketing and other marketing efforts including website development, online and social media advertising and email marketing.
“Tourism plays a critical role in Lincoln County and continues to grow, and from an economic standpoint, the numbers reflect that,” said Tamra Anderson, Executive Director, Tomahawk Regional Chamber of Commerce. “For the 4th year in a row, Lincoln County has seen significant growth, I believe that we do a great job marketing our county and Tomahawk. But it’s the people that live, work and own businesses here here that make it a great place to visit, play as well as live. Lincoln County saw an increase of over $2 million in visitor spending that is a 4.19% increase from 2013. Visitors to Lincoln County generated $5.5 Million in state and local taxes in 2014 that is a 3.58% increase. All the hard work that has been done to promote Tomahawk and Lincoln County has proven that we are truly a vacation destination, the numbers don’t lie. We hope to capitalize on this momentum in the coming season with a strong promotional campaign that defines Lincoln County and Tomahawk and targets potential visitors with a message that resonates.”
Statewide, traveler spending generated $1.4 billion in state and local revenue and $1 billion in federal taxes.
“The past four years have been outstanding for Wisconsin’s tourism industry. Since 2010, tourism activity is up by $3.7 billion, a 25 percent increase. And this is the first time in recent history that all 72 counties posted a positive increase in visitor spending,” said Department of Tourism Secretary Stephanie Klett. “Tourism continues to be one of Wisconsin’s most important economic resources. What’s more is research shows that tourism advertising goes beyond just promoting vacations, it also positively influences the state’s overall image as a great place to live, find a job, or open a business.”
The Department of Tourism worked with a national research firm Tourism Economics and Longwoods International to produce the reports.
