MEDIA CONTACT:
Lisa Marshall, Wisconsin Department of Tourism
Phone: 608-267-3773
Email: lmarshall@travelwisconsin.com
CABLE, Wis. (May 4, 2011) – Department of Tourism Secretary Stephanie Klett officially recognized the Cable Natural History Museum with Travel Green Wisconsin certification and awarded a $1625 Joint Effort Marketing (JEM) grant to the Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association during a presentation today.
“There are some noteworthy initiatives happening in Cable. It’s a community doing all the right things as a destination to grow the local economy through tourism,” Klett said. “Both of today’s announcements are perfect examples of how this area has leveraged existing tourism product such as the trail system and the area’s natural resources to attract new visitors and enter potentially untapped markets such as green travel.”
The Cable Natural History Museum joined the company of more than 260 tourism businesses certified in the Travel Green Wisconsin program and ranks in the program’s top ten highest “green” scores. The museum earned a notable score of 111 points for its many eco-friendly practices, which includes leveraging environmental partnerships and resources with the National Park Service, area technical colleges, the UW system and local school districts.
Travel Green Wisconsin encourages participants to evaluate their operations, set goals and take specific actions towards environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Wisconsin is setting an example and leading the way for other states with the program, which is regarded highly by other states and nationally.
The JEM Grant was awarded to CAMBA Festival of Trails, a three-day event to be held on June 3-5 that focuses on the trail system’s 70 miles of recently added single-track mountain bike trails. The anchor event is “Tour de Trails,” self-guided tours that originate from several CAMBA trailheads. Participants punch a card for every trail they ride to receive raffle tickets to enter for prizes donated by the bicycle industry and other sponsors. New this year is the “Tour de Epic Trail,” a guided tour, and a “Tribute de Trails,” a special trail dedication ceremony on National Trails Day.
The grant will offset costs to implement a marketing plan that includes print and digital advertising, direct mail, public relations and posters. Festival organizers estimate an economic impact of $35,000 for the local community based on research and surveys following the 2010 event.
JEM grant funds are available to non-profit organizations for the promotion of Wisconsin tourism events and destinations. The state can fund up to 75 percent of a project’s first year advertising and marketing costs and provides support for second and third year projects, but with decreasing amounts for funding each year until projects become self-sustaining. In fiscal year 2010, the Joint Effort Marketing (JEM) Grant Program funded 51 projects totaling $1.14 million and generated $30 million in visitor expenditures.
The mission of the Wisconsin Department of Tourism is to inspire travelers to choose Wisconsin and in doing so drive the economy by creating jobs and revenue for the state. More information about Department of Tourism programs such as Joint Effort Marketing grants and Travel Green Wisconsin certification are available online at http://industry.travelwisconsin or by contacting Sarah Pischer, the Regional Tourism Specialist for Northern Wisconsin at spischer@travelwisconsin.com.
