Contact: Cullen Werwie, 608-267-7303
$37,150 Grant to Have an Estimated $690,000 Economic Impact
Madison – Today Governor Scott Walker presented the Oshkosh Convention & Visitor Bureau with a JEM Grant worth $37,150 to promote summer and fall travel throughout the county.
“I am honored to present this grant to the Oshkosh Convention & Visitor Bureau,” Governor Walker said. “Tourism is a major economic driver of Wisconsin’s economy. This JEM grant will encourage future growth and job creation in this important economic sector.”
This is the second year for this destination marketing project, which began in 2010, with the launch of the “Oshkosh, Wisconsin’s Event City” brand. Tourism grant dollars were used to advertise festivals and events running in the Oshkosh area during September through December 2010. Results from the first year project included a six percent increase in room tax revenue compared to the same period in 2009. Attendance at key events also experienced a six percent increase and occupancy rates were up by 17 percent.
The campaign uses Year-2 JEM grant dollars for TV, print, digital and radio ads. The Oshkosh CVB will match the grant funding with an extensive advertising campaign using billboard, Trip Advisor and mobile applications, public relations and other print media. Featured events include: Irishfest (June 3-5), the Miss Wisconsin Pageant (June 15-18), Country USA (June 21-25), Sawdust Days (June 30-July 4), the US Open Volleyball Tournament and Lifest (July 6-10), Rock USA (July 14-16), EAA AirVenture (July 25-31), DeerFest (July 22-24) and Oktoberfest (Sept 30-Oct 2).
The Governor’s visit comes during the State of Wisconsin’s Tourism Week which is aimed at promoting the state’s one-of-a-kind travel destinations and attractions. The state’s Department of Tourism recently released a study by Davidson-Peterson Associates that showed that traveler spending increased by 1.8 percent in 2010.
According to the Davidson-Peterson study, tourism returned $1.37 billion to the state in tax revenues as well as $621 million to local governments. Tourism supported 291,964 full-time equivalent jobs in 2010, gaining 5,500 jobs over 2009. The majority of tourism jobs are directly tied to small businesses. According to data from the Department of Workforce Development, 15,000 businesses with less than 50 employees are currently employing nearly 220,000 of the 292,000 Wisconsin residents who rely on jobs in the tourism industry.
For information on all that Wisconsin has to offer, visit www.TravelWisconsin.com .
