Wisconsin tourism brings in record $25 biilion for the state

BAYFIELD, Wis. (Northern News Now) – On the southwestern shore of Lake Superior sits a county with a population of less than 20,000.

But that same county brought in $93 million in tourism to Wisconsin last year.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, the total economic impact in the state hit a record-breaking $25 billion in 2023.

The growth has come with the help of national events like the American Birkebeiner, Book Across the Bay, the Bayfield Apple Festival, and local events like; the Iron River Blueberry Festival, Cable Fall Fest, and Cornucopia Days.

“We have so many small rural communities and not a lot of industry to support our economy. So tourism really is woven into the fabric of our lives up here. To have that outside money coming in to help boost our economy is critical,” said Director of Bayfield County Tourism Mary Motiff.

Tourism is very important to those rural communities in the county with one in five jobs involved with the tourism industry according to Travel Wisconsin.

“This is just an amazing place and it’s hard to get people to make the leap to come here if they haven’t been here before. But once they get here they are hooked and they fall in love with it just like we did,” said Motiff.

Motiff also said national and local partnerships help to build the industry. This includes the local group Native American Tourism of Wisconsin (NATOW).

NATOW’s focus is to promote tribal lands in the area so tourists can learn more about the cultures that are native to the area.

“We come together to help others learn about some of the things that they might not know about. We had a panel today on routes and roots and it was about our history,” said NATOW Executive Director Kimberlee McGeshick.

On Friday NATOW held their annual conference at the Legendary Waters Casino and Resort in Bayfield to celebrate 30 years of being committed to sustaining tourism for tribes in Wisconsin.

“Working with all 11 tribes in one state is, overwhelming and it’s beautiful. It’s probably the best job I’ve ever had. Being able to help and promote brothers and sisters. I’ve come and grown into an amazing family, a tourism family,” said McGeshick.

Those partnerships that have helped build Wisconsin tourism have also helped tourists respect the history of the land.

“We have so much to learn from our Indigenous partners who were here long before we were in this area, there’s a lot to show off but we need to do it in a respectful way,” said Motiff.

The 11 tribes NATOW works with include the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Ho-Chunk Nation, Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Menominee Tribe of Wisconsin, Oneida Nation, Forest County Potawatomi, Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, St. Croix Chippewa, Sokaogon Chippewa (Mole Lake), and Stockbridge-Munsee,

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