TOURISM TODAY

January/February 2000

Letter from Moose

Dear tourism friends,

Back in 1990, I called Tom Diehl to let him know I was accepting the position as the administrator of the then Wisconsin Division of Tourism. He told me that I was crazy.

Actually, I wasn't so crazy because I knew back then that I had a mentor, consultant and sounding board as close as a phone call away and 45 minutes up the Interstate who would help me do my job. Tom Diehl has played a big role in making my job the best in the state. More importantly, we have developed a friendship that will last forever.

Tom recently stepped down as chair of the Governor's Council on Tourism after nearly 13 years. We will miss Tom and the tremendous dedication, experience and knowledge he brought to the Council and the Department. Not that he would, but Tom can lay claim to many of the accomplishments the Department and the tourism industry has made over the last 13 years. The 800 percent promotional budget increase, the cabinet-level status, the room tax legislation, the September 1 school start date and most importantly, the 45 percent increase in traveler expenditures over the past five years.

Tom Diehl has been a tireless advocate for this industry. His efforts have ensured a bright future for Wisconsin tourism. Fortunately, Tom is still very much a part of our industry and I know he is still just a phone call away and 45 minutes up the Interstate.

Wisconsin Pubs Arrive First

To make sure our customer service is number one, the Department's Office of Customer Services recently tested the fulfillment process of state tourism offices across the country. The result: Wisconsin's travel packets arrived first whether ordered from a toll-free number or a Web site.

Of the travel packets ordered by phone, Wisconsin's travel packets arrived in four days. Travel packets from six other states arrived in five days. The majority of other states' packets arrived anywhere between eight days and three weeks, and we're still waiting for a couple of them after more than two months.

Wisconsin fared even better with Web site ordering. Of the 40 states offering online publication ordering, Wisconsin's packet arrived in four days while most state packets arrived in two to three weeks.

It's important to note that Wisconsin's packets didn't cost as much to send as many of the other states. The Department's mailing contractor, Riverfront, Inc. of La Crosse, sends the packets as bound printed matter, which is about half the cost of first-class mail.

The Office of Customer Services also recorded whether calls to state travel offices' toll-free numbers were answered by automation or by a live operator. The majority of states use live operators at their call centers. In fact, only 15 states use any kind of automated answering system.

Calls to the Department's toll free number (1-800-432-TRIP) are answered by Lands' End operators in Dodgeville.

The Department has done a great deal over the past two years to improve its call center and fulfillment operations. Database technology, standardizing travel packets, and better postage costs have all helped to enhance the Department's service. For more information on the report, contact Renea Dettman at 608/267-7176.

Otto named new council chair

The Governor's Council on Tourism named Bill Otto as chair at it's December meeting, replacing Tom Diehl.

Otto has been a Council member since 1997. He is the senior vice president and chief operating officer of Marcus Hotels and Resorts and manages the company's nine full-service hotels and resorts. Bill is also active with the Wisconsin Innkeepers Association, serving as the organizations past president. He is the board chairman of the Greater Milwaukee Convention & Visitors Bureau, former president of the Nashville Hotel and Motel Association and on numerous advisory boards.

Bill served on the council's Leisure Marketing and Joint Effort Marketing committees prior to his appointment as Council Chair.

"I am pleased with the Council's decision to name Bill as chair," Sec. Speros said. "Bill has vast knowledge, insight and experience in the tourism industry which he will bring to the position and utilize to effectively lead the council, department and industry."

In addition to selecting Otto as chair, the Council elected Cheryl Zaug of Sister Bay as vice chair and Chuck Stokke of Menominee as secretary. Appointments are effective immediately.

Briefly

Handbook makes applying for JEM a snap: In response to the tourism industry's interest in the Joint Effort Marketing program, the Department has published a JEM Handbook. The handbook provides a step-by-step explanation of the JEM grant process, a simplified budget format, a sample budget, and a more detailed explanation of eligible and ineligible promotional expenses.

For more information on the JEM program, please contact your area consultant. For a copy of the handbook, contact Kathy Coburn 608/266-6755.

T21 applications available: Application materials for the Local Transportation Enhancements Program will be available January 10, 2000. For more information contact John Duffe with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation at 608/264-8723.

Mall of America Travel Information Center Update: The target date to open the Department's 13th travel information center at Minnesota's Mall of America is early spring. Staff recruitment for the center and space negotiations with the mall continue.

Snowmobile Tours online: The 98-99 Snowmobile Guide lives on - online. The 18 tours from the past season's guide can now be found on the Department's Web site - travelwisconsin.com.

Annual Travel Information Center meeting: In November, the Office of Customer Services held the annual meeting for Wisconsin Travel Information Center managers.

The agenda included a presentation on the consumer show program, a graphic design workshop, an Ag tourism presentation by Bob Williams of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, and a UW-Madison FAM tour.

Summer affirmative action interns needed: The Department of Tourism is recruiting college students to participate in the 2000 Summer Affirmative Action Intern Program. For more information, contact Claire Dehnert with the Department of Revenue at 608/267-1005.

Spring - A blooming good time

The Department's spring marketing campaign will highlight Wisconsin's celebration of spring to couples, groups of friends and families in our core markets of Wisconsin, Chicago and Minneapolis.

The popular Spring Sampler will again be the centerpiece of the campaign offering indoor and outdoor ideas on ways to enjoy the season. The 16-page guide will be available free to the public at Wisconsin Travel Information Centers, by calling the toll-free number or by visiting the Department's Web site. The sampler will reach 2.5 million readers as an insert into magazines and newspapers in the Chicago area, Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Ads highlighting Wisconsin's spring offerings will run in the Chicago area.

Public Relations efforts will augment the marketing plan with an Internet and radio trivia quiz promotion celebrating the 100th anniversary of Wisconsin State Parks. News releases and the Spring Sampler will be sent to media nationwide and plans for specialized spring familiarization tours are under way.

Tourism takes advantage of mailing

Wisconsin's 2.5 million households will receive an invitation to order free Wisconsin travel publications with their tax rebate checks arriving in January. Designed to boost travel among in-state residents, the promotion offers the travel guides to those who return the detachable postcard, call 800/432-TRIP, or visit travelwisconsin.com.

The joint venture between the Department of Tourism and the Department of Revenue, hopes to encourage travelers to use their discretionary income for a Wisconsin vacation.

"This is a great opportunity to reach every state resident with a travel Wisconsin message," Secretary Moose Speros said. "Wisconsin is a top four-season travel destination and we want to remind residents of all they have to experience right in their own state."

Department studies show that 50% of Wisconsin visitors are in-state residents. This promotion hopes to increase those figures.

This offer is modeled after a similar promotion Minnesota ran with their tax rebate checks. Minnesota received 300,000 requests for travel publications in response.

Register now for 2000 Conference

Registering for the 2000 Governor's Conference on Tourism is a great way to start off the New Year.

The 2000 conference, Preserve, Promote & Partner - The Future of Tourism, will offer educational sessions that will help Wisconsin tourism organizations and businesses succeed throughout the next millennium. Sessions focus on four tracks - Leisure Travel & Marketing, Meetings & Conventions, Special Events, and Cultural Tourism. Attendees will be able to attend three of the nine sessions offered daily. Along with the expanded number of tracks and breakout sessions, there will be a special track for executive level sales and marketing representatives. This eight-hour session will take the place of other breakout sessions.

Two exceptional keynote presentations will deliver insight into business and generational marketing strategies.

Monday's keynote speaker, Sam Geist, will present Why Should Someone Do Business With You...Rather that Someone Else? This presentation will identify trends, develop strategies and techniques to maximize business opportunities and minimize risks. Learn to utilize specific techniques to make staff ambassadors, not assassins, and build effective communication avenues between staff and management and customers and suppliers.

Tuesday's keynote speakers are Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman. When Generations Collide: Four Golden Rules for Marketing Generations analyzes the five generations vying for attention in the marketplace and how their histories have shaped them as consumers. Learn what marketing techniques work for which generations and how you can successfully market to one generation without turning off another.

Other highlights include an opening reception, a Governor's Council on Tourism open forum, the Department of Tourism Showcase, Information Marketplace and Taste of Wisconsin, and the finale \endash the Governor's Reception and Dinner.

Conference registration forms were mailed in mid-December. If you have questions or did not receive you registration form, please contact Dawn Aspenson, Director of Special Events, at 608/266-3978.

Two new Heritage Tourism Projects selected

Two new project areas were chosen for the Wisconsin Heritage Tourism Program: Cheese Country Heritage, located in Green County, and Rivers, Rails and Trails located in Polk and St. Croix counties.

The two new sites will each receive $40,000 in matching grants over two years to develop and market the area's historical attractions and events.

Known as "America's Little Switzerland," Green County is rich in ethnic and agricultural history. The Cheese Country Heritage project will highlight how the cheesemaking and dairy industries shaped the development of Green County. The Cheese Country Heritage Advisory Committee will coordinate activities that showcase the area's agricultural heritage including educational workshops, special events and the development of a heritage-themed advertising campaign.

Rivers, Rails and Trails will highlight the diverse history of the St. Croix River Valley from its early beginnings as a mecca for European pioneers and center for transportation and commerce, to a railway connection to markets nationwide. The Rivers, Rails and Trails Task Force will coordinate projects that promote regional history including the development of self-guided walking and driving tours, a guide to regional historic and recreational resources, and interpretive and directional signage.

With the addition of these two sites, the Heritage Tourism Program has grown to 12 project areas across the state since its inception in 1990. The Wisconsin Heritage Tourism Program is the only continuously state-funded heritage tourism program in the United States.

Governor's Council on Tourism Member Highlight

George Tzougros

Originally from New York, Wisconsin Arts Board Executive Director George Tzougros moved to Waukesha in the early 1970's and now describes himself "as Wisconsin as it gets."

Tzougros' abiding interest in the arts led him to Carroll College where he received a theater degree. He continued his studies at the University of Wisconsin's Bolz Center for Arts Administration and embarked on a career in the arts. He was appointed assistant director of the Wisconsin Arts Board in l991 and executive director in 1996. In 1997, he was appointed to the Governor's Council on Tourism.

The Arts Board is charged with supporting and developing the arts in Wisconsin by enhancing the appreciation of the arts and working to ensure their continued vitality. For Tzougros, this means a significant amount of time promoting cultural tourism.

"Cultural tourism - everything from museums and performances to heritage trails and historical sites - is big business in Wisconsin," Tzougros said. "People who come here for cultural tourism usually stay longer and spend more money than other travelers. They are a very attractive target."

Tzougros' enthusiasm will be shared at the 2000 Governor's Conference on Tourism, which will offer a cultural tourism track.

"Advocates for cultural tourism face a twofold challenge," Tzougros said. "The first is to define cultural tourism and make the general industry understand why it is important. Secondly, we have to make people who are directly involved in the arts and humanities, history and heritage, understand where they fit into tourism overall."

Gone Fishing

The Wisconsin Department of Tourism and Department of Natural Resources teamed with Wisconsin Public Television (WPT) to present "Gone Fishing," a one-hour television program that travels the state to showcase the culture of fishing in Wisconsin.

The production takes viewers to remote settings in the northwoods, the Mississippi River, the Kickapoo Valley and the Port of Racine to meet people who have a story to tell about how their lives have been influenced by fishing.

"This is not a show about how to fish," Sec. Speros said. "It is a program about the friendships and relationships that grow out of people's love and respect for the tradition of fishing through the generations."

"Gone Fishing" premiered on WPT December 5, 1999. It will be re-broadcast this March and August and will air as many as 18 times in the next three years. Premiere receptions were held around the state to highlight the production and offer those connected with the sport a preview of the program.

"Gone Fishing" will be available for purchase. Please call WPT at 608/263-4575 for details.

Department honors Riverfront employee

Secretary Speros and the Department's management team recently visited Riverfront, Inc. to honor one of its employees for processing 250,000 Wisconsin tourism packets at the fulfillment facility.

The Department has contracted with Riverfront to handle its fulfillment operations for 13 years. Sec. Speros presented employee Patricia Bye a certificate of appreciation at the event as well as visited with the many employees working on the Department's account. Bye has been working on the tourism account since the partnership began in 1989.

Riverfront, Inc. is a La Crosse-based, nonprofit organization serving people with disabilities in western Wisconsin. Workers prepare and sort more than one million pieces of mail every year for various businesses. Riverfront has been providing support for people with all types of disabilities for more than 20 years; they put people to work, teach them how to live on their own, and provide assistance so they can be productive members of the community.