May 3, 2007
In this issue:
TOP STORIES
National Tourism Week, May
12-20
This month, tourism
destinations in Wisconsin and nationwide will bring attention to the
powerful economic, social and cultural impacts of travel through a variety
of events, from banquet dinners and tourism breakfasts to visitor center
activities and legislative days. At the state's 10 Welcome Centers,
travelers will be treated to free food samples, special promotions and
activities to both thank them for their visit and to further promote the
state's travel offerings. Secretary Trumble and several staff members are
scheduled to hit the road to deliver a Tourism Week message. Stops include
Washington County, Beaver Dam, Manitowoc, Sheboygan, Fond du Lac,
Milwaukee, Kenosha, Green Bay, and others.
This year's national theme is "Travel & Tourism: America's
Front Door," which illustrates the importance of travel to America's
image and suggests its impact as a leading industry for economic growth.
More information about National Tourism Week, downloadable graphics,
online toolkit, and more ideas are available at www.tia.org.
County Economic Impact Report
Coming Any Day
While everyone was happy to
hear the good news in March that traveler spending was up $880 million
dollars last year, what everyone really wants to know is "how did my
county do?" Rest assured that this information is coming in just a
few days after we ensure that we have all of our numbers counted and
confirmed. So, here is the plan for those of you anxiously waiting.
The Department will email links to all of the research reports early in
the week of May 7. Later that week, Chambers of Commerce, Convention &
Visitor Bureaus, statewide tourism organizations, and a handful of
economic development groups will receive a bundle of the popular,
four-color economic impact booklets in the mail.
We ask that you do not release this information to the media until May
13. The Department will release the reports to the media in time to appear
in Sunday's (May 13) news.
Who do you call if you have questions?
The International Eco-Tourism
Society Conference Coming to Madison
You've heard about Travel Green
Wisconsin. Maybe you think it's a good idea or you're still weighing it as
an option. Perhaps you want more information. You are in luck, because The
International Eco-tourism Society (TIES) is bringing their conference to
the Monona Terrace Convention Center in Madison, September 26-28, 2007.
This is a very unique opportunity that brings together hundreds of
ecotourism experts, government officials, and travel/hospitality industry
practitioners involved in or working towards responsible tourism. And not
surprisingly it's all happening in our own backyard. Educational tracks
and registration forms will be available soon, but in the meantime check
out their website for more information and be part of an international
(and statewide) effort to "protect the planet one trip at a
time." http://www.ecotourismconference.org/
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TRAVEL NEWS BRIEFS
"Make Mine a
$Million" Event to be Held in Madison
Listen up ladies! Are you an
entrepreneur? Have your own business or dream of owning one? Make Mine a
$Million Business Conference for women is coming to the Madison Concourse
Hotel on May 21, 2007. This program is a chance for women entrepreneurs to
be inspired with growth-focused workshops on topics that include finance,
technology and law. Come to the event and receive expert coaching from
local and national corporate sponsors and Wisconsin non-profits. Network
with other women who have the same goals and challenges.
Make Mine a $Million Business
is part of the Count Me In for Women's Economic Independence and Founding
Partner OPEN from American Express®. It is the only national initiative
committed to the growth needs of post-start-up, women-owned businesses
with less than $1 million in annual revenues.
Get the scoop and then register online at www.makemineamillion.org.
Direct Mail Program
Improvements Coming
Enhancements to the
Department's Co-Op Direct Mail program are nearing completion. The
Department is in the final stages of restructuring its customer database
to allow for more complete and advanced options that will define your
target audience. In late May, we'll introduce a new List Request Form
featuring more demographic and behavioral targeting options, including the
much sought-after group of customers that have ordered one of our birding
guides.
With this advanced filtering, participants can choose to save money by
buying and reaching out to only a highly targeted group, or build on a
solid list by adding in new criteria that correlate well with the core
demographic you're hoping to reach.
As always, you'll find information on these enhancements as they become
available in the Programs & Services section of http://agency.travelwisconsin.com.
Mother's Day Promotion Targets
Women of Color
A radio and web-driven
promotion is targeting women of color in the Milwaukee and Madison markets
with the goal of increasing awareness of Wisconsin's culinary and
experiential tourism options. One prize package consists of tickets to the
Lake Geneva Wine Festival with an overnight stay for two at Grand Geneva
Resort. The other package includes tickets to the Food & Wine
Experience in Kohler with an overnight stay for two at the American Club.
The getaway sweepstakes will be promoted with a radio spot in target
markets that encourages people to register to win by logging on to
TravelWisconsin.com. The promotion runs April 23 - May 11.
Protect Wisconsin's Trees from
the Emerald Ash Borer
The Department of Tourism and
the DNR are asking the tourism industry to help educate out of state
visitors about the destructive emerald ash borer.
Firewood can harbor many different kinds of invasive pests and diseases
harmful to Wisconsin's trees. The emerald ash borer is one such pest and
has spread to nearby Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Ontario. It could be
introduced here through infested firewood. For this reason an emergency
firewood rule has been passed. Travelers are asked to leave firewood at
home and purchase it on or near their campsite location in order to
prevent the beetle's infestation in Wisconsin's estimated 717 million ash
trees.
For more information, please
visit the DNR website:
Birdscaping Your Property
As spring rolls into Wisconsin
and the birds make their migratory way home, now is a great time to look
at whether your landscaping is bird-friendly. The Wisconsin Ornithology
Society has provided this
handout to educate the "gardening-challenged" with some
practical advice on how to make your landscape attract more birds. This
information is handy for birding hotspots and lodging properties where
abundant wildlife is integral to its charm and uniqueness.
Get Your Calendar Ready
Governor's Council on Tourism
meetings are scheduled for the rest of the year as follows:
- Thursday, June 21 in Madison
- Wednesday, Sept. 12 in a Northern Wisconsin location TBD
- Thursday, Nov. 29 in Madison
All meetings will run from 10:00am - 2:00pm. Meetings taking place in
Madison will be held in the 1st Floor Conference Room at the Department of
Tourism Offices located at 201 W. Washington Ave.
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Fifteen Wisconsin Towns
Receive Midwest Living Honor
Congratulations to 15 Wisconsin
cities for their recent recognition by Midwest Living magazine as a
"Best Small Town Getaway in the Midwest." Wisconsin had the
distinct privilege of having 15 cities honored on the list, more than any
other state. The 100 towns featured on the list were selected from among
8,500 Midwest towns. The editors ranked them on a number of attributes
including attractions, vibe, scenery, walkability, shopping, dining,
lodging, arts scene, outdoor activities, and more. The cities include:
Door County's Ephraim and Fish Creek (#1 ranking), Bayfield (#7 ranking),
Elkhart Lake, Lake Geneva, Spring Green, Cedarburg, Eagle River, Mineral
Point, Green Lake, New Glarus, Ashland, Hudson, Port Washington, Baraboo,
and Cambridge.
Wondering About the Wonders of
Wisconsin?
Wonder no more, because the
people have voted and the "Wonders" have been named. Some of the
top vote-getters in their categories included Apostle Islands National
Lakeshore, Cave of the Mounds, Stand Rock in Wisconsin Dells, the
Wisconsin Capitol Building, Milwaukee Art Museum, House on the Rock, Holy
Hill National Shrine of Mary, Lambeau Field, American Players Theater,
Great River Road, and Mt. Horeb Mustard Museum. Check
out all the results online.
Food Mood Ring Drives Media to
Popp's Resort
It just goes to show that you
never know where and how the press will cover your travel opportunity. At
the recent Journal Sentinel Sport Show in Milwaukee, Welcome Center
Manager Lorrie Wickman caught a journalist's attention with the
Department's popular Food Mood Ring. The writer followed up with an
article about the ring and, based on Lorrie's recommendations, profiled
Popp's Resort near Crivitz. Read
the story here.
Recent Media Hits for Travel
Green Wisconsin
One of the more frequent
subjects to appear in Wisconsin in the Spotlight is the Travel Green
Wisconsin program, which is still generating much media interest
especially in light of April's annual Earth Day celebration. A recent
full-page article and photo ran in the business section of The
Wisconsin State Journal. Read
WSJ reporter Sandy Cullen's story. Also, Mary Bergin published a
recent piece for Milwaukee's Shepherd Express about the "Greening
of Wisconsin."
Chicago Media Reception Nets
Another Success Story
Travel writer Lisa Davis made
an appearance at Wisconsin's Media Reception in Chicago last fall. The
meeting led to an invitation to visit Kohler Waters Spa. Here
is her article for Just Say Go online.
Wisconsin Shipwrecks in the
News
Shipwreck diving off
Wisconsin's great lakes coasts has been all over the print news in recent
weeks. The May 21st issue of Forbes features an article centered
around the Schooner Lucerne located in the Apostle Islands. Also, a Scuba
Diving magazine article lists the Prins Willem V, a Milwaukee area
wreck, as one of the Top 10 wreck dives in the country. The May 2007 issue
of Sports Diver magazine offers an article titled "Wrecked in
the Cheesehead State," while the current issue of Advanced Diver
magazine will run an article about wreck diving and maritime tourism in
the Manitowoc and Two Rivers area. Kudos to the Wisconsin Historical
Society's Maritime Preservation and Archaeology Department. They get our
"Publicity Hound" award for this issue of Travel Wisconsin News.
Read one of the
articles here.
Teal Wing Golf Club,
Challenging Golfers in Hayward
Teal Wing Golf Club was named
one of "America's 50 Toughest Courses" in the March issue of
Golf Digest, citing "it's tight with lots of trees." However,
Teal Wing Golf Club would like to let duffers of the world know that while
it's "a forest course built under strict environmental
standards…Teal Wing also offers forward tees that let grandma and kids
enjoy the game too." We'd be remiss if we failed to mention that
Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run also made the list, which you can see
for yourself here.
Mineral Point Named
Distinctive Destination
The National Trust for Historic
Preservation, the country's largest private, nonprofit preservation
organization, recently named Mineral Point "One of America's Dozen
Distinctive Destinations." Mineral Point was selected from 63
destinations in 27 states that were nominated by individuals, preservation
organizations and local communities to be selected for this annual list of
unique and lovingly preserved communities in the United States.
Woodson's "Birds in
Art" Featured in Birding
A seven-page illustrated
article on the Woodson Art Museum's renowned Birds in Art exhibit appeared
in the Jan/Feb 2007 issue of Birding, the national publication of
the American Birding Association. Enjoy
it here.
Milwaukee Brats, Beer and
Shopping Make News
Cooking Light magazine
recently ranked Milwaukee 8 out of 20 of the best cities to "eat
smart, be fit and live well." The
story also talks about the area's many attributes. Women's
Wear Daily, a key retail clothing trade publication, listed Milwaukee
as #10 on its list of the top U.S. metro areas with the highest retail
business growth from 2003 to 2006. Milwaukee was also the subject in
a recent Coastal
Living magazine
feature, while writer Jennifer Price did a piece titled
"Something Brewing in Milwaukee" for the TravelLady.com
website.
Wollersheim Wines Win
International Awards
Wollersheim Winery has earned
some very prestigious awards, from California no less. The New World Wine
Competition held in March had over 2,000 entries from the Americas,
Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Prairie Fumé took awards in all
three categories, gold medal, best of class, and best of varietal. In
addition, Prairie Blush, Dry Riesling and White Riesling wines all
received a Silver Medal at the competition, which took place in
California.
And News From Around the World
…
Great news from Germany, three
articles were recently published as a result of last winter's Northwoods
Fam Tour. Two articles by writer Matthias Grass plus Dr. Volker Mehnert's
piece in Frankfurter's Allgemeine Zeitung (Germany's version of The
New York Times) produced over $150,000 in ad equivalency for the
state.
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2007 MTWA Directory Available
June 1st
Reach the Midwest's top
professional travel editors, freelance writers, and photographers when you
purchase the 2007 Midwest Travel Writers Association Directory. The
revised publication will be available early June and features names,
addresses, phone and fax numbers, email addresses, magazine, book and
newspaper credits, and areas of writing specialization for more than 100
writers, photographers, editors, and public relations professionals. Visit
www.mtwa.org later this month to get
information and prices to order the directory.
Parenting Pub Looking for
November Exhibits, Packages and More
Christine Loomis is looking for
information on exhibits (museums, zoos, aquariums, etc.), attractions,
low-priced day tours, experiences, or other goings-on relevant to families
with kids ages 3-12 for the November issue of a family publication.
Ideally, exhibits and activities start or end around November.
In addition, she needs information on hotel packages for the month of
November for the same publication. Qualifications for packages are as
follows:
-
Packages must be for one
night only (no multi-night requirement will be used)
-
Under $200 per room for a
family of four
-
Include value added
components such as attraction passes and family activities and comp
meals that are not already available to all guests.
-
The cost of the package
must add up to less than the regular price of the room and the other
components, if purchased separately.
-
The package must extend at
least until the end weeks of November or beyond.
If that describes your package, then drop Christine a line at cloom@comcast.net.
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Co-op Email Program One Year Later: Achieving Success
It's been a full year since the launch of the Department's Co-Op Email
Program, which allows advertisers (you, the tourism industry) to speak to
our email subscriber lists with your own targeted message. The program
currently features two specialized monthly emails: Packages & Deals
and Signature Events. Since the start of 2007, we have added 1,500
subscribers to the Packages Update and 2,300 subscribers to the Events
Update, meaning your message will be seen by more interested travelers
than ever before.
What is the benefit of using the Co-op Email Program? One of the key
benefits is the potential for a great return on investment, and many
program participants are reaching that potential. Our advertisers
typically receive 200-400 clicks on their ads. For a $250 ad, that's a
cost-per-lead (CPL) right around $1 or less. This compares well to other
traditional advertising buys and online leads. And, if even one of those
leads attends your event or buys your package, the ad is practically
paying for itself. The key is that the list is highly qualified.
The program's ease of use is another advantage over the old method of
renting lists. Participants can write, preview and submit their ads online
in just minutes. Graphic design skills aren't required because an easy
online form lets you create and preview your ad on the spot. In addition,
the program is measurable. Advertisers receive a report on the response to
their ad about two weeks after the emails are sent.
Jodi McMahon, Director of the Manitowish Waters Chamber of Commerce,
has used the Events admail to promote several of their festivals and had
this to say, "Based on the statistics report generated after each
launch, we feel confident that the ads are sparking the interest of our
targeted recipients. They are vibrant, professional looking and, best of
all, affordable."
Some things to keep in mind as you consider this program, there is a
rolling deadline the 1st of every month and emails are sent middle of each
month, focusing on packages and events in the following month(s). So plan
ahead to capture the best offerings from your business or destination and
be sure to pay close attention to the approximate date the email will run
in order give travelers plenty of time to plan.
Got any of your own success stories? We'd love to hear them. Send your
opinions on the program to John Kuehl at jkuehl@travelwisconsin.com.
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