Recently our nation has faced two significant events that have directly impacted the travel and tourism industry. First we experienced a decline in our economy that reduced both leisure and business travel. The second occurrence was a terrorist attack on our country that has further impacted travel and more importantly, disrupted a sense of security in our traveling public.

National attention has brought recognition of the importance of tourism to the social and economic fabric of America but, the challenges that we face as we try to affect positive change to our businesses or destinations are considerable. How do we recover from an economic downturn? How do we instill a sense of security and safety for our traveler? How do we move forward when the turbulence of the last few months has had an undesirable effect on our industry?

The 2002 Governor’s Conference on Tourism will focus on revitalizing our industry, making it stronger and growing it to new heights. Now more than ever, it is critical for us to come together and rise above adversity. The cohesiveness and spirit of Wisconsin’s tourism industry is what makes our destination unique. Competition is what makes our business thrive; partnering is what makes us strong.

As we look to the future it is important we energize ourselves and broaden our outlook. This year’s conference will focus on educational tracks at three levels: fundamental, transitional and progressive. The fundamental track is designed for those individuals that are new to the hospitality and tourism industry or those that need a refresher in market segmentation, advertising 101 or the basics of event planning and management. The transitional track will have a focus for those who may be new to management, and want to take their events to a new level or want to build a stronger service culture within their community. The progressive track is intended to give direction on providing safety and security, return on investment, strategic planning and destination partnerships. Please plan to join us March 10-12 in La Crosse.

New to the Governor’s Conference on Tourism this year is the Tourism Resource Center (TRC). The TRC will be a clearinghouse for industry-based information from tourism associations, government agencies, research and Department of Tourism programs. The TRC will be staffed throughout the conference with experts who will be able to address issues and concerns that our industry face on a daily basis.

Some examples of information that might be available in the TRC include the DNR’s campground reservation system, the Dept. of Commerce’s grant program and highway signage with the Dept. of Transportation. Other information could include career advancement, educational opportunities and industry research. Need a "one-on-one" with a program coordinator from the Department of Tourism? The Tourism Resource Center will be the place to meet.

For more information about the Tourism Resource Center log on to www.wigcot.org, or contact Sue Hamilton at 608/266-6792 or e-mail shamilton@travelwisconsin.com

Mentor a Student

Are you interested in helping shape the tourism leaders of tomorrow? Would you like to have the opportunity to pass along the benefit of your experience to an up and coming hospitality professional? Now is the time to consider participating in the "Mentor a Student" program at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism.

The "Mentor a Student" program supports the Tourism Career Initiative Award that provides post-secondary students the opportunity to attend the Governor’s Conference on Tourism at a minimal cost. Organizations and individuals can contribute by financially sponsoring and by directly mentoring a college-level student participating in the conference.

For further information, visit www.wigcot.org and click on "TCIA Program" or contact Jackie Hepler at (608)266-2147 or jhepler@travelwisconsin.com.

Conference Contact

For further information on the 2002 Governor’s Conference on Tourism, please call Dawn Aspenson, Conference Manager at 608/266-3978 or email at daspenson@travelwisconsin.com. Up-to-date information is also available at the conference Web site, www.wigcot.org.

Tourism responds to the national crisis

The Department of Tourism has implemented several initiatives in response to the September 11 attacks.

We welcome you to utilize any of these ideas and to reproduce them for your own efforts. Click here for copies of the letters, recordings of the public service announcements, and banner ad graphics .

Recognizing the growing role of technology, the Department has promoted two staff members to support the agency’s Product Database, Extranet and Call Center applications.

Linda Anderson recently began her duties as the Product Database Assistant. Linda will work in the information technology bureau supporting the product database and providing help desk assistance to the nearly 200 designated tourism representatives that have online access to the product database via an Extranet application. Linda has been performing many of her new duties since the Department launched the product database, Extranet and the entire WDT 2000 technology initiative in March. Now, she is focusing solely on maintaining and enhancing the product database and the Extranet. The product database is used for virtually all the department’s promotional and informational resources. Linda was formerly the program assistant in the media and industry services bureau.

Will Kuehn continues as the Customer Service Assistant, however he has been promoted to a position that is responsible for supporting the call center application and for administrating the call center modules. He will also continue to work with publications, fulfillment and as a liaison to the Wisconsin Travel Information Centers. Will has been with the Department for five years in the Office of Customer Services.

The Wisconsin Travel Information Center (WTIC) in the Mall of America will close permanently on November 30, 2001.

The Department of Tourism determined that the Wisconsin Travel Information Center in the Mall of America was not a sound investment of taxpayers dollars. Closing the center is consistent with the Department’s strategy of evaluating all programs based on the return on investment.

As Minneapolis/St. Paul continues to be a vital market for Wisconsin tourism, funds will be redirected to other promotional programs that will best reach the Minneapolis/St. Paul target market. The Wisconsin Department of Tourism’s marketing plan includes print and broadcast advertising as well as increased emphasis on direct marketing, publicity and the Internet.

During the month of September, the Department of Tourism’s Joint Effort Marketing (JEM) program allocated nearly $295,000 to tourism organizations throughout Wisconsin. Two events and 17 destination marketing projects received JEM grants, including nine first-year recipients.

Secretary Moose Speros was able to present several JEM awards in person, and enjoyed the opportunity to thank the applicants for their dedication to building tourism in Wisconsin. We would also like to thank the tourism organizations throughout the state for their hospitality and assistance in planning the award presentations.

The JEM program is available to non-profit organizations for promotion of their Wisconsin tourism destinations and events. The program awards $1.1 million each year. For more information on the JEM program, contact Abbie Hill at ahill@travelwisconsin.com or 608/261-6272.

Secretary Speros and several Department staffers joined Governor McCallum and a team of state government officials and agency heads in Wausau and Stevens Point during Governor McCallum’s Moving State Government trip October 28-31.

The excursion was an opportunity for state officials and local residents to learn about each other’s roles and to strengthen the successful partnerships between the two. As part of the event, Governor McCallum and Sec. Speros presented a Destination Marketing JEM grant to the Wausau/Central Wisconsin Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Other highlights from the three-day event included a tour of the newly expanded Granite Peak Ski Area, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum and the Wausau arts block. Listening sessions with Secretary Speros took place in both Wausau and Stevens Point.

We would like to extend a special thanks to the Stevens Point area and Wausau/Central Wisconsin Convention & Visitors Bureaus for their assistance in coordinating the three-day event.

The Department of Tourism is pleased to offer new and expanded co-op advertising opportunities through 2002. The goal of these programs is to pool the Department’s and individual advertiser’s resources to generate a more powerful Wisconsin tourism message.

Co-op advertising opportunities are available in newspapers, magazines, group tour and meeting publications, as well as the Internet. In addition to advertising, you can enhance your promotional efforts with direct mail customer leads from the Department of Tourism’s database of callers.

In 2002, Chicago Magazine will produce four new "Destination: Wisconsin" sections. These guides will appear in the February, April, June and September issues of 2002. Special rates are available for Wisconsin advertisers.

Now you can reach more than 260,000 households west of Chicago through the Liberty Suburban Chicago Newspapers. These weekly community papers include Life Newspapers, Press Publications, Glen News, Press-Republican and Reporter/Progress Newspapers. Co-op advertising opportunities are available in the monthly travel section printed the second week of each month.

Parade Magazine and the Wisconsin Department of Tourism have joined together to create a special Wisconsin Travel Brochure Page this spring. On March 3rd, you can reach more than 6 million people through 67 papers in the Midwest. Space is limited, so sign up early.

To obtain a copy of the 2001-02 Co-op Advertising Opportunities handbook and for more information about the co-op advertising program, contact Winfield MacDonald at 608/266-8045 or wmacdonald@travelwisconsin.com or click here.

This article is the first edition of the Department’s new Travel Tracker. Travel Tracker will appear as a featured article in Tourism Today and Marketour, online and as a monthly electronic bulletin. To subscribe to the e-bulletins, go to http://agency.travelwisconsin.com/subscribe.

Deer hunters spent $233 million in Wisconsin during the 2000-2001 hunting seasons, according to a new Department of Tourism study.

Following last year’s hunting seasons bow, gun, muzzleloader and early and late Zone T, the Department of Tourism with the assistance of the Department of Natural Resources, surveyed 804 hunters.

The study only measured travel expenditures, not equipment or other expenditures that the hunters may have made prior to their hunting trips. Here are some of the findings:

• During the 2000 deer hunting season, an estimated 563,875 or 82% of the licensed hunters actually hunted deer.

• Wisconsin residents accounted for 94% of the licensed deer hunters.

• Residents who hunted locally averaged 10.1 days of hunting compared to traveling hunters (non-residents and those who hunted outside their local area) who hunted 3.2 days.

• Seven out of ten hunters were gun hunters; 21% hunted with a bow; and 2% used a muzzleloader.

• 31% of the deer hunters stayed in paid accommodations —11% stayed in hotels/motels/B&Bs; 10% rented a condo or cabin; and 10% camped.

• The average number of nights traveling hunters spent away from home during the 2000 deer hunting seasons was 3.3.

• Traveling hunters had an average party size of 4 people versus local hunters with 3 people.

• 11% percent of the hunting parties had children under the age of 13 in their group.

• Traveling hunters (non-residents and residents who hunted outside their local area) spent almost 50% more per day than hunters who hunted in their local area ($56.85 vs. $23.02).

Governor McCallum recently announced the appointment of Linda John, Executive Director of the Chippewa Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau, and David Rosenwasser, President of Packer Country Regional Tourism Office, to the Governor’s Council on Tourism. The two new appointees will succeed James VanMatre and Charles Stokke, whose terms expired this year.

Prior to her tenure at Chippewa Valley, John was sales manager for the Bloomington, MN CVB and Executive Director of the Iron Trail CVB in Eveleth, MN. She served on the Governor’s Council on Tourism’s Leisure Marketing Committee and held several leadership positions with the Wisconsin Association of Convention and Visitors Bureau (WACVB).

Prior to Green Bay, Rosenwasser was the Executive Director of the St. Paul Civic Center. He has held vice president positions with Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Baily and Six Flags theme park. Rosenwasser has served on IACVB, WACVB, the Governor’s Council on Tourism’s Leisure Marketing Committee and the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts board.

The Governor’s Council on Tourism advises the Department Secretary on matters relating to tourism and assists in formulating a statewide marketing strategy.

The Department of Tourism is pleased to announce three Wisconsin events that were selected for the American Bus Association’s (ABA) 20th annual Top 100 Events in North America. Congratulations to EAA AirVenture 2002 (July 23-29), Apostle Islands Lighthouse Celebration (September 4-25), and Christmas at The House on the Rock, (November 2-January 5), which were chosen from among hundreds of events, festivals, parades, and exhibits from across the United States and Canada.

Each year the ABA solicits entries from member destinations and states. The 20-year old Top 100 Events serves not only as a guide to professional planners for the upcoming year, but to visitor bureaus, tourism officials, travel writers and the general public.

The latest research, marketing tips and the industry information is no more than a click away The Wisconsin Department of Tourism’s Tourism Today and Marketour newsletters and the new Travel Tracker bulletin are available by e-mail. To sign up for your e-mail subscription, go to http://agency.travelwisconsin.com/subscribe.