Wisconsin’s tourism industry had a record-breaking $25 billion in economic impact in 2023, according to a new report from the state Department of Tourism.
It’s the second year in a row Wisconsin broke that record. In 2022, Wisconsin’s tourism industry had an economic impact of $23.7 billion, breaking the prior milestone of $22.2 billion in 2019.
A statement from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism said there’s approximately $34 million in the Wisconsin 2023-25 biennial budget being used to “raise Wisconsin’s profile across the country as a premier business, cultural, and recreational destination.”
“Wisconsin tourism powers the economy and strengthens the fabric of communities of all sizes,” Wisconsin Tourism Secretary Anne Sayers said in the statement. “The historic impact of tourism reached every corner of Wisconsin and, in doing so, sustained livelihoods for thousands of our friends and neighbors.”
The report said the tourism industry supported more than 178,000 jobs last year. All 72 Wisconsin counties experienced an increase in economic impact.