Wisconsin & Jefferson County Tourism Continue To Make An Impact

The Wisconsin Department of Tourism announced data from their 2021 Tourism Economic Impact Study earlier this week and Jefferson County, like all Wisconsin’s 72 counties, saw a tremendous rebound from 2020!

According to Wisconsin Department of Tourism Secretary-designee Anne Sayers, “In 2021, Wisconsin tourism generated $20.9 billion in total economic impact, an increase of 21 percent, with all 72 counties showing double-digit growth over 2020. Additionally, tourism supported 169,700 full and part-time jobs across diverse sectors of the industry, up 7 percent over 2020. Wisconsin also hosted over 102.3 million visitor trips in 2021, up 12 percent from 2020. Visitors to Wisconsin generated $1.4 billion in state and local taxes. Without this tax revenue produced by tourism activity, Wisconsinites would need to pay an additional $580 per household to maintain the current level of governmental services.”

For all our efforts to promote tourism for Jefferson County, we are thrilled to share Jefferson County saw the following economic impact increases in 2021 from 2020:

Total Business Sales: up 16.4% to $179 million

Director Visitor Spending: up 25.3% to $105.5 million

Employment: up 7.6% to 1,590

Total Labor Income: up 8.7% to $46.4 million

State & Local Taxes: up 14.8% to $108 million

You can find more information on the Wisconsin Department of Tourism’s 2021 Economic Impact Study here.

This is all great news…but we still have work to do.

While the good news is that tourism surged back in 2021, with double-digit growth in total economic impact all of Wisconsin’s 72 counties year-over-year, many sectors and communities are still recovering…especially those that relied on meetings, conventions and business travel or indoor gatherings.

Following the lead of the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, we are looking to carry that momentum into 2022, which preliminary data has  indicated as strong, as well as into 2023, and beyond. Be on the lookout for more countywide promotional announcements throughout the rest of this year by visiting enjoyjeffersoncounty.com often–including more information on the Jefferson County feature on Discover Wisconsin which is currently scheduled to air in September.

And when exploring our website, be sure to sign up for our monthly drawings where you could you win a gift certificate to a number of our local restaurants and tourism experiences.

We love all there is to do and see in Jefferson County, where we have small-town charm, Midwestern hospitality, and the conveniences of home. We look forward to seeing you soon and hearing how you enjoyed Jefferson County!