(The Center Square) – Politicians and the Wisconsin Department of Tourism touted new numbers this week that they say justify the $34 million in new spending in the state’s most recent budget to promote tourism in the state while making the state’s Office of Outdoor Recreation permanent and funding a new film office that includes a $5 million film tax credit.
The numbers, however, come from marketing group Tourism Economics which economists have said does not follow economic principles and the numbers are not reputable.
The same company filed a report on the claimed economic impact of the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee that economist Victor Matheson of the College of the Holy Cross called a “promotional booklet/press release, not a serious economic impact study.”
Rather than being true economic studies that are peer-reviewed and published in journals, the reports are sent in marketing flyers that are then sent out in press releases by government entities hoping to benefit from the claims.
This year, the marketing report again claimed the state’s tourism industry had record numbers of visits, economic impact and both state and local tax revenue.
“Wisconsin’s tourism industry isn’t just growing, it’s booming,” Gov. Tony Evers said in a news release touting the numbers. “And the proof’s in the pudding, with four consecutive record-breaking years, including generating a record $27 billion last year alone.
“These numbers are a big deal for our state, our economy, and the countless hardworking folks in the industry who make it all happen – the folks who work each day to promote our state as the premier place to visit and explore, as well as the tour guides, waiters, restaurateurs, hoteliers, and the friendly faces in communities all across our state that keep folks coming back for one more adventure in Wisconsin year after year.”
