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Destination Madison reports $1.55 billion visitor spending in 2024, urges continued room‑tax funding
Summary
Destination Madison told the Madison Common Council that visitors spent about $1.55 billion in 2024 and urged continued room‑tax funding to support marketing, group sales and placemaking work in 2025.
Destination Madison presented a performance and activity update to the Madison Common Council on Sept. 2, reporting that tourism supported more than 19,000 jobs in Madison and Dane County in 2024 and that visitors spent approximately $1.55 billion in the community last year.
Ellie Westman Chin, president and CEO of Destination Madison, told the council that visitor spending averaged roughly $4.2 million per day in 2024 and that food and beverage led spending categories at about $450 million, followed by accommodations at roughly $376 million. She said Destination Madison’s group‑sales efforts have produced stronger-than‑national bookings: bookings into Madison were up 30.4% through July 2025 while national…
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