Destination Madison reports $1.55 billion visitor spending in 2024, urges continued room‑tax funding
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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 bookings were down 1.5%.
Westman Chin described Destination Madison’s funding structure and governance: hotels collect a 10% room tax, the municipality retains 30% per state statute, and the remainder flows through a room‑tax commission that recommends distribution for tourism promotion and development; a separate six‑member room tax commission appointed by the mayor distributes the awardees and meets several times a year. Destination Madison is governed by a 26‑member board of directors and supported by the Destination Madison Foundation for long‑term initiatives.
2025 priorities: Westman Chin said the organization is working to grow off‑season (winter) events — for example by hosting winter sports such as the World Ice and Snow Sailing Championships — and to expand targeted sales into two growth markets, Black meeting planners and LGBTQ meeting planners. Through July 2025, Destination Madison reported having already booked more than 109,000 room nights from 83 events with a potential economic impact of more than $58 million.
Partnerships and community benefits: Westman Chin said Destination Madison works with more than 900 partners, 82% of which are small businesses, and runs partner education sessions and a hospitality job board in coordination with Madison Metropolitan School District and workforce partners. The Destination Madison Foundation awarded more than $65,000 in grants this year to youth sports and entrepreneurship programs and since 2011 has awarded over $520,000 in smaller grants, the CEO said.
Council questions: Alder Evers asked whether Destination Madison had a single priority request for the council. Westman Chin said the top priority was continuation of room‑tax funding because competitive pressures from larger cities make marketing resources critical to maintain tourism growth and related local economic benefits.
Ending: The presentation concluded without formal council action; the CEO left the council with a request that the body continue to support room‑tax funding so Destination Madison can pursue group business, placemaking and branding work that leaders say produces measurable local spending and jobs.
