Tourism secretary urges lawmakers to keep marketing funds, create film office and make outdoor-recreation staff permanent

Anne Sayers, secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, told the Assembly Tourism Committee that continued investment in tourism marketing and several new staff and programs proposed in the governor's budget are needed to sustain recent growth and pursue a goal of becoming a top‑20 state for direct visitor spending.

Sayers said the department’s work under the consumer brand Travel Wisconsin helped lift statewide tourism to a $25 billion annual economic impact in 2023 and that marketing dollars produce measurable returns: “For every dollar that comes into the department of tourism that we spend in advertising, we can track that back to $22 in direct visitor spending,” she told the committee.

The department framed the governor’s proposal as largely restoring funds that have already driven recent gains. The proposal includes one‑time marketing funds, a proposed increase in base marketing dollars, provisions to make three Office of Outdoor Recreation positions permanent, two additional positions for the Office of Group Travel, a new film and creative‑industries office with three staff, and a $10 million film incentive administered through the Department of Revenue.

Sayers said Travel Wisconsin’s marketing and public‑relations work has expanded in recent years: the agency now runs three seasonal reports (trail, fall color and snow reports), a “Foodie Pass” promotion, and a content series called “Here’s to…