The tourism industry had a $23.7 billion economic impact on Wisconsin and a $6 billion economic impact on the greater Milwaukee area in 2022, both new records, according to data released today by the state Department of Tourism.
In 2022, there were 111.1 million visits in Wisconsin, which was up 8.8 million visits, or 8.7%, over the previous year. This includes a record 45.4 million overnight visits, an increase of 13.8 percent from 2021.
“Tourism is vital to the economic health of local communities, businesses, and workers across our state, and I’m proud of our work to support this critical industry and its success over these past few years,” Gov. Tony Evers said. “We must continue to make key investments in Wisconsin tourism to ensure it continues to be a key part of our economy for generations.”
Direct visitor spending in 2022 totaled $3.3 billion in the four-county Milwaukee metro area with $2.2 billion in Milwaukee County alone. Direct visitor spending in Milwaukee County grew 23% year-over-year. As Wisconsin’s largest tourism market, the Greater Milwaukee area accounts for 25.4% of total tourism economic impact to the state.
“We had a record-setting year in 2022, and 2023 is shaping up to be even better,” said Peggy Williams-Smith, president and CEO of VISIT Milwaukee. “With an expanded Baird Center getting closer to completion every day and with all of the major events on the horizon in 2024, I’m hopeful this record won’t last long.”
“The record we set in 2022 is even more encouraging when you consider that it happened without a robust rebound in business travel, and we have reason to believe that sector is also coming back,” Williams-Smith said.
The region’s full post-pandemic recovery represented a 15% gain over 2021 when the four-county region experienced a $5.233 billion economic impact from tourism. Milwaukee (16.7%), Waukesha (12%), Ozaukee (9.9%) and Washington (12.8%) counties all saw significant year-over-year growth.
According to 2022 data from Tourism Economics, a typical Milwaukee visitor stays 1.6 days, 70.5% of visitors stay overnight and 36.8% are repeat trips. The majority (54%) of visitors traveled between 50 and 199 miles to Milwaukee, and the most common place of origin for visitors is metropolitan Chicago (16.5%.)
In 2022 in Milwaukee County:
- Direct visitor spending totaled $2.192 billion – up 23.5% from 2021
- Tourism supported 26,673 full-time jobs – up 6.2% from 2021
- Labor income from tourism totaled $1.312 billion – up 19.2% from 2021
- State and local taxes generated from tourism totaled $216.6 million – up 15% from 2021
- Total business sales because of tourism totaled $3.914 billion – up 16.7% from 2021
In the four-county Greater Milwaukee area:
- Direct visitor spending totaled $3.315 billion – up 20.5% from 2021
- Tourism supported 43,189 full-time jobs – up 4% from 2021
- Labor income from tourism totaled $1.944 billion – up 16% from 2021
- State and local taxes generated from tourism totaled $332.2 million – up 12.2% from 2021
- Total business sales because of tourism in the Greater Milwaukee area totaled $6.018 billion – up 15% from 2021
Top 10 visitor origin states for Milwaukee-area tourism in 2022:
- Wisconsin, 32.4%
- Illinois, 20.4%
- Iowa, 4.2%
- Minnesota, 3.9%
- Indiana, 3.6%
- Florida, 3.3%
- Michigan, 3.2%
- Texas, 3.2%
- Missouri, 3.1%
- Ohio, 2.1%
Top 10 visitor origin metropolitan areas for Milwaukee-area tourism in 2022:
- Chicago, 16.5%
- Madison, 6.7%
- Wisconsin non-metropolitan area, 3.9%
- Green Bay, 3.5%
- Twin Cities, 3.2%
- Appleton, 3.0%
- Oshkosh-Neenah, 2.6%
- Fond du Lac, 1.9%
- St. Louis, 1.8%
- Janesville-Beloit, 1.8%
