The state of Wisconsin visitor centers that were closed last year due to budget cuts have re-opened.
Last spring, the state Department of Tourism closed operations at seven of the eight welcome centers across the state. Eight full-time, five part-time permanent and 30 part-time seasonal state jobs were eliminated.
The centers have been reopened and are now run by local chambers of commerce or convention and visitor bureaus, which have formed a planning coalition called The Gateway Ten.
“It all started with a call from (Wisconsin State Tourism) Secretary (Kelli) Trumble,” said David Minor, president and chief executive officer of the Superior and Douglas County Convention and Visitors Bureau, and an instrumental component to forming the Gateway Ten. “She told us they had to make the decision to close the centers and asked us if any of us would be interested in taking over the operational end of the centers. When she said it was a choice between closing the centers and reducing the marketing budget for the State of Wisconsin as a whole, that was the end of the discussion and we all said we’d take over.”
The centers now provide free statewide brochures, maps and other information to visitors entering Wisconsin, Minor said.
Some of the centers have been relocated from the original department of transportation sites, but they all offer the same amenities and one-on-one travel assistance for visitors that the visitors centers offered before, Minor said.
The centers are now located in Kenosha (which has the state’s largest visitor center), Beloit, Platteville, Prairie du Chien, La Crosse, Onalaska, Hudson, Superior, Hurley and Marinette. All are owned and operated by local chambers or convention and visitors bureaus, with the exception of the Marinette visitors center which was always run by the city.
“These people should be commended for taking on this extra responsibility,” said Roger Stafford, managing editor of tourism magazine Key Milwaukee. “It can be difficult for anyone in this economy to take on additional operating expenses, but I commend them for recognizing that tourism is such a vital part of this state’s economy. These visitor centers serve as a welcome for people visiting our state.”
The state Department of Tourism was extremely helpful during the transition, Minor said.
“They helped us with training and they helped us communicate to the industry as a whole where the new centers would be, what services would be offered there and encouraged visitors to come in,” he said.
“(The) new privatized business model, one that is supported by regional partnerships, puts Wisconsin in a stronger position to serve its visitors,” said Trumble. “It allows the Tourism Department to concentrate its marketing dollars on extending the invitation to visitors and our tourism industry, with their expertise in hospitality, to care for travelers when they are here.”
Most of the centers were reopened almost immediately after the state ceased operations, Minor said.
“We basically got through the first year with little to no budget,” Minor said. “For most of us we took on those extra expenses mid year and weren’t prepared to allocate funds towards those resources.”
The leaders at the centers convened early this spring at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism that was held in Milwaukee. According to Minor they discussed what worked and what didn’t work and what changes would need to be made and budgeted for.
“That’s when we came together and formed the Gateway Ten,” he said. “We plan to meet regularly at the beginning of each year to discuss best practices and formalize a model that can be both helpful to our visitors and revenue generating for the centers.”
Last year, the state put together a Tourist Information Center grant program to assist the visitor’s centers with their operating costs, Minor said.
The state recently underwent a second round of those grants, and opened it up to nonprofit tourism organizations, municipalities and Native American Tribes that operate regional tourist information centers, Minor said.
“Providing customer care and travel information at regional tourist information centers presents an opportunity to further drive traveler spending for Wisconsin,” Trumble said. “That is why we are pleased to support those efforts with the Tourist Information Center grant program.”
Eligible applicants may be reimbursed up to $15,000 per organization per year. According to Minor, the grant money can be used as reimbursement for staff at the centers, acquire promotional materials or for purchasing display equipment like racks and shelving.
“For a lot of us, that extra grant money is what helped us get through the first year,” Minor said. “We incurred a lot of extra expenses, for some it was easier than others, but we hope to expand our model and work together to make the centers as helpful as they can be in welcoming visitors to our state.”
