Visit Milwaukee Celebrates National Travel & Tourism Week with Promotions & Activations

MILWAUKEE (May 20, 2024) – To celebrate National Travel & Tourism Week, Visit Milwaukee is proud to announce its lineup of exciting promotions and activations that highlight Milwaukee’s unique tourism amenities and remind the community that tourism is essential to Milwaukee’s economic health.

“This week is an opportunity for all of us to remember the power of tourism and the benefits it provides for our community, while also thanking our partners, who give visitors endless reasons to choose Milwaukee” says Visit Milwaukee President & CEO Peggy Williams-Smith. “That includes everyone from our restaurant partners, who are stars of our cookbook and are garnering national acclaim for our community, to our sports partners who draw millions of visitors to Milwaukee every year.”

Riding a wave of increased awareness and marquee events and driven by leisure and convention business, the Greater Milwaukee area set an all-time tourism record in 2022 with a $6.018 billion economic impact, according to data from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism. Direct visitor spending in Milwaukee County alone grew 23% year over year and contributed $2.192 billion to the local economy that year.

New data about visitor spending will be released in June and celebrated at Visit Milwaukee’s annual meeting on June 18 at the Baird Center. Learn more about tourism’s impact on Milwaukee here.

Schedule of Promotions & Activations

Tuesday, May 21
Drawing on enthusiasm for Bravo’s “Top Chef” and to celebrate Milwaukee’s world-class culinary scene, Visit Milwaukee will officially release the digital edition of its cookbook, which is comprised of nearly 100 recipes from over 60 Milwaukee chefs. Written by a celebrated local journalist and photographed by an acclaimed Milwaukee photographer, the Milwaukee Cookbook will be out in print and available for purchase in time for the holidays at the end of the year.

Wednesday, May 22

At its mixer event at The New Fashioned on Wednesday, May 22, Visit Milwaukee will release its Summer Savings Pass presented by Potawatomi Casino | Hotel, featuring enticing deals at over 60 local businesses. This digital deals pass is designed to drive awareness of and spending at local businesses over the next three months. The deals on the Summer Savings Pass will be good until September 2.

Thursday, May 23

Visit Milwaukee is proud to announce its Fest then Rest campaign, which offers hotel deals around key summer festival dates from now through June 20. Through this campaign, visitors can uncover the magic of Milwaukee’s 100+ festivals, and level up their travel experience with exclusive hotel deals and overnight stays.

Friday, May 24
To round out the week of activations, Visit Milwaukee will be celebrating the impact of sports tourism on the community with a special giveaway with a local sports team, in addition to announcing its full lineup of 2024 sports partnerships and brand ambassadors. These activations underscore the massive visitor draw sports of all levels in Milwaukee have become. In the first quarter of 2024 alone, just eight youth sports events at the Baird Center, which were booked by Sports Milwaukee, have brought over 79,000 visitors who consumed over 10,000 hotel room nights, generating nearly $18 million in economic impact.

What’s National Travel & Tourism Week?

Established in 1983, National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW) is an annual tradition to celebrate the U.S. travel community and travel’s essential role in stimulating economic growth, cultivating vibrant communities, creating quality job opportunities, inspiring new businesses and elevating the quality of life for Americans every day. National Travel and Tourism Week celebrates the industry’s critical role in powering our nation’s economy, communities and connections.

Travel is a $2.8 trillion industry that supports nearly 15 million American jobs while fueling other important industries like manufacturing, health care and agriculture—all which depend on travel to generate business, spur innovation and support education. The travel industry is essential to America’s success—it is an economic powerhouse that unites people, benefits society and is paramount to the United States’ global competitiveness.

About Visit Milwaukee
Visit Milwaukee creates economic impact and supports a stronger, more inclusive community by promoting the Greater Milwaukee area as a premier tourism destination. Strengthened by Visit Milwaukee’s dynamic convention and leisure marketing initiatives, tourism to Milwaukee contributes $6.018 billion to the local economy, supporting over 43,000 hospitality employees. Visit Milwaukee has over 950 members, including hotels/motels, restaurants, attractions, services, and area businesses. The Wisconsin Center District, which operates the newly expanded Baird Center, the city of Wauwatosa, and Potawatomi Casino | Hotel are strategic partners with Visit Milwaukee, providing funding support for conventions and tourism programs. For more information call (800) 554-1448 or visit www.visitmilwaukee.org.

https://www.visitmilwaukee.org/tourism-insights/

About Visit Milwaukee

Visit Milwaukee creates economic impact and supports a stronger, more inclusive community by promoting the Greater Milwaukee area as a premier tourism destination. Strengthened by VISIT Milwaukee’s dynamic convention and leisure marketing initiatives, tourism to Milwaukee contributes $6.018 billion to the local economy, supporting over 43,000 hospitality employees. VISIT Milwaukee has over 850 members, including hotels/motels, restaurants, attractions, services, and area businesses. The Wisconsin Center District, which is undergoing a large-scale expansion slated for completion in 2024, the city of Wauwatosa, and Potawatomi Casino | Hotel are strategic partners with VISIT Milwaukee, providing funding support for conventions and tourism programs. For more information call (800) 554-1448 or visit www.visitmilwaukee.org.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.