Is Wisconsin doubling down on efforts to attract visitors? One Wisconsin lawmaker says funding for the state’s tourism department is up nearly 100%.
“The most recent State Budget increased funding for the Department of Tourism by 98%,” state Sen. Rob Cowles, R-Green Bay, said July 12, 2024, during the Weekly GOP radio address posted on WisPolitics.com, as he hailed the importance of attracting tourists to the Badger State.
Cowles’ address was made just a few days before the Republican National Convention, held July 15-18, 2024, at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. Cowles referenced the RNC along with the upcoming NFL Draft, set for April 24–26, 2025, in Green Bay as important milestones for Wisconsin’s tourism industry.
In his radio address, Cowles pointed out that tourists bring their wallets with them, and the money they spend patronizing local businesses and restaurants makes a difference in local communities and statewide.
We were intrigued by Cowles’ claim that funding had nearly doubled.