Contact:
Craig Molitor
Fond du Lac Area CVB
920-923-3010
New initiatives driving visits, interest in region
Fond du Lac, WI – JUNE 5, 2017 – For the second year in a row, Fond du Lac County showed the biggest increase of 72 counties in the state of Wisconsin, in direct tourism visitor spending and total business sales, based on a study released by the Wisconsin Department of Tourism. Fond du Lac County’s total business sales were $141.1 million in direct visitor spending, a 6.71% increase from 2015. In addition, the county has grown from $103.6 million in 2011, an increase of 36.2%.
“These numbers tell the story; its unprecedented for Fond du Lac County to be the number one county in direct tourism spending for 2 consecutive years,”” stated Craig Molitor, President and CEO of the Fond du Lac Area Visitors Bureau. “Tourism plays a significant role here, supporting thousands of jobs and industries, as well as generating local revenue. All of our local businesses benefit from traveler spending and we are proud of how they all work together to draw tourists to the Fond du Lac area. Their efforts are definitely paying off,” he added.
Here are the tourism numbers locally for Fond du Lac County:
· Direct visitor spending was $141.1 million in 2016, up from $132.2 million in 2015. – 6.71 increase (biggest gain in state of Wisconsin).
· Total business sales were $239.9 million in 2016, up from $227.3 in 2015 – 5.57% increase (4th highest in state of Wisconsin).
· Fond du Lac County also saw one of the largest increases in job growth – a 3.15% increase in 2016.
· Labor income rose 4.83% from 2015 to 2016 – $59.2 million to $62.1 million
· Visitors generated $17.8 million in state and local taxes in 2016.
The tourism industry in Wisconsin and Fond du Lac County provides work across the spectrum of employment – from entry level to executive positions. In addition, those jobs can’t be outsourced or exported; they are part of the local economy. Tourism is one of the top employers in Fond du Lac County and continues to be one of the area’s most important economic resources.
More information can be found on the Fond du Lac Area Visitors Bureau website, www.fdl.com.
