Dear friend,

In this unprecedented moment – as we collectively strive to make sense of the constantly evolving public health crisis – I want to offer what I hope will be good news and inspiration for the important work ahead of us in the days to come.

Given the conversations happening on social media, reports from the Regional Tourism Specialists, and the many interactions I’ve had with industry leaders in recent days, we know that you are anxious to hear more about how Tourism will be positioned for the economic recovery.

We can also see from website traffic that consumers remain interested in and inspired by our offerings. In the midst of this crisis, the page onTravelWisconsin.com where people can order travel guides has shown a year-over-year increase of 3% from March 1-15. This indicates that travelers are using this time to dream and plan for spending time in Wisconsin, on the other side of this.

There is reason for hope and optimism. There is a need to be prepared.

I believe the content that we had planned to share at WIGCOT will be of use to you as you continue to lead on economic development in your community.

Soon, you’ll receive access to an online video series we’ve prepared for you, sharing content we had originally hoped to share with you at WIGCOT. The series includes special messages from myself, one of our planned WIGCOT keynote speakers, our Marketing Director and our consultants, giving you more information about where we go from here. I hope you make time to view these videos and make plans to engage in the collaborative opportunities to drive tourism success into the future.

Together, we will be ready.

Be safe, stay healthy and keep leading through this.

Forward together,

Sara Signature

Sara Meaney
Secretary-designee
Wisconsin Department of Tourism