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Message from the Secretary
Greetings!
As is the case for all of you, August is expected to be a busy month here. And like our travelers, I will have the opportunity to visit many Wisconsin destinations. I look forward to participating in the Governor's Northern Tour and, new this year, Governor Doyle and I will visit cities along Lake Michigan. Other events on my calendar have me at State Fair and the PGA Championships followed by a detour to Savannah, Georgia for a meeting of the National Council of State Tourism Directors. In all of my travels, expect me to deliver news on trends, Department initiatives and, best of all, sharing information that point towards positive tourism growth in the state. Some of this information is included in this issue of the Tourism Business Journal so please continue to read to learn more.
Look forward to seeing many of you soon!
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NEW! Research Pulls Back the Cover on Travel Habits and Planning Tools
Research conducted this spring by the Tourism Department provides key insights into the travel habits of Wisconsin vacationers, their motivations and the tools they use to plan their trip. An executive summary is now available online.
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"Origin of Fun" Campaign to Focus on Fall Foliage
Seamlessly transitioning from a late summer media buy, the Tourism Department will launch an advertising campaign highlighting the state's spectacular autumn foliage immediately following Labor Day. A mix of television and print will run in the major markets of Chicago, Twin Cities and Milwaukee. Radio ads will run in Madison and throughout the state via the Packers Radio Network. Our year-round online presence will also shift to a fall color message. In addition, look for an exciting Green Bay Packer presence on TravelWisconsin.com.
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Media Tours Planned for 2010-11
We have three regional media tours on the docket for the coming year. Geiger & Associates Public Relations will assist Laughlin-Constable and the Department in this effort. Geiger PR has many high profile clients including Door County, Michigan, Tennessee, San Antonio, Albuquerque, New Mexico and Virginia. Each tour will provide an editorial research experience for 18-25 writers that combines the efficiency of a group tour but customized for individual writer's needs. The first tour is scheduled Oct. 4-8 and will feature the Great River Road region. Contact Lisa Marshall at 608-267-3773 for details.
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Consumer Reach Growing Thanks to TravelWisconsin.com and Social Media
Investment in TravelWisconsin.com and the introduction of social media strategies are producing strong returns. Visits to TravelWisconsin.com are up nearly 9% for the period May1-July 14 compared to the same period last year and the new Co-Op Packages & Deals section continues to rank in the top 7 pages viewed on the site with over 4,000 page views each week. On the social media side, the number of Travel Wisconsin Facebook fans continues to grow, engaging over 10,500 Facebook fans with travel ideas, trivia and contests.
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Coming to an iPhone Near You
As a reminder the Travel Wisconsin iPhone application is just about ready to launch. Now is the time to make sure Extranet listings for your business or member businesses are current. If you want travelers to find you through this exciting new app, it's vital to get listed. If you have any questions regarding the Extranet database, please contact Linda Anderson at 608-261-8212.
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Recent Media Coverage in New York, LA, Twin Cities and Chicago
Media outlets around the nation have been covering Wisconsin travel opportunities in recent weeks. Lake Geneva benefited from excellent national coverage on NBC Today. Stockholm and Wisconsin's craft breweries were featured in the Chicago Tribune. The New York Times ran an article about the state's Olympic caliber bicycling. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel ran articles last month on motorcycle touring along the Great River Road and the Bayfield area. And the Los Angeles Times featured the Wisconsin cheese trail. See all the recent coverage in the Wisconsin Feature Stories section.
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Wisconsin Awards Accolades
Wisconsin's tourism industry has been reaping a wave of recognitions and awards in recent months -- from the best breakfast in America to the coolest small town in the Midwest. The Department recently distributed a travel news release that rounds up some of the award winners. The news was immediately picked up by several outlets. Read the release here.
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Department of Transportation Seeking Proposals to Stock Literature at Select Rest Areas
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) is looking for parties interested in submitting a Request for Proposal (RFP) to provide and stock literature and literature racks at select Wisconsin Rest Areas. WisDOT intends to use the results of the RFP to award a contract for the above listed service. If you are interested in providing this service or have questions about submitting a proposal, contact Matthew Fleming at the WisDOT. His number is 608-261-0124. Due to state procurement regulations, all communication regarding the bid process must go through Matthew.
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Introducing Two New Faces
The Department welcomes several new faces this summer. Jocelyn Berkhahn will join the public relations team this month. She was most recently the producer of Green Bay's Fox 11 "Living with Amy" show and prior to that a reporter with the Wausau Daily Herald. We welcomed Peter Horkan in July as a LTE in the Secretary's Office. He just graduated from Edgewood College with a degree in Political Science. |
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