Fox Cities Chamber: Fox Cities Visitor Spending For 2021 Nears Pre-Pandemic, Record-Setting 2019 Levels

Appleton WI

09 June, 2022

6:59 AM

Description

Press release from the Fox Cities Chamber: June 8, 2022 Visitor spending in the Fox Cities increased to $466 million in 2021. Not only is this figure a 40% increase over 2020, but it also puts the Fox Cities back within 9% of 2019 visitor spending levels – a pre-pandemic, record-setting year. 2021 spending directly supported 4,652 jobs in the Fox Cities tourism industry with employee income of $117 million. "Tourism is an integral part of the Fox Cities economy and we are pleased to see the industry on a strong road to recovery," said Pam Seidl, executive director of the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau (FCCVB). "We appreciate the on-going support of our local municipal leaders, industry partners and residents and look forward to a full recovery in the years ahead." Visitor spending is tracked across 5 categories including lodging, food and beverage, retail, recreation, and local transportation. Lodging showed immense growth over 2020 with visitor spend increasing 82% to $91 million. Even with the increase, lodging spend in 2021 lagged slightly behind 2019 by 22%. Recreation and food and beverage followed with respective year over year increases of 43% and 36%, and local transportation increased by 29%. In another positive nod to pre-pandemic levels, retail spend reached $107 million, surpassing 2019 by 1.2%. "Although our visitor spending numbers have increased significantly over 2020, there is still work to be done to both meet and surpass 2019 levels," said marketing communications manager Maddie Uhlenbrauck. "We are encouraged by the fact that Q4 spending in 2021 outpaced Q4 spending in 2019 and we expect this trend to continue as we enter our busy summer season." The state of Wisconsin saw direct visitor spending rise 31.1% to $12.9 billion in 2021. Wisconsin hosted over 102.3 million visitor trips in 2021, up 12% from 2020. Statewide tourism supported more than 118,000 jobs and generated $1.4 billion in state and local taxes. The local data covers the 19 communities served by the FCCVB –Appleton, Kaukauna, Menasha, Neenah, Combined Locks, Fox Crossing, Harrison, Hortonville, Kimberly, Little Chute, Sherwood, Buchanan, Clayton, Freedom, Grand Chute, Greenville, Vandenbroek, Woodville and Town of Neenah. As the future of tourism in the Fox Cities continues to evolve, the FCCVB has begun work on a Destination Master Plan in collaboration with industry partners and residents. The completed Master Plan will create a vision for ways in which tourism can continue to support the quality of life for Fox Cities residents. If you are a Fox Cities resident willing to share your vision for the future of the community, a short survey is available at www.surveymonkey.com/r/JPMXMXT. Your participation is key in creating the Master Plan. The Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau strengthens the local economy by investing in and promoting our community. In the Fox Cities, which includes 19 communities, visitor spending totaled approximately $466 million in 2021. This direct spending supported more than 4,652 jobs and $117 million in income for Fox Cities residents. www.foxcities.org This press release was produced by the Fox Cities Chamber. The views expressed here are the author's own.