In April, Tourism Economics, which late last year forecasted a 9% increase in international tourism to the U.S., announced an update: International arrivals are now expected to drop 9.4% in 2025 amid anger and confusion over Trump administration policies as well as economic concerns.
These are the kinds of statistics that catch attention in Door County, where tourism — including some international tourism — is critical to the economy and where J-1 and H-2B work visas are heavily relied upon to fill seasonal jobs. The good news for now, says Destination Door County President and CEO Julie Gilbert, is that the summer tourism season on the peninsula thus far looks mostly on track.
“I’ve had kind of a breath of relief, because that was a really big concern,” Gilbert says. “[Door County tourism] typically performs well in economic downturns. With 300 miles of shoreline, five state parks, and coastal villages we can position the destination as value‑friendly and family-friendly.”
In addition to concerns about international workers, housing and child care remain top barriers to employment in Door County’s hospitality industry. The cost and feasibility of new construction, the high number of single‑family homes being converted to short‑term rental properties and the hospitality industry’s non-standard work hours all contribute to the challenges, Gilbert says.
“It continues to be an issue,” Gilbert says. “A lot of people are working on it, and they’re working really hard on it.”
One organization that has worked hard on housing and child care concerns is the Door County Economic Development Corporation. Executive Director Michelle Lawrie says Sturgeon Bay has been particularly aggressive in adding housing inventory; the community of 10,000 residents has added 300 units of housing since 2022.
DCEDC is hosting a county-wide developer tour May 30. And to gain even more insight, Lawrie says DCEDC is preparing to update its housing study, which was last conducted in 2019: “We know how much has changed since then,” she says. The organization also recently worked with UW-Whitewater to study the economic impact of the county’s 10,000 secondary residences.
“If you’re a secondary resident, you’re different than a tourist, right? We really want to know what’s going to make those residents stay here longer and potentially even move here,” Lawrie says. The study found that broadband access is the biggest current barrier to converting secondary residents to primary residents, she says, and communities throughout Door County are currently waiting to see what will happen with access to BEAD funding — another current question mark amid federal cuts. (U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in March that the program is being revamped.)
Supporting business growth
A recent DCEDC survey found that about 59% of Door County businesses are seeking to grow, Lawrie says, with workforce constraints cited as the biggest impediment to doing so, primarily linked to housing and retirement/succession challenges. As such, the organization is working on programs around youth career exploration and helping employees transition to the manufacturing industry.
And while Door County possesses a large manufacturing base, Lawrie says one of its biggest areas of recent growth has been small business and entrepreneurship.
“We had about 60 entrepreneurs we worked with in 2024 in varying stages,” Lawrie says. “And not just [in] hospitality. It’s been really exciting to have that diversity of industry. We’re seeing those entrepreneurial numbers continue to rise, and we see that as a really, really good sign.”
Last month, Gov. Tony Evers announced that DCEDC was one of 19 recipients of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s Small Business Development Grants. The funds will be used to create the Door County Small Business Façade and Property Improvement Program, which will award 25 grants of up to $10,000 each, covering up to 80% of total project costs for external property improvements. Applications opened April 30.
Another budding Door County industry Gilbert says not to sleep on? Show business. The county recently served as the filming location for “A Cherry Pie Christmas,” which hopes to find a home this fall with a popular holiday film distributor. Destination Door County, Travel Wisconsin, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin and WEDC all supported the production, which wrapped April 11.
“It was such a positive impact on the community, [including] the economic impact of the crew and cast staying in the county,” Gilbert says. “Our team here has been working on helping support building a database so that we can be more efficient and helpful if and when more productions reach out.”
Other notable recent developments in Door and Kewaunee counties include:
- The city of Algoma finalized its new Tax Incremental District (TID) #5 for mixed-use development. The city is working with a developer to build 56 single-family housing units and condos on a 31-acre site on the city’s south-central side.
- Last month, the Ecumenical Partnership for Housing in Door County announced plans to convert the former Door County Medical Center building in Sturgeon Bay to temporary single-family housing. Religious leaders hope to band together to create other housing assistance projects, said Rev. Matthew Knapp.
- A nationwide study by SmartAsset ranked Door County as the fourth-most tax-efficient place to live among Wisconsin’s 72 counties and the best in the state for property tax rates.
- Parallel 44 Winery has announced plans to close its Kewaunee location and consolidate operations at Door 44 Winery in Sturgeon Bay.
- The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources approved a variance to the management of Newport State Park in Ellison Bay. The variance will allow the construction of an outdoor amphitheater.
- The new Camp Door campground is slated to open this month in Sister Bay.
