Gov. Tony Evers, together with Wisconsin Department of Tourism Secretary Anne Sayers, announced Wisconsin’s tourism industry is booming with the fourth year in a row of record-breaking economic impact.
According to 2025 economic impact data, the tourism industry generated a record-high $27 billion in total economic impact, or about $74 million a day, surpassing the previous record of $25.8 billion set in 2024. This is the fourth consecutive year the state’s tourism industry has seen record-breaking economic impact.
There also were a record-breaking number of visits to the state and record-high state and local revenue generated. In 2025, Wisconsin saw 117.9 million visits—a 3.5 million increase from the previous year and eclipsing the former record of 114.4 million. The state’s tourism industry also generated a record amount of state and local revenue, generating more than $1.7 billion that goes back to local communities and essential state services. Further, according to the report, the state’s tourism industry also supported more than 183,000 part-time and full-time jobs across diverse sectors of the industry.
The Department of Tourism, under its Travel Wisconsin brand, markets the state as a premier travel destination, inspiring visitors to discover the unique beauty and experiences that Wisconsin has to offer. Thanks to historic investments in the governor’s Biennial Budgets over the past several years, Travel Wisconsin has continued to expand its reach, and in 2025, the department expanded its advertising campaign to Peoria, Illinois, for a total of 14 Midwestern markets. Travel Wisconsin’s ad campaigns also resulted in big returns—for every $1 spent on advertising in summer 2025, consumers spent $148. Additionally, TravelWisconsin.com saw a staggering 11.9 million users, setting a new website traffic record and surpassing the previous year’s record.
“Wisconsin tourism is booming because it is the ideal destination for making memories. Travelers who choose to visit one more attraction, dine at one more restaurant, and stay one more night generate many more dollars for Wisconsin tourism,” said Secretary Sayers. “Tourism’s impact is wide-reaching and significant. The industry powers local economies throughout the state. Visitors sustain jobs and create livelihoods. Wisconsinites save money because of the tax dollars tourism brings in. Tourism is essential for Wisconsin and all its communities.”
Highlights of Wisconsin’s travel and tourism successes in 2025 include:
- Marquee events like EAA AirVenture hit record attendance;
- Green Bay hosted the 2025 NFL Draft, amassing around 600,000 ticketed attendees and generating an estimated economic impact of nearly $105 million for the state, far exceeding expectations;
- Door County welcomed more visitors in November and December, inspired by the Wisconsin-set and filmed holiday movie “A Cherry Pie Christmas.”
The Native Nations of Wisconsin also play a critical role in enriching the state’s tourism indust
ry offerings and attracting travelers to the state. Because Tribal tourism data is private, the total economic impact of Tribal tourism is not wholly reflected in the annual economic report.
To learn more about Wisconsin tourism’s booming year and view the 2025 economic data, including a county-by-county breakdown, visit: industry.travelwisconsin.com/research/economic-impact.
