SHAWANO, WI (WTAQ) – Shawano County saw another increase in tourism dollars in 2018.
Tourist dollars totaled 68.5 million dollars.
Patti Peterson Tourism Manager of the Shawano Country Chamber says outdoor recreation was once again a big hit.
“We know we have a lot of people who enjoy the outdoors here. We have a lot of waterways and a lot of water sports.”
Shawano Lake fishing and boating plays a big role with that.
Shawano also has a popular speedway that runs races in the summer and is a site for sturgeon spawning each year. With all that has been added to recreation in Shawano Country the increase in tourism dollars in the last year was 2.3 percent. Peterson says their progress is more than just one year of improvement.
“We have a 30 percent increase since 2011, so that is pretty impressive.”
Shawano recently unveiled a new destination brand that focuses on promoting recreation all year long. “Find Your Wild Side”. According to Peterson, that trend fits perfectly with their newly launched destination brand.
“Our new brand invites visitors to experience the wide variety of outdoor recreation we have in Shawano and Menominee Counties. From the best whitewater rafting in the Midwest on the Wolf River to fishing and standup paddle boarding on Shawano Lake, to snowshoeing on our trails and everything in between,” said Peterson “By focusing on our recreational opportunities we are in a strong position to continue to see visitor spending increase.”
Among the contributing factors for local tourism growth was continued interest in local culture, attractions, and recreation.
