Door County Power of Tourism

Door County Celebrates National Tourism Week

Tourism Growth in An Evolving Travel Market

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by Jack Moneypenny — President/CEO Door County Visitor Bureau As we celebrate the 35th annual National Travel & Tourism Week, we take a moment to reflect on our success and look to the future.

Door County experienced another year of growth in 2017. For the ninth year in a row, tourism has seen growth year over year in overall economic activity, in room tax collections as well as occupied rooms (see metric growth chart, next page). This has enabled the Door County Visitor Bureau to invest more money in reaching core demographic audiences in the Midwest.

When speaking about the money we invest in marketing, I would be remiss if I didn’t take this opportunity to thank all lodging owners in Door County for the part they play in the collection of room tax. We understand this is a team effort and without the “boots on the ground” we would not be able to be as successful as we are on behalf of the county. I would also like to thank the members of the Door County Tourism

Zone who work tirelessly in their role with the room tax collection and disbursement process as well as enforcement of room tax legislation. It really does take a village, or in this case, a county pulling together to move us forward.

When we look at where we will spend these marketing dollars, our key markets continue to be Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison, Appleton/Green Bay and Minneapolis and our core demographic continues to be females, 25-54 years old with a total household income of $75K+.

Women continue to make up 65% of traffic to our web site, DoorCounty.com. Our secondary audience are adults 24-34 years old. The youngest Millennials are turning 17 this year, the oldest are turning 37. Such a wide age range of individuals is far too diverse to market to as a single demographic group. Recent college graduates behave and travel very differently than young families, yet both may technically be Millennials.

Thus, it is important to better understand the various microsegments that transcend the larger and more traditional generational segments. Where we could once look at the traditional generations, we now need to drill down to make sure we are talking about relevant travel information to the subsets of those traditional generations.

We do understand that sustained growth year over year can create challenges for

businesses in the county. In addition to continuing to attract new and returning visitors, we have looked at how we can assist in the labor shortage. This year we have developed a new JobsInDoorCounty. com website. It is user friendly from both the employer perspective of posting jobs and the hopeful employee who is looking for a job. All businesses in Door County are eligible to post available jobs on the site for free. In addition, this year we created a campaign that promotes and drives potential job seekers to JobsInDoorCounty. com to see what jobs are available here.

The campaign has a digital component as well as an outdoor component on both the Interstate 41 and Hwy 29 corridors.

It is important to understand that we are promoting seasonal work as well as long term relocation work, and again the site is open to all businesses whether they are tourism or manufacturing related. We strongly encourage all businesses to post available positions they may need to fill.

We are also working in conjunction with the Door County Economic Development Corporation and other local businesses to work on the issue of employee housing, again, both seasonal as well as long term.

As we start our 134th season of marketing Door County, we look to the future of emerging travel habits and new ways to serve our visitors and our businesses.

Tourism Spending Up $11 Million in Door County Last Year Visitor spending in Door County was up $11 million dollars last year according to a report released by the Wisconsin Department of Tourism. The publication of the state’s tourism economic impact report for 2017 coincides with National Travel and Tourism Week, which runs from May 6-12, 2018.

Door County visitors spent $358.7 million in 2017, an increase of 3.14% over the $347.8 million dollars spent by visitors in 2016.

Overall visitor spending in Wisconsin totaled $12.7 billion last year according to the annual economic impact study prepared for the Wisconsin Department of Tourism

by Tourism Economics. That’s a statewide increase of 3.17% compared to the $12.3 billion visitors spent in Wisconsin in 2016.

In Door County, the $358.7 million in direct visitor spending last year supported 3,225 jobs and $78.5 million in labor income.

Visitor spending also generated $38.5 million in state and local taxes, an increase of $1.1 million (2.95%) over 2016. Total business sales from tourism, which includes direct and indirect spending, totaled $456.9 million in 2017, an increase of 3.18% over the previous year.

Jack Moneypenny, President and CEO of the Door County Visitor Bureau (DCVB), said the annual economic impact figures

continue to show how vital the travel industry is to the state and to Door County.

“We are pleased to see the ninth consecutive year of visitor spending growth in Door County, and along with it, the positive impact these dollars have on our local economy,” Moneypenny said.

In Door County, the incremental growth in annual visitor spending over the past nine years totals $101.6 million, a 39.5% increase since 2009. Room tax collections increased 52.7% during that same time span, from $3.05 million in 2009 to $4.66 million last year. 2009 is a notable year as it was

the first year that all 19 of Door County’s municipalities were part of the Door County Tourism Zone.

Door County ranked 7th among the state’s 72 counties in visitor spending last year with Milwaukee County topping the list followed by Dane, Sauk, Waukesha, Brown and Walworth counties.

Tourism is the primary economic driver for Door County, and Moneypenny says the DCVB continues to work on new and innovative ways to promote the destination to travelers around the world.

DoorCounty.com The Door County Visitor Bureau is the official tourism marketing organization for Door County, whose mission is to generate incremental economic impact for the community by attracting visitors with strategies that ensure sustainable tourism.

Door County Visitor Bureau 1015 Green Bay Rd / PO Box 406 Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 920-743-4456 / 800-527-3529 DoorCounty.com

INSIDE Tourism Economic Impact Numbers Key Tourism Metrics DCVB Department Updates Lamas Named CTA of the Year

Presented in partnership with

2018 VISITOR GUIDE NOW AVAILABLE

COUNTY TOURISM PROCLAMATION

The official Door County Visitor Guide can be found throughout the county at businesses and information centers and is a great tool for planning a day, or a week, in Door County. Pick up a copy today or view it online, on your phone or on a tablet at DoorCounty.com

The Door County Board of Supervisors recognized the importance of tourism at their March 27, 2018 meeting by unanimously adopting a resolution in support of 2018 National Travel & Tourism Week.

Read the proclamation online at bit.ly/DCNTW2018

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ECONOMIC IMPACT Visitor Spending

State and Local Taxes Generated

Room Tax Collections

In millions

In millions

In millions

2009

$257.1

2009

$29.4

2009

$3.05

2010

$266.9

2010

$29.8

2010

$3.23

2011

$271.2

2011

$30.6

2011

$3.27

2012

$289.0

2012

$31.8

2012

$3.50

2013

$298.8

2013

$32.5

2013

$3.64

2014

$314.6

2014

$34.2

2014

$3.81

2015

$332.8

2015

$36.1

2015

$4.13

2016

$347.8

2016

$37.4

2016

$4.45

2017

$358.7

2017

$38.5

2017

$4.66

In 2017, visitor spending in Door County increased by $10.9 million, or 3.14% over 2016.

In 2017, state and local tax revenue generated through tourism spending increased by $1.1 million, or 2.95% over 2016.

2009 – $257.1 million 2010 – $266.9 million 2011 – $271.2 million 2012 – $289.0 million 2013 – $298.8 million 2014 – $314.6 million 2015 – $332.8 million 2016 – $347.8 million 2017 – $358.7 million

2017 room tax collections were up 4.2% over 2016, and up 52.7% over the baseline year of 2009, the first year that all 19 of Door County’s municipalities were part of the Door County Tourism Zone.

2009 – $29.4 million 2010 – $29.8 million 2011 – $30.6 million 2012 – $31.8 million 2013 – $32.5 million 2014 – $34.2 million 2015 – $36.1 million 2016 – $37.4 million 2017 – $38.5 million

2009 – $3.05 million 2010 – $3.23 million 2011 – $3.27 million 2012 – $3.50 million 2013 – $3.64 million 2014 – $3.81 million 2015 – $4.13 million 2016 – $4.45 million 2017 – $4.66 million

KEY DOOR COUNTY MEASUREMENTS: 2009 – 2017 2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

GROWTH 2009 - 2017

% INCREASE 2009 - 2017

$3,051,712

$3,233,733

$3,270,684

$3,500,714

$3,644,013

$3,815,722

$4,130,827

$4,459,019

$4,660,677

$1,608,965

52.72%

$915,514

$970,120

$981,205

$1,050,216

$1,093,205

$1,144,716

$1,239,248

$1,337,706

$1,398,203

$482,689

52.72%

$55,013,656

$59,105,965

$60,228,436

$64,216,442

$66,825,167

$69,169,622

$75,876,813

$82,467,213

$85,632,987

$30,619,331

55.66%

AVAILABLE ROOMS

1,209,378

1,215,559

1,198,604

1,209,559

1,203,063

1,213,890

1,232,712

1,249,681

1,273,109

63,731

5.27%

OCCUPIED ROOMS

442,111

463,591

463,861

479,562

486,977

508,272

532,798

553,470

560,968

118,857

26.88%

OCCUPANCY %

36.56%

38.14%

38.70%

39.65%

40.48%

41.87%

43.22%

44.29%

44.06%

7.50%

20.52%

AVERAGE DAILY RATE (ADR)

$124

$127

$130

$134

$137

$136

$142

$149

$153

$29

23.39%

0.5% COUNTY SALES TAX COLLECTIONS

$2,903,389

$2,867,741

$2,991,834

$3,081,689

$3,157,479

$3,350,013

$3,658,093

$3,914,091

$3,962,457*

$1,059,068

36.48%

VISITOR SPENDING (IN MILLIONS)

$257.1

$266.9

$271.2

$289.0

$298.8

$314.6

$332.8

$347.8

$358.7

$101.6

39.52%

ROOM TAX COLLECTIONS 30% TO MUNICIPALITIES TOTAL ROOM REVENUES

In 2007 the Door County Tourism Zone was formed and implemented a 5.5% room tax. 2009 was the first full year of room tax collections when all 19 of the county’s municipalities were part of the Door County Tourism Zone. As a result, 2009 is used as the base year for comparisons. *Represents gross sales of taxable goods and services of $792,491,400.

national tourism week | 3

OF TOURISM TOP 10 COUNTIES FOR TOURISM SPENDING IN WISCONSIN - 2017 RANK

COUNTY

COUNTY POPULATION

TOURISM JOBS

2017 TOURISM SPENDING (IN MILLIONS)

NOTABLE COMMUNITIES

1

Milwaukee County

951,982

32,141

$1,990.7

Milwaukee

2

Dane County

508,973

21,918

$1,246.8

Madison

3

Sauk County

62,558

11,093

$1,086.5

Wisconsin Dells

4

Waukesha County

393,936

14,575

$776.4

Milwaukee Suburbs

5

Brown County

255,072

11,877

$671.0

Green Bay

6

Walworth County

102,942

6,938

$544.2

Lake Geneva

7

Door County

27,970

3,225

$358.7

Door County!

8

Outagamie County

181,114

6,395

$348.0

Appleton/Fox Cities

9

La Crosse County

117,271

4,387

$263.8

La Crosse

10

Eau Claire County

101,007

4,578

$257.0

Eau Claire

A Moment in Door County

Michelle Rasmusson — DCVB Director of Marketing & Sales As we move into the heart of the season we continue to watch the evolution and revolution of individual travel habits. The only constant in the world of marketing is the changes that are taking place. We now must speak individually to our visitors through personalization and engagement. Gone forever is the concept that one message will adequately convey our destination’s marketing message.

This year our media plan goal is to achieve very specific measurable objectives. Those objectives include: creating awareness of Door County, driving traffic to DoorCounty.com, growing our database by capturing qualified interest-based email addresses, increasing overnight stays and visitor spending.

To achieve these objectives, we are taking a fresh approach to Door County’s brand promise: to deliver a breathtakingly scenic, water-centric landscape perfect for relaxation and rejuvenation. To do that we will focus on specific experiences that create a sense of place and transport the audience through ‘moments’ as if they were actually in Door County.

What makes this approach particularly impactful is the lack of hard-sell copy or cluttered imagery. Instead of ads with over-thetop sales messages, loud announcers and quickcut footage, we are offering viewers a clean, single spot that allows the audience to take a breath and leaves them wanting more. In effect, what the spot does for a moment is what a trip to Door County does for a visitor. The audience doesn’t just hear or see what it’s like to Live Life Well, they experience it.

To view this year’s TV and streaming spots visit our YouTube channel at bit.ly/2018dcvbTV

Media Coverage Shines Spotlight on Door County

Jon Jarosh — DCVB Director of Communications & PR When media outlets like National Geographic, the Chicago Tribune, Midwest Living, Money magazine, NBC’s Today show or ABC’s Good Morning America showcase Door County

in some way, people notice. And in today’s increasingly online world, people share.

Destination Door County has received a lot of great exposure to potential travelers over the years thanks to a wide range of editorial media coverage, from traditional print stories to TV shows to more and more online and electronic coverage. These third-party endorsements, which most editorial coverage is viewed since the media outlet is essentially telling their readers to visit, are a valuable part of an overall destination marketing strategy.

Some travel stories are the result of pure destination interest, but a vast majority of travel stories are the result of a concerted effort by area businesses and the Door County Visitor Bureau (DCVB) who work collaboratively to earn editorial coverage that shines the spotlight on Door County. Positive PR goes a long way in attracting visitors.

The DCVB’s biggest PR program has been in place since 2007. The program welcomes regional, national and international travel journalists to Door County to experience the destination firsthand, and in turn write about their experiences for the various media outlets they represent. The DCVB works with Geiger & Associates Public Relations on this program and as a result Door County has been featured in more than 1,900 articles and stories in magazines, newspapers, web sites, radio and TV shows and more over the past 11 years.

The media coverage has reached an estimated audience of nearly 2 billion readers/listeners/ viewers, and has a media value of more than $20.5 million!

Having been on every one of our press trips since 2007, I’m happy to say that visiting travel journalists are continually amazed at the depth of Door County’s tourism product offerings. They appreciate the opportunity we’ve given them to experience our destination, and the resulting travel articles reflect their genuine affection for the people they meet and places they visit during their brief time in the county.

These organized press tours and the corresponding media coverage have helped build tremendous awareness for Door County, not only regionally, but throughout the entire country. The ability to target journalists and media outlets in areas of the country where we’re not going to buy advertising helps too, allowing us to broaden our reach with positive messaging and beautiful images.

The program wouldn’t be possible without the support we’ve gotten from our local tourism partners. Their enthusiasm for hosting journalists has been a critical factor in getting us the quality media coverage we’ve been able to generate for the entire county.

While press trips play the biggest role in our PR efforts, we use other tactics as well to help shine the spotlight on Door County. Spring and fall media campaigns target TV markets in greater Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison, the Twin Cities and throughout Wisconsin. Media kits target editors and producers at a variety of media outlets throughout the Midwest with themed story ideas and pitches, and ongoing press releases to both regional and national audiences keep destination Door County in the public eye as much as possible.

As our marketing tactics get more complex and evolve, so must our PR tactics. Thanks to an engaged and energetic local tourism community, we are well positioned to continue to meet and exceed visitor expectations well into the future.

Telling Our Story, By Telling Your Story

Phil Berndt — DCVB Membership Director Each and every business plays an important part in the promotion of our destination and our collective successes. Our CEO, Jack Moneypenny, has often made the analogy that Door County is like a hearty stew, in that every business adds a depth, a spice that differentiates our destination from any other, and you can tell when something is missing.

The same can be said of a Door County business missing from our story. As a member of the Door County Visitor Bureau you are an Industry Partner – an integral part of our story. You may feel like you don’t need the added exposure we offer but, the fact of the matter is, our story is incomplete without you. Your membership with the Door County Visitor Bureau supports our efforts and bonds that partnership.

Partners in promoting Door County as a Premier Destination and you’re promoting your business to potential customers. As tourism industry partners, we learn about you and your business and it’s this valuable relationship that makes it possible for our team to help expand your level of

exposure on DoorCounty.com; referrals of guests and customers through personal interactions in our Welcome Center; meaningful engagement with social media and exposure to the journalists sharing our story with readers around the globe.

As a consortium of engaged businesses, we have been the collective voice of the Door County Tourism Industry for more that 127 years and we continue to represent our industry through advocacy and programming to this day. Won’t you stand with us?

The marketing efforts of the Door County Visitor Bureau bring millions of visitors to our area each year, representing a vital part of the economy. Your business benefits from a strong tourism economy and you can benefit even more directly from marketing your business though exclusive partnership programs.

We offer two membership tiers to help meet your needs. For $395/yr, our Platinum Membership includes the expanded exposure of your own dynamic business listing page on DoorCounty.com; Space in our Welcome Center for your printed Rack Cards or /Brochures; invitations to participate in Co-op Promotional Opportunities, Visitor Guide advertising, Networking Events and Education Programming.

Our Silver Membership is ideal for the business or individual vacation property that is only looking for the added web exposure and SEO of having their own listing page on DoorCounty. com. Web-only for $225/yr.

To learn how you can become a part of the Door County story, and more about the many additional benefits of becoming an Industry Partner, visit: https://www.doorcounty.com/ membership/ or contact Yvonne Torres directly at 920-818-1139 / yvonne@doorcounty.com or Phil Berndt at 920-818-1136 / phil@doorcounty.com

Serving our community since 1996.

doorcountypulse.com The Peninsula Pulse and Door County Living are Peninsula Publishing & Distribution, Inc. companies.

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CTA Program Enhances Door County Visitor Experience positive experience. This National, professional program demonstrates the Door County Visitor Bureau’s dedication to promoting our destination as the best, with a high level of commitment to our visitors.

The CTA program teaches employees and volunteers best practices and ensures they understand their role in increasing tourism. The focus of the program is to increase their knowledge of Door County; provide answers to the variety of questions received from visitors; and gives employees a chance to meet one another, learn from each other’s experiences and celebrate together.

Yvonne Torres, DCVB CTA Program Manager The Door County Certified Tourism Ambassador (CTA) Program is a multifaceted program that serves to increase tourism in Door County by inspiring front-line employees and volunteers to turn each visitor encounter into a

What separates the Door County CTA program from other training programs is that it is not simply training, but a certification. Employees and volunteers who complete the program receive a credential and accompanying initials that can be used behind the person’s name to denote their commitment to their profession as a Certified Tourism AmbassadorTM. As an accredited provider, the Door County Visitor Bureau presents the official CTA designation on behalf of the Tourism Ambassador InstituteTM, the national oversight body for the certification program. Since the program’s inception in 2009, the Door County CTA program has certified over 975 people.

For more information about the CTA program, contact Yvonne Torres of the Door County Visitor Bureau at 920-818-1139.

Lamas Named CTA of the Year Each year we present the Door County Certified Tourism Ambassador of the Year award to an individual who embraces the spirit of the CTA program. Nominations are submitted by customers, employers, co-workers or selfnominations. This year’s recipient hails from another tourist hub (Cabo San Lucas, Mexico).

As the Social Media Marketing Manager for Door County Kayak Tours, she consistently exceeds customers’ expectations with her approachability, outgoing nature and love for the area. She is a firm believer in businesses working together to enhance the visitor experience and often facilitates introductions between business owners in the spirit of that effort. She enjoys getting to know her visitors and takes pride in being their ‘go to’ Door County guide.

In addition, she keeps herself ‘in the know’ by attending various tourism related events including all DCVB functions, Buy Local events and more. Please join us in congratulating Gabriela Paulina Lamas, CTA, on being selected as the 2018 Door County Certified Tourism Ambassador of the Year.

GABRIELA LAMAS, 2018 Certified Tourism Ambassador of the Year Door County Kayak Tours Mi Casa Door County – Sturgeon Bay, WI

DOOR COUNTY GIFT CERTIFICATES Door County gift certificates are available to purchase at the DCVB Welcome Center, by phone at 800-527-3529 or online at DoorCounty.com. They make great gifts for visitors, residents, or rewards for employees!

Any business in Door County (regardless of membership) is encouraged to accept them and will be reimbursed by the DCVB at 100% face value. To see a list of DCVB members that accept gift certificates, visit DoorCounty.com/gift-certificates.

Over $250,000 worth of Door County gift certificates were sold through the Door County Visitor Bureau last year, and they can only be spent at businesses in Door County.

STURGEON BAY 323 S. 18th Ave. 920.746.3800 dcmedical.org

Trusted team. Close to home.

DOOR COUNTY VISITOR BUREAU 1015 Green Bay Rd | PO Box 406 | Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 doorcounty.com | info@doorcounty.com | 800.527.3529