Study: Wisconsin tourism up in '08

GREEN BAY - Lambeau Field is one of the many sites people like Virginia resident Jim Brown come to see in Wisconsin. Brown and his wife are making their way across the country and made a point to stop in Wisconsin.

"We're in an RV. Now we're just driving around Fond du Lac, Oshkosh, Appleton, now we're in Green Bay," Brown said.

The Browns are not alone. In fact according to a new study, tourists like the Browns spent $13.1 billion in Wisconsin last year. That's up 2.7 percent from 2007. The study, conducted by Davidson-Peterson Associates in Maine said the tourism industry supported 310,000 jobs and generated $2.1 billion in tax revenue. All of this, despite record high gas prices, severe weather which emptied Lake Delton, and the economic downturn.

"I think it's a testament to the power of travel," Wisconsin tourism secretary Kelli Trumble told FOX 11. Trumble said the study shows how important tourism is and should boost morale.

"I think it's a great psychological boost going into our peak summer travel season," Trumble said.

FOX 11 tried to find out the specific tourism numbers for northeast Wisconsin but the Department of Tourism would not release that information. It will be made public at a press conference on Tuesday. But we did learn that Brown, Door and Outagamie counties are in the top 10 for tourism spending in the state.

Travel spending increased 7.1 percent last winter; it also climbed 3.8 percent in spring and 3.1 percent in summer. In the fall, as the economic situation worsened, spending dropped 2.2 percent. Trumble said she has high hopes for 2009 despite the economy.

"We remain cautiously optimistic because Wisconsin is an easy drive destination," Trumble said.

It's a destination people like the Browns made a point to visit. In fact, the couple is already planning a return trip.