Tourists can expect ""Great Moments"" in Wisconsin while they go-kart in Wisconsin Dells, fish on Lake Superior or visit the Milwaukee art museum.
The Wisconsin Board of Tourism recently announced its new campaign and a new slogan in addition to ""Life's So Good,"" at the Governor's Conference on Tourism in Appleton this week.
The new campaign emphasizes the experience of the state, rather than certain cities or counties. In the past, areas like Wisconsin Dells or Door County were highlighted. This year's idea is to attract tourists to all the sites and activities Wisconsin has to offer.
Jerry Huffman, communications director at the Department of Tourism, said the revised focus ""will be a good motivator for everyone,"" meaning smaller attractions have a better chance of standing out.
Josh Klein is a UW-Madison freshman who has logged many hours as a tour guide at the Dickeyville Grotto, a small tourist attraction in Grant County. Klein was excited about the new campaign and its more generalized focus.
""[The Grotto] is a happening place, and the more people we get excited about traveling here the better,"" he said.
With this year's campaign, those at the Department of Tourism are striving to achieve success similar to last year. Huffman said, ""Last year we had just under $13 billion in profit—that's a $1 billion increase from 2005 to 2006.""
While most of those profits went to major cities and attractions, Klein has high hopes for ""the little guys"" this summer. ""People won't just drive by on their way to the DellsA-—they will stop and share the love with us.""
According to a news release on the campaign, $2.2 million is budgeted for summer advertising. The Department of Tourism projects spending $4.2 million for the year's total advertising.
When placing advertisements, Chicago remains a primary target. According to Huffman, ""One of every four Chicagoans leaving on vacation is traveling to Wisconsin."" In-state travel still constitutes the largest portion of tourists; however, areas like Minneapolis and Western Michigan are becoming bigger markets.
