MONROE — Green County had an important visitor on May 12. Wisconsin Secretary of Tourism Anne Sayers was in town along with staff members while promoting the 40th annual National Travel and Tourism week.
First, Sayers & Co. arrived at the Monroe Chamber of Commerce building just after noon. They were given a warm reception by local ambassadors, including Monroe High School staff and students, and the star of the show: Winnie the Pooch. Winnie is the pup of Chamber of Commerce executive director Melissa Even.
“Tourism is an industry — it’s a lot of fun, but it’s actually a real economic driver,” Sayers said.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers was originally scheduled to attend, but had to cancel in order to attend the funeral of St. Croix County Sheriff’s Deputy Kaitie Leising, who was killed in the line of duty May 6.
Sayers has been traveling the state, and on Friday made stops in Paoli and Beloit.
“I have been to so many places, I get to do these quick drive-bys and see our incredible product here in Wisconsin. We are so lucky to live here and have these amazing places right outside our backdoor to explore.”
The skies had been overcast and misty throughout the entire morning, only to dry up during the 90 minutes the state contingent was in town. As soon as they left, the rain returned.
“The hospitality that comes with this traveling — the front lines of welcoming visitors and making sure they have an amazing experience — it’s incredible,” Sayers said.
Tourism in Wisconsin was a $20.9 billion industry in 2021, and Sayers said that the 2022 numbers, which are due soon, are tracking with optimism.
“We outpaced the national average every single month across the board in 2022,” Sayers said.
Mayor Donna Douglas was among those to greet Sayers at the Chamber building, which dates back more than 100 years and was the former Arabut Ludlow Library up until about 30 years ago when the library moved across the street.
Sayers talked to the crowd for a few minutes before getting a mini tour and posing for pictures in front of the Welcome to Monroe mural on the Chamber grounds.
After departing the downtown area, Sayers arrived at the National Historic Cheesemaking Center on the city’s west side. Douglas gave Sayers background and a tour on the facility, including a recently installed timeline and a map of former and current cheese factories in the county. At one point, Green County was home to 222 cheese factories, earning Monroe the nickname “Swiss Cheese Capital of the World.” There are currently 16 cheese factories remaining.
The museum gives the history of cheese, from its approximate origins through today, with information on international development to its regional importance. It also celebrates master cheesemakers from the area, with displays and videos to show how cheese was made. The restored Imobersteg Farmstead cheese factory also sits on the grounds, and the group was given a brief demonstration on the process of making cheese as the Imobersteg family did more than a century again.
The museum is now open Thursdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. through late October. Admission is $5 per person, though free for children under 16.
