MONROE - The Wisconsin Department of Tourism is pushing its 2012 budget increase of $2.5 million into more marketing products, not more staff.
Travel motivators in advertisements will focus on "fun, visits to friends and family, and rest and relaxation," Stephanie Klett, Wisconsin's Secretary of Tourism, said during a visit to The Monroe Times Thursday.
To make best use of its money, Klett is looking to continue efforts to find "earned," or free, media opportunities. The department achieved about $30 million in earned media last year.
Klett highlighted the effort in the state's upcoming winter commercial spot, due out Jan. 11, featuring famed film director and producer David Zucker, originally of Milwaukee.
"Watch for it. Zucker will make you laugh out loud," she added.
Klett said Zucker turned over his $10,000 stipend to charity, and all other production costs, totally $88,000, were donated by Wisconsin groups and business who contributed their time and products to the work. While the 30-second commercial will be seen on television, Zucker also produced a 60-second director's cut, which Marcus Theaters will be playing in its previews for a month.
Actor Tony Shalhoub, born and raised in Green Bay, is this year's Wisconsin celebrity to make a cameo appearance in state commercials.
From the department's research on tourism trends, Klett believes Green County should think about expanding its tourism amenities.
"One piece of advice I have for them is to get into the meeting and convention business," she said.
About 60 percent of Dane County's tourism spending comes from conventions. Some of that, no doubt, is from Green County businesses and groups using its convention facilities, she noted.
Tourists spent about $40 million in Green County in 2010. One million of that went to local revenue, and $3 million went back to the state. And while the county is ranked only 60th among the state's 72 counties for tourism spending, Klett said, per capita, the amount is a good showing.
With the tourism department now working more closely with other state departmental agencies, Green County is bound to benefit from the interactions, according to Klett.
"Hunting and fishing is not just a (Department of Natural Resources) issue. If there is an invasive species that hurts hunting or fishing, that affects tourism, too. And agritourism is huge in Green County," Klett said.
Klett said her department also wants to be aware of road construction.
"We want to be able to direct travelers around those areas, so they can get to their destinations," she said.
Three tourism grants last year brought $61,000 in to Green County.
One, the grant for the Green County Tourism Branding Development, captured its full requested amount of $39,550, a testament to the county's Tourism Director Noreen Rueckert and Monroe Chamber of Commerce Director Pam Christopher, Klett said.
Travel motivators in advertisements will focus on "fun, visits to friends and family, and rest and relaxation," Stephanie Klett, Wisconsin's Secretary of Tourism, said during a visit to The Monroe Times Thursday.
To make best use of its money, Klett is looking to continue efforts to find "earned," or free, media opportunities. The department achieved about $30 million in earned media last year.
Klett highlighted the effort in the state's upcoming winter commercial spot, due out Jan. 11, featuring famed film director and producer David Zucker, originally of Milwaukee.
"Watch for it. Zucker will make you laugh out loud," she added.
Klett said Zucker turned over his $10,000 stipend to charity, and all other production costs, totally $88,000, were donated by Wisconsin groups and business who contributed their time and products to the work. While the 30-second commercial will be seen on television, Zucker also produced a 60-second director's cut, which Marcus Theaters will be playing in its previews for a month.
Actor Tony Shalhoub, born and raised in Green Bay, is this year's Wisconsin celebrity to make a cameo appearance in state commercials.
From the department's research on tourism trends, Klett believes Green County should think about expanding its tourism amenities.
"One piece of advice I have for them is to get into the meeting and convention business," she said.
About 60 percent of Dane County's tourism spending comes from conventions. Some of that, no doubt, is from Green County businesses and groups using its convention facilities, she noted.
Tourists spent about $40 million in Green County in 2010. One million of that went to local revenue, and $3 million went back to the state. And while the county is ranked only 60th among the state's 72 counties for tourism spending, Klett said, per capita, the amount is a good showing.
With the tourism department now working more closely with other state departmental agencies, Green County is bound to benefit from the interactions, according to Klett.
"Hunting and fishing is not just a (Department of Natural Resources) issue. If there is an invasive species that hurts hunting or fishing, that affects tourism, too. And agritourism is huge in Green County," Klett said.
Klett said her department also wants to be aware of road construction.
"We want to be able to direct travelers around those areas, so they can get to their destinations," she said.
Three tourism grants last year brought $61,000 in to Green County.
One, the grant for the Green County Tourism Branding Development, captured its full requested amount of $39,550, a testament to the county's Tourism Director Noreen Rueckert and Monroe Chamber of Commerce Director Pam Christopher, Klett said.