MONROE - Area tourism leaders are focusing on bringing tourists to Green County with new tours, themes and technology access this summer and fall.
This year, Green County Tourism will be promoting the county's two biggest events, Green County Cheese Days and New Glarus Octoberfest, together.
"It is a Cheese Days year, and I always emphasize the unique aspects of this festival - ag education as well as a big party/reunion type of atmosphere," said Noreen Rueckert, director of Green County Tourism. "The publicity achieved through Cheese Days has long-standing impact, which brings visitors here other weekends and in the off year as well."
Both breweries in the county, Minhas Craft Brewery and New Glarus Brewery, will again be involved with the festival, as well as the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and Alice in Dairyland. Dairy farm tours also will be part of the festival.
Monroe Main Street Director Barb Nelson is optimistic that tourism will increase this year, because the program is focusing on promoting the newly reconstructed downtown Square.
Concerts on the Square are on the schedule again this summer, as well as several other events, but Main Street also is stretching its partnership to help Cheese Days.
"If visitors have a good experience at Cheese Days, they'll be back," Nelson said.
With the Badger State Trail to Madison expected to be completed, Main Street is promoting more bicycling and family day trips.
Rueckert, Nelson and DNR Green County Work Unit Manager Steve Johnston anticipate the Badger State Trail will bring more travelers from the Madison area.
"Trails are always heavily used," Johnston said. "The Badger State Trail has seen increased use every year."
According to Johnston, the Badger State Trail normally has 200,000 users per year, with 5,000 to 8,000 on snowmobiles.
"We're at half that now," Johnston said Thursday.
The Sugar River Trail sees about 40,000 users year round.
"Cadiz Springs Recreation Area (near Browntown) is nicer than it's been in years," Johnston said. Friends of Cadiz Springs, in partnership with the DNR, have done fundraising and held work days to fix up the park.
"All the money raised was for items directly used by the public," Johnston said. "We removed every sign in the place, installed a new handicapped-accessible boat ramp, completely refurbished the beach, and painted the restrooms inside and out."
Green County Tourism is expanding promotions with some social media opportunities.
"I plan to begin Twittering weekend events each Friday, and we will mention 'opting in' to Twitter and Facebook for updates in our advertising," Rueckert said. "I may also do some text messaging campaigns for events - particularly Cheese Days - perhaps a 'show your phone' coupon."
Rueckert said Facebook is being used to promote Cheese Days, with nearly 3,200 fans on its page already. Fans are being asked for input on the festival.
She is also looking into optimizing certain pages of the tourism Web site, www.greencounty.org, and the Cheese Days Web site, ww.cheesedays.com, for mobile access.
Green County Tourism, Monroe Main Street, Monroe Visitor and Promotion Board, and the New Glarus Chamber of Commerce are partnering on many advertising and promotions projects.
State tourism numbers are derived by tracking only overnight stays.
"Unfortunately, that number does not reflect day trips by leisure travelers or bus group tours that are here for the day but are not overnighting. And we get a lot of day trippers - both groups and leisure," Rueckert said.
This year, Green County Tourism will be promoting the county's two biggest events, Green County Cheese Days and New Glarus Octoberfest, together.
"It is a Cheese Days year, and I always emphasize the unique aspects of this festival - ag education as well as a big party/reunion type of atmosphere," said Noreen Rueckert, director of Green County Tourism. "The publicity achieved through Cheese Days has long-standing impact, which brings visitors here other weekends and in the off year as well."
Both breweries in the county, Minhas Craft Brewery and New Glarus Brewery, will again be involved with the festival, as well as the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and Alice in Dairyland. Dairy farm tours also will be part of the festival.
Monroe Main Street Director Barb Nelson is optimistic that tourism will increase this year, because the program is focusing on promoting the newly reconstructed downtown Square.
Concerts on the Square are on the schedule again this summer, as well as several other events, but Main Street also is stretching its partnership to help Cheese Days.
"If visitors have a good experience at Cheese Days, they'll be back," Nelson said.
With the Badger State Trail to Madison expected to be completed, Main Street is promoting more bicycling and family day trips.
Rueckert, Nelson and DNR Green County Work Unit Manager Steve Johnston anticipate the Badger State Trail will bring more travelers from the Madison area.
"Trails are always heavily used," Johnston said. "The Badger State Trail has seen increased use every year."
According to Johnston, the Badger State Trail normally has 200,000 users per year, with 5,000 to 8,000 on snowmobiles.
"We're at half that now," Johnston said Thursday.
The Sugar River Trail sees about 40,000 users year round.
"Cadiz Springs Recreation Area (near Browntown) is nicer than it's been in years," Johnston said. Friends of Cadiz Springs, in partnership with the DNR, have done fundraising and held work days to fix up the park.
"All the money raised was for items directly used by the public," Johnston said. "We removed every sign in the place, installed a new handicapped-accessible boat ramp, completely refurbished the beach, and painted the restrooms inside and out."
Green County Tourism is expanding promotions with some social media opportunities.
"I plan to begin Twittering weekend events each Friday, and we will mention 'opting in' to Twitter and Facebook for updates in our advertising," Rueckert said. "I may also do some text messaging campaigns for events - particularly Cheese Days - perhaps a 'show your phone' coupon."
Rueckert said Facebook is being used to promote Cheese Days, with nearly 3,200 fans on its page already. Fans are being asked for input on the festival.
She is also looking into optimizing certain pages of the tourism Web site, www.greencounty.org, and the Cheese Days Web site, ww.cheesedays.com, for mobile access.
Green County Tourism, Monroe Main Street, Monroe Visitor and Promotion Board, and the New Glarus Chamber of Commerce are partnering on many advertising and promotions projects.
State tourism numbers are derived by tracking only overnight stays.
"Unfortunately, that number does not reflect day trips by leisure travelers or bus group tours that are here for the day but are not overnighting. And we get a lot of day trippers - both groups and leisure," Rueckert said.