There wasnâ??t as much fun in Wisconsin last year and â?? no surprise â?? the killjoy was the economy. Figures released Sunday by the state Department of Tourism show vacation, convention and other visitor spending was $12.1 billion in 2009, down by more than $1 billion, or 7.8 percent compared to 2008. â??The downturn we experienced was not as severe as seen in other areas,â? said Deb Archer, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Madison Convention & Visitors Bureau. â??We continue to attract visitors to our community through key drivers, such as the UW-Madison and convention, event and meeting attendance at our great facilities.â?
Office of Strategic Communication