AVERAGE OF $18 BILLION A YEAR ON
OUTDOOR PURSUITS.
THAT'S ACCORDING TO THE
DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM, WHICH IS
LOOKING TO EXPAND ON THAT IDEA.
IN TONIGHT'S INSIDE LOOK, ZAC
SCHULTZ SAT DOWN WITH TOURISM
DESIGNEE SARA MEANEY IN AN
ONGOING SERIES WHERE WE HEAR
FROM GOVERNOR TONY EVERS CABINET
MEMBERS, FIRST ASKING WHAT THE
OFFICE PLANS TO DO.
>> WHAT WE'VE SEEN AROUND THE
COUNTRY IS ACTUALLY A TREND OF
GREATER FOCUS ON OUTDOOR
RECREATION AND THE SAME IS TRUE
IN WISCONSIN.
WISCONSIN RELIES REALLY HEAVILY
ON OUTDOOR RECREATION AND OVER
$18 BILLION OF ECONOMIC IMPACT
IS DIRECTLY AS A RESULT OF
OUTDOOR RECREATION AND 168,000
JOBS IN THE STATE ARE DIRECTLY
RECREATION RELATED.
SO IT'S TAKING AN EXISTING
STRENGTH AND CONNECTING MORE
ENTITIES, ORGANIZATIONS AND
ACTIVITIES TOGETHER TO BUILD
UPON THAT STRENGTH AND BUILD
GREATER ECONOMIC ACTIVITY.
SO REALLY WE'RE LOOKING TO BUILD
MORE JOBS, ATTRACT MORE
BUSINESSES, INCREASE COMMUNITY
CONNECTIVITY AS A RESULT OF
OUTDOOR RECREATION AND OF COURSE
ATTRACT MORE VISITORS.
>> TOURISM ALREADY PROMOTED THE
OUTDOORS SO WHY DO YOU NEED A
NEW OFFICE TO DO THAT?
>> THIS IS TRUE.
OUTDOOR RECREATION HAS ALWAYS
BEEN A PART OF THE STORY WE'VE
BEEN TELLING COMING OUT OF
TOURISM.
THE OFFICE OF OUTDOOR RECREATION
DOESN'T EXIST SOLELY TO PROMOTE
OUTDOOR RECREATION, INSTEAD IT'S
ACTUALLY MEANT TO UPLIFT AND
CONNECT THE PARTIES THAT
ACTUALLY WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE
THE SUCCESS AND GROWTH OF THE
OUTDOOR REC INDUSTRY, SO THINK
OF IT AS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
ACTIVITY AS WELL AS A
PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITY, BUT
ULTIMATELY IT'S ABOUT BRINGING
MORE PEOPLE TO THE TABLE TO
SHARE GOALS.
>> SO IS THIS FOCUS MORE ON OUT
OF STATE OR IN-STATE PEOPLE?
>> ACTUALLY THE ANSWER IS BOTH.
SO WE KNOW ABOUT JUST UNDER 70%
OF WISCONSINITES PARTICIPATE IN
OUTDOOR RECREATION ACTIVITIES ON
A REGULAR BASIS BUT WE ALSO KNOW
IT'S THE NUMBER ONE REASON
PEOPLE COME TO THE STATE OF
WISCONSIN FROM OUT OF STATE.
SO THOSE TWO THINGS TOGETHER
ONLY MAKE SENSE THAT WE WANT TO
PUT AN ADDITIONAL FOCUS ON THAT
AND PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR
MOUTH IS, REALLY.
WE SHOULD BE USING MORE DATA, WE
SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON RESEARCH,
WE SHOULD BE LOOKING TO
OPPORTUNITIES TO HAVE MORE
COLLABORATION AMONG ENTITIES
THAT ARE ALREADY DOING SIMILAR
WORK, OR WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM
EACH OTHER'S EXPERTISE.
>> IS THERE A SHIFT IN
PHILOSOPHY FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF
TOURISM COMPARED TO THE LAST
EIGHT YEARS UNDER GOVERNOR
WALKER?
>> I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S HARD
TO COMMENT ON.
WHAT I CAN SAY IS ONE OF THE
THINGS WE'RE FOCUSING ON MOVING
FORWARD IS MAKING SURE THAT WE
HAVE THE BEST DATA AND THE BEST
INFORMATION WE CAN TO MAKE GREAT
DECISIONS ON BEHALF OF THE
TAXPAYERS OF THE STATE OF
WISCONSIN.
I MEAN, PRIMARILY THE WORK THAT
WE DO OUT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
TOURISM IS DRIVE ECONOMIC
GROWTH, IT'S AN ECONOMIC ENGINE,
IT'S THE THIRD LARGEST INDUSTRY
WHEN YOU LOOK AT TOURISM AS A
COMPOSITE INDUSTRY, AND IT'S
NEARLY 200,000 JOBS.
SO WHAT IT REALLY IS, IS IT'S A
PLAY TO ENSURE THE SUCCESS AND
HEALTH OF A MAJOR INDUSTRY IN
OUR STATE WHILE AT THE SAME TIME
MUCH OF OUR ACTIVITY IS ABOUT
PROMOTING AWARENESS AND
PARTICIPATION AMONG TRAVELERS.
>> ACCORDING TO THE WISCONSIN
STATEWIDE COMPREHENSIVE OUTDOOR
RECREATION PLAN, WE NEED TO FIND
MORE PLACES FOR PEOPLE LIVING IN
OUR CITIES TO ENJOY THE
OUTDOORS.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT THIS
OFFICE WILL LOOK AT OR IS THAT A
DIFFERENT AREA?
>> WELL, THE SCORE YOU'RE
REFERENCING CERTAINLY COMING OUT
OF THE DNR IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE
THAT WILL GUIDE THE OFFICE OF
OUTDOOR RECREATION.
THIS IS NOT MEANT TO ACTUALLY
DUPLICATION BUT INSTEAD WORK IN
COLLABORATION WITH AND IN
PARALLEL WITH THE PLAN THAT IS
ALREADY IN PLACE ON BEHALF OF
THE DNR.
SO THE WORK WILL NOT BE SO MUCH
OVERLAPPING AS IT WILL BE
BUILDING OFF OF ONE ANOTHER.
I WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE
SECRETARY OF THE DNR.
HE AND I ARE VERY MUCH IN
AGREEMENT THAT OUR WORK IS ABOUT
COLLABORATION, SO I'M LOOKING
FORWARD TO BEING ABLE TO TAKE
WHAT IS SUCH A STRENGTH OF DNR
AND THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LANDS
AND WATERS AND THEN ADDING TO
THAT A LAYER OF PROMOTION AND
ENGAGEMENT FROM AROUND THE
STATE.
GLL A LOT OFA LOT OF TOURISM ADS THAT WE'VE
SHOWCASED SEEMS TO BE DRIVING
PEOPLE TO THE OUTDOORS, THE
RURAL ENVIRONMENT, THE NORTH
WOODS.
DOES THERE NEED TO BE A SHOWCASE
MORE ON WHAT WE HAVE IN OUR
URBAN AREAS?
>> WELL, I MEAN, THAT'S ALWAYS
AN IMPORTANT BALANCE THAT WE
HAVE TO STRIKE,?
CERTAINLY THE TWO LARGEST
VISITATION CENTERS OF OUR STATE
ARE THE TWO LARGEST CITIES OF
OUR STATE, SIMPLY BY VOLUME.
HOWEVER, WE ALSO KNOW THAT --
RESEARCH TELLS US THAT THE
AWARENESS OF ESPECIALLY
NON-WISCONSINITES, THE AWARENESS
OF OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE,
MUSEUMS AND, YOU NO HE, FOOD AND
SORTKNOW, FOODAND CITY ATTRACTIONS IS ACTUALLY
LOWER THAN IT SHOULD BE.
THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT THE
EFFORTS HAVEN'T BEEN THERE TO DO
THAT OR THAT THE FOCUS HAS ONLY
EVER BEEN ON OUTDOOR RECREATION.
WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS WE STRIKE A
BALANCE SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE
FULL BREATH OF WHAT IT IS WE
HAVE TO OFFER.
HOW DOES THAT PLAY OUT?
NO ONE VISITOR GOES TO A NEW
PLACE TO DO ONE THING.
THEY WANT TO DO A VARIETY OF
THINGS, AND THE GOOD NEWS IS,
WISCONSIN HAS INCREDIBLE
ACTIVITIES BOTH INSIDE AND
OUTSIDE, AND ALL FOUR SEASONS OF
THE YEAR.
SO THAT'S WHAT OUR WORK IS GOING
TO BE FOCUSING ON.
CERTAINLY THAT MEANS MOVING
PEOPLE AROUND THE STATE, NOT
SIMPLY STAYING IN ONE AREA.
>> THE REPORT TALKED ABOUT THE
GROWING POPULATIONS IN BOTH THE
LA 10X AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN
COMMUNITIES IN WISCONSIN.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO REACH OUT
TO THOSE COMMUNITIES?
>> THAT'S GREAT.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
WISCONSIN IS ACTUALLY FALLING
BEHIND ITS NEIGHBORS IN TERMS OF
ATTRACTING VISITORS OF COLOR.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO
DO INTENTIONALLY AND WITH EYES
WIDE OPEN.
WE WILL BE SEEKING IN THE FUTURE
INPUT FROM A MUCH MORE DIVERSE
GROUP OF PEOPLE TO HELP ADVISE
US AND THE BEST WAYS TO DO THAT.
THAT'S THE RESPONSIBILITY OF OUR
ATTRACTIONS AND OUR REGIONS TO
ENSURE A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT
BUT ALSO MAKE SURE WE'RE
OFFERING THE THINGS TO DO THAT
PEOPLE ARE LOOKING TO PARTAKE
IN.
AND AGAIN, DATA AND RESEARCH IS
HELPING US UNDERSTAND THAT EVEN
BETTER, AND THEN WE CAN ALIGN
HOW WE PROMOTE OURSELVES AND HOW
WE ACTUALLY DEVELOP OUR
ATTRACTIONS.
>> WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TRAVEL
WISCONSIN WEBSITE, YOU SEE
MOSTLY WHITE PEOPLE AND WHITE
FAMILIES ENJOYING THINGS.
AND WHEN THERE ARE
REPRESENTATIONS OF PEOPLE OF
COLOR, IT'S OFTEN IN AN URBAN
ENVIRONMENT DOING URBAN THINGS.
WOULD YOU WANT PEOPLE OF COLOR,
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR TO GO
CAMPING, GO TO THE NORTH WOODS,
TAKE UP FISHING AND HUNTING?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
ABSOLUTELY.
WE ACTUALLY KNOW PEOPLE ALREADY
DO.
THE PARTICIPATION IN OUTDOOR
ACTIVITIES IS KIND OF WITHOUT
COLOR, BUT NOT IN ALL EQUAL
PARTICIPATION RATES.
SO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS KEEP IN
MIND THAT NOT EVERYONE DOES ALL
SAME THINGS AT THE SAME RATES,
AND YET OUR OFFERING IS
AVAILABLE TO ALL AND NEEDS TO BE
WELCOMING TO ALL, AND THAT WORK
IS STILL AHEAD OF US.
>> THE REPUBLICAN-CONTROLLED
SENATE HAS YET TO CONFIRM ANY OF
GOVERNOR EVERS' CABINET
SECRETARIES, YOU INCLUDED.
DOES THAT IMPACT HOW YOU'RE ABLE
TO DO YOUR JOB?
>> NO, FRANKLY IT DOES NOT.
I'M CERTAINLY EXCITED TO GET THE
STAMP OF APPROVAL WHEN THAT
COMES AROUND, BUT MY DAY IS
STILL EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS
INTENDED TO BE.
I'M STILL AT THE TABLE DOING THE
WORK I SAID I WAS HERE TO DO.
IT HASN'T CHANGED ANYTHING, AND
I THINK I'M REALLY PROUD OF THE
WORK WE'VE DONE IN BASICALLY
6 1/2 SHORT MONTHS.
WE'VE ACHIEVED QUITE A BIT AND I
THINK THE TOURISM INDUSTRY WOULD
AGREE WITH THAT.
SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
>> DO YOU THINK THE LACK OF
CONFIRMATION GIVES THE SENATE
ANY MORE LEVERAGE OVER ANY
DECISION YOU MIGHT MAKE IS THIS
>> I DON'T BELIEVE SO, NO.
I THINK MY WORK STANDS FOR
ITSELF AND THE WORK OF THE
DEPARTMENT IS GUIDED BY A
STRATEGIC PLAN THAT RECEIVED
INPUT FROM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF
PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE STATE
WITHIN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY SO
FRANKLY TOURISM IS NON-PARTISAN.
IT'S NOT RED, IT'S NOT BLUE,
IT'S GREEN.
IT'S ABOUT MONEY.
IT'S ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
AND THAT HELPS EVERYONE AND THAT
AFFECTS 72 COUNTIES OF OUR
STATE.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR