UP WITH THE HOUSING MARKET.
>> MAYOR SATYA RHODES-CONWAY,
THANK YOU.
>> THANKS VERY MUCH.
>> THE TOURISM INDUSTRY IN
WISCONSIN HIT AN ALL-TIME HIGH
IN 2022.
THAT'S ACCORDING TO A RECENT
REPORT FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT
OF TOURISM WITH A TOTAL ECONOMIC
IMPACT OF ALMOST $24 BILLION.
ALL 72 COUNTIES HAVE AN INCREASE
OVER THE LAST RECORD-BREAKING
YEAR IN 2019, INCLUDING
BAYFIELD, WHOSE TOURIST DOLLARS
SAW A 24% INCREASE.
COMING OUT OF THE BIG FOURTH OF
JULY HOLIDAY, WE CHECK IN WITH
KATI ANDERSON FROM THE BAYFIELD
CHAMBER AND VISITOR'S BUREAU.
THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> SO HOW IS THE TOURIST SEASON
SHAPING UP IN BAYFIELD THIS
SUMMER?
>> WELL, WE'RE RIGHT IN THE
THICK OF IT NOW.
TOURISM HERE REALLY RAMPS UP
AROUND MID JUNE, JULY, AUGUST,
ARE OUR BUSIEST MONTHS HERE IN
BAYFIELD.
SEPTEMBER AS WELL HAS A LOT OF
GREAT TOURISM ACTIVITIES GOING
ON.
WE HAVE SOME NEW EVENTS, AN ART
ESCAPE EVENT IN THE MIDDLE OF
SEPTEMBER AND THEN, OF COURSE,
GOING INTO OCTOBER, WE HAVE OUR
BAYFIELD APPLE FESTIVAL, WHICH
IS ALWAYS THE FIRST FULL WEEKEND
IN OCTOBER.
>> SO HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO
YEARS PAST FOR TOURISM?
>> SURE.
SO, WELL, THIS YEAR WE WON'T
KNOW WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE
EXACTLY FOR 2023 UNTIL NEXT
YEAR, BUT THE -- AS YOU HAD
MENTIONED, WE BROKE SOME RECORDS
HERE.
IT WAS A 24% INCREASE IN TOURISM
SPENDING OVER 2019, AND EVEN IN
2022, WE ALSO KEPT OUR TOURISM
SPENDING IN SEPTEMBER, WHICH IS
TECHNICALLY A SHOULDER SEASON
WITH THE LAUNCH OF A NEW EVENT
CALLED ART ESCAPE, AND WE WERE
ABLE TO BRING IN ANOTHER -- AN
ADDITIONAL $700,000 TO THE
BAYFIELD COUNTY ISLAND AREA
THROUGH THAT EVENT, ART ESCAPE,
AND THIS YEAR WE'RE DOING THAT
AGAIN.
IT WILL BE OUR SECOND YEAR DOING
THAT AND IT'S SEPTEMBER 9th
THROUGH 17th, SO WE HAVE SOME
NEW INITIATIVES, WHICH IS
HELPING BRING IN MORE PEOPLE AND
HOPEFULLY WE CAN CONTINUE THAT
THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, BUT EVEN
SINCE, YOU KNOW, 2020, BAYFIELD
REALLY SAW A LOT OF PEOPLE COME
HERE IN 2020 TO GET AWAY FROM
THE CITY AND ACTIVITIES, SO
WE'RE STILL SEEING THAT
MOMENTUM.
>> SO YOU'RE SUPER BUSY AND
BAYFIELD IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO
VISIT, BUT ARE LOCAL BUSINESSES
ABLE TO KEEP UP?
>> WELL, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES
HERE IS FINDING WORKERS.
WE ARE NOTICING THAT AND IT'S
KIND OF A DOUBLE EDGED SWORD
BECAUSE I THINK PEOPLE WANT TO
LIVE HERE BUT THE PROBLEM SEEMS
TO BE HOUSING.
THERE'S NOT A LOT OF OPTIONS
HERE IN BAYFIELD COUNTY FOR
HOUSING, BUT THOSE ARE SOME
INITIATIVES THAT WE ARE HOPING
TO PARTNER WITH SOME LOCAL OTHER
ENTITIES TO TRY TO HELP SPUR
THAT.
>> OKAY.
I KNOW THAT THE STATE BUDGET
THAT JUST WAS SIGNED INTO LAW
HAS SOME MONEY IN IT FOR THE
DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM.
WHAT MORE COULD AREAS LIKE YOURS
USE FROM THE STATE?
I MEAN, YOU JUST SPOKE TO
AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR HOUSING
UNITS, PERIOD.
WHAT MORE COULD THE STATE
POSSIBLY DO?
>> I THINK THE HOUSING IS REALLY
THE BIGGEST PIECE RIGHT NOW.
ONE THING THAT WAS REALLY
ENCOURAGING HERE IN BAYFIELD, A
LOT OF BUSINESSES AND NEW
BUSINESSES POPPED UP WITHIN THE
LAST YEAR OR TWO AND THAT WAS
DUE TO THE MAIN STREET BALANCE
BACK GRANT.
WE HAD SEVERAL BUSINESSES HERE,
A GOOD I KNOW FOUR OFF THE TOP
OF MY HEAD FOR SURE WHO TOOK
ADVANTAGE OF THE $10,000
FUNDING.
SO THINGS LIKE THAT, INITIATIVES
LIKE THAT DO REALLY WELL, COULD
REALLY HELP US FOR ECONOMIC
GROWTH HERE IN BAYFIELD,
ESPECIALLY IN BAYFIELD COUNTY
WHERE OUR MAIN INDUSTRY HERE IS
TOURISM.
>> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
WELL, WE ARE ENVIOUS THAT WE ARE
NOT IN BAYFIELD WITH YOU.
YOU SAID THE WEATHER IS
BEAUTIFUL TODAY, BUT ENJOY THIS
BUSY SEASON AND EVEN THE SEASON
GOING INTO THE FALL.