Travel Wisconsin seeing ‘really positive signs’ heading into busy summer travel season

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – From Milwaukee to the Northwoods, all corners of Wisconsin attract visitors year-round.

The Badger State is an all-seasons destination for families, but Travel Wisconsin officials say summer historically is when the state sees the highest number of visitors.

“Kids are out of school so it’s easier for families to travel. The weather is fantastic,” Logan Wroge, Senior Communications Specialist with Travel Wisconsin, said. “We have 15,000 lakes, 84,000 miles of rivers and streams so if you want to get out on the boat, you can do that.”

Wroge says Memorial Day Weekend in particular is when the summer travel season starts.

“44 million Americans and 816,000 Wisconsinites that are going to leave town and find some reason to enjoy the long holiday weekend,” he said.

Wroge adds, the outlook for summer travel in Wisconsin in 2024 is looking positive.

“We’re seeing some really positive signs heading into the busy summer travel season that visitors are hungry to take a vacation,” he said.

According to AAA, this weekend is forecasted to be the second highest travel Memorial Day weekend since 2000.

Hot spots around the state include Wisconsin Dells’ waterparks, the quaint getaways of the Northwoods and Door County, and the culinary scene in the Madison area.

“A lot of folks are going to be going out to these unique culinary experiences in the summer like pizza farms or they’re going on farm tours. They’re traveling across the state and finding all of these unexpected activities,” Wroge said.

Not all summer experiences have to be outside. Wroge says indoor museums like the Madison Children’s Museum also draw in visitors.

Travel Wisconsin’s summer brand campaign is going on right now. Wroge says it’s the highlight of Travel Wisconsin’s marketing campaign.

The campaign not only hopes to bring Wisconsinites to other parts of the state, but also visitors from across the Midwest.

“It’s live in 13 Midwestern markets and we lean into this brand idea of ‘Here’s to those who Wisconsin,’” Wroge said. “So, that really celebrates our spirited nature, how welcoming we are, the world-class hospitality we’re known for. And as part of that, we talk about our festivals and events like signature experiences of the summer.”

From Summerfest in Milwaukee to EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, a full list of summer events in Wisconsin can be found on Travel Wisconsin’s website.

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