Tourism program drives $30M spending boost
A Wisconsin Department of Tourism initiative that awarded less than a million-and-a-half dollars to state nonprofit organizations over the past year has resulted in $30 million in additional tourism spending in the state, Gov. Jim Doyle said Wednesday.

The Department of Tourism's Joint Effort Marketing (JEM) grant program issued more than $1.4 million in awards to 59 nonprofits over the last 12 months. The grants are used to fund extra marketing for special events, sales promotions or marketing campaigns.

For example, the program awarded $28,000 in November 2006 to the Milwaukee Art Museum to promote the museum's "Biedermeier: The Invention of Simplicity" exhibit to Chicago and Rockford travelers. As a result, travelers from northern Illinois spent more than $3.5 million in the Milwaukee area, Doyle said.

Milwaukee Business Journal