Door County Celebrates National Tourism Week
$800,000 of Tourism Dollars Committed to Parks of Door County Destination Door County (DDC) is excited to announce a special investment of $800,000 in Door County’s parks. This special investment is possible due to higher than anticipated room tax collections in 2022, and this one-time funding allocation will be shared by municipal parks, county parks and state parks in Door County. “Our parks provide our residents with incredible outdoor recreation opportunities and are key drivers of visitation to Door County as well,” stated Julie Gilbert, President/CEO of Destination Door County. “We are very excited to be able to provide this special funding to enhance these important natural attractions that we all love,” she said. DDC will work directly with municipalities, and partner with local Friends Groups for the state and county parks, to facilitate park enhancements and improvements. Additional details about this firstof-its-kind investment by DDC will be released in the coming weeks.
TRAVEL FORWARD
This special section is brought to you by:
By Julie Gilbert President/CEO, Destination Door County
elevating the quality of life for all of us.
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This year, we’re moving forward by focusing on travel’s essential role in all these areas along with uniting us in an essential connection—travel.
As we enter the 40th anniversary of National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW) May 7 – 13, 2023, it is a good reminder of what this means for the entire U.S. travel community and our visitor economy in Door County. It is an annual tradition to celebrate travel’s essential role in stimulating economic growth, cultivating vibrant communities, investing in sustainable environmental practices that take care of the places we love, creating quality job opportunities, inspiring new businesses, and
It is always good to look back before moving forward and I would like to do just that. In May of 2022, we signed our new Entity Agreement with the Door County Tourism Zone. It was a celebratory occasion with Governor Evers and Tourism Secretary Ann Sayers looking on. As part of our partnership and new agreement with the Zone, there was a Strategic Planning Committee established with Destination Door County (DDC) Board of Directors and Tourism Zone Commissioners working together to establish goals and objectives representing the direction and focus that DDC would take in 2023. We focused on our three pillars which include Destination
Alignment and Community Outreach, Sustainability for our Businesses and Environment and Values Based Marketing. Let me start with Destination Alignment and Community Outreach. We define that as: Listening to and seeking input from residents and stakeholders has become an integral component of DDC’s efforts, particularly since destination promotion is done for the benefit and wellbeing of every person in the community. Being driven by the same core values helps determine priorities and provides a roadmap which leads to a more authentic promotion of the destination and a more engaged community in the process.
Our goals are: #1 - Cultivate an environment
where Door County’s tourism industry can lead by example championing tourisms benefits helping mitigate its impacts
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DoorCounty.com
Destination Door County’s Mission Statement To inspire travel that drives community enhancement. Through innovation and partnerships, we will share stories of Door County’s people and places, deliver world-class experiences, strengthen the industry, work to ensure all travelers feel welcome and preserve Door County’s way of life and its natural resources.
INSIDE Destination Master Planning Begins National Tourism Week Events Door County Tourism Zone Update Room Tax Flow Chart Tourism Marketing Strategies Local Scholarship Winners Announced Community Business Association Reps
New Community Investment Fund Supports Local Initiatives By Julie Gilbert President/CEO, Destination Door County As a Community Shared Values organization that balances sustainability for our businesses, organizations, and our environment, Destination Door County’s (DDC) Board of Directors, along with commissioners from the Door County Tourism Zone, recognized it was essential to better support our municipalities and other organizations because of the increased demands on local tourism infrastructure. An initial task force was formed together with Tourism Zone Commissioners, DDC’s Board of Directors and other community leaders throughout the county,
and with help and facilitation from the Door County Community Foundation, the Community Investment Fund was created. The program was designed to follow Wisconsin State Lodging tax statute in order to ensure compliance with state room tax laws. We look forward to seeing projects that are strategic, have long-term impact, that cross municipal boundaries and benefit many. AND, projects that are not only good for visitors but also benefit our residents.
The visitor economy benefits residents with the following: When people visit Door County, they spend money here creating jobs for our families. Generates incremental tax dollars providing economic opportunities. Supports the amenities that enhance our quality of life. The Community Investment Fund, created in partnership with the Tourism Zone and Destination Door County, with the Door County
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I will respect the water’s vast and unpredictable beauty and practice water safety at all times. I will honor the local culture and traditions by exploring with an open heart and mind. I will follow the trails and paths letting only my mind wander. I will discover my sense of wonder while finding new and undiscovered places. I will embrace nature’s wild spirit leaving it perfectly unchanged. I will do my part to preserve, protect, and care for Door County, always.