Power of Tourism
May, 2019
The Power of Tourism to create a place where people want to visit, work and live by Christine Rebout
With an office on Main Street in downtown Janesville we have had a front row seat for the ARISE plan’s revitalization of Janesville’s downtown. The goal of
Mo o rsh a Ma re © ua Sq ne eT ow esv ill Jan
If we look around our community with open eyes and open minds, we can see the Janesville community truly is a place where people want to visit, live, work and play. The heart of Janesville is our acclaimed parks and trails systems, and the vast range of accessible outdoor activities that can take place year-round. These nature-based recreational activities make Janesville a compelling place for attracting both new residents and visitors. “Wisconsin’s Great Outside” encompasses the fun, excitement, enrichment, relaxation and success you find here in Janesville. Within minutes you can find outstanding hiking, biking, rollerblading, cross-country skiing, water-skiing, disc golf, softball, soccer, sledding, tennis, boating, and running opportunities. Families can explore Rotary Botanical Gardens with its special events, tours and classes or join a guided walking tour of our historical districts. You can experience our packed calendar of events where you can cheer at Freedom Fest, wander through the Farmers Market, celebrate the Rock County 4-H Fair, browse the downtown shops during a Wine Walk, admire the artwork at the Tallman Arts Festival, or take in a concert during Music at the Marv. Families can spend time together at the splash pad, learn new activities in the parks and along the trails, or watch a spectacular Rock Aqua Jays performance or breathtaking Janesville Jets game. Friends can gather for riverfront dining at the Bodacious Shops, cycling or walking along the Ice Age Trail, kayaking or disc golf. The possibilities for outdoor fun and activities in Janesville are endless.
d
A wise colleague and friend, Maura Gast, said it best: “If you build a place where people want to visit, you’ll build a place where people want to live. And, if you build a place where people want to live, you’ll build a place where people have to work. If you build a place where people want to work, you’ll build a place where business wants to be. And, if you build a place where business wants to be, you’ll have built a place where people want to visit.” Maura’s words serve as a great summary of the role that tourism plays in the lives of a community’s residents and in the economic health and development of a community. It all starts with a visit to come and see what a community has to offer.
the current revitalization is to position downtown Janesville as a vibrant neighborhood where commerce, culture, entertainment, and history intersect and to align and focus resources in a way that draws a consistent and sustainable critical mass of people to the downtown, thereby encouraging diversity in downtown development, businesses, and activities and fostering private development. As communities now know, downtowns are the heart and soul of our communities and downtown development is a must for a healthy community.
Janesville’s Tourism Promise
For people seeking year-round outdoor activities and events in Southern Wisconsin, in a small-town atmosphere, Janesville provides the most easily accessible, diverse and rewarding opportunities, where visitors feel a sense of achievement, enrichment and escape. Janesville is all about year-round outdoor fun.
The Economics
Morning Rotary Pie Ride ©Nicodemas Nimmo
Inside...
Visitors to Janesville spent $145 million in 2018. Visitor spending impacts in Janesville generated another $78 million in business sales. Economic impact for traveler spending in the city supported 1,209 jobs. Rock County tourism generated $14 million in taxes and other fees for state and local government and total labor income was over $28.6 million in wages and salaries to Janesville residents.
Wisconsin's Great Outside Tourism by the Numbers Janesville's Tourism Experts
Rock Aqua Jays Water Ski Show Team ©Rock Aqua Jays
Janesville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
(800) 487-2757
janesvillecvb.com