Destination Door County President and CEO Julie Gilbert is happy that the impact of a strong tourism economy goes beyond the dollars and cents you may read about after the state released its report last week. Door County saw an economic impact of $620 million in 2023, which was good for a 5.7 percent increase over 2022. Direct visitor spending was also above the state average, with Door County at 5.6 percent higher than the previous year ($497 million in 2023 compared to $470.7 in 2022). While the spending is nice, the positive impact you see in the community is more important to Gilbert. She points to the jobs created and the community investments made as the real power of tourism.

Tourism supported 3,444 jobs in Door County last year, contributing a record $121.6 million. Thanks to room tax revenue, Destination Door County has been able to fund close to 30 projects with $1.2 million.