By Kim McDarison
An annual Fort Atkinson Area Chamber of Commerce Tourism Department report presented recently to the Fort Atkinson City Council notes an uptick in room tax revenues in 2021.
Tourism Manager Katie Carey presented the report to council on Feb. 17, noting that its purpose was to summarize the use of room tax funds by the Fort Atkinson Area Chamber of Commerce Tourism Department in 2021.
Within the report, Carey noted that in 2020, room tax collected to support tourism was $63,883, which, she said, represented a decline in revenues as compared to 2019, when the tourism department collected $129,347 in room tax.
Carey described 2019 as “Fort Atkinson’s most profitable year in terms of room tax revenue.”
In 2021, Carey said, $98,876 was collected, which represented an increase of just over 54% as compared to 2020. A fourth-quarter payment is not included in the total, she said.
As stated within the report, the chamber’s tourism department does not record income until the money is physically received, and therefore, fourth-quarter revenues were not included within the summary.
Additionally, last November, the tourism department was awarded a Destination Marketing Organizations grant in the amount of $27,560. The funds were made available as part of the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), Carey noted.
Presenting an overview of tourism activities in 2021, Carey said the department:
• created content for inclusion in the 2021 Jefferson County Tourism Guide, noting that Fort Atkinson had the largest number of advertisers in the publication. She credited that, in part, to tourism funds used to underwrite a portion of the costs.
• supported the Jefferson County Area Tourism Council by serving as a member on the Social Media and Wedding Promotion subcommittees, and writing and posting content to the organization’s Instagram page. The report counted 866 followers on the Instagram page, which, the report stated, was an increase of 75% as compared to Jan. 2021.
• increased following on all social media platforms through engaging and relevant content. Within the report, the following statistics were shared: Facebook, 4,662, an increase of 17% as compared to Jan. 2021; Instagram, 1,221 followers, an increase of 15% as compared to Jan. 2021; LinkedIn, 279 followers, an increase of 26% as compared to Jan. 2021.
• Designed and implemented a semi wrap in partnership with W&A Distribution. The semi, which features information about Fort Atkinson on its wrap, will travel throughout the 48 contiguous states for the next 10 years, according to the report. The semi and its wrap were revealed last summer at the city’s farmers market.
• Promoted events designed to bring traffic into the city, including the Fort Farmers Market, Rhythm Remix, Manufacturing Month, Holiday Lighted Parade, and the Holiday Open House and Market, through use of such mechanisms as newspapers, radio, billboards and social media.
• Hosted an “Eat Local” trivia contest, highlighting 12 restaurants throughout the month of May. The event reached more than 40,000 people and collected 6,393 engagements, according to the report.
• Hosted “The Coolest Thing Make in Fort” competition, held in October. The promotion featured Fort Atkinson-based manufacturers and reached “thousands of people and collected over 1,000 unique engagements,” according to the report.
• Supported through funding the installation of an electronic sign at the chamber office used to promote community events to “stoplight” traffic.
According to the report, in 2021, the city’s farmers market and retailers “benefited from an ongoing promotion of shopping and dining” in such publications as “Madison Visitors Guide,” “BRAVA Magazine,” “Experience Wisconsin,” and Fort Atkinson recreational opportunities were showcased in a three-page advertorial in “Wisconsin Bike Trails on the Glacial River Bike Trail.”
Additionally, the report stated, Fort Atkinson was featured in several earned media spots, including a video interview with Fort Atkinson Online about county tourism, a day trip destination in the Madison Visitors Guide, recognition of fall colors on the Travel Wisconsin website, and a StatePoint Media story about holiday experiences, which, “collected 40 media placements and total audience of 5.8 million,” according to the report.
“The tourism department also gained additional exposure through memberships in Circle Wisconsin, Destination Madison and the Wisconsin Hotel and Lodging Association,” the report continued.
Further, the report stated, the tourism department staffed booths at the Jefferson County and Wisconsin State fairs, and a camping trade show at the Jefferson County Fair Park.
Goals in 2022
According to the report, in 2022, the tourism department has set goals to:
- redesign the front office area to focus on tourism and locally produced products.
- invite an influencer or travel writer to visit Fort Atkinson.
- Distribute 2022-2024 Quality of Life relocation and visitor guides.
- Highlight Fort Atkinson’s amenities and experiences with a semi wrap promotion and Discover Wisconsin’s Passport to Adventure program.
- Create a library of tourism attractions and experiences.
- Refresh its website and oversee social media to update functionality and increase engagement.
• Update posters presented on the downtown theatre building.
About room tax
As outlined in the report, the City of Fort Atkinson began collecting a room tax fee of 5% from hospitality venue owners in 1998.
Of monies collected, 28% is used to support tourism-related improvements, 70% is used to support the Fort Atkinson Area Chamber of Commerce Tourism Department, and 2% is returned to the hospitality owners from which the fees are collected to help offset the administrative costs associated with recording and reporting the room tax fees.
State statutes require that an annual report outlining room tax expenditures must be provided to the local tourism commission and filed with the Wisconsin Department of Of Revenue by May 1.
Economic impact
Additionally, the report provided an overview of the economic impact of tourism as provided by the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, which stated that tourism in Wisconsin is a $17.3 billion industry that has seen a 30% decline since 2019, which was the state’s best year.
Further, the report noted, Wisconsin’s 72 counties saw a “significant decline” in tourism in 2020 as compared with 2019.
In 2021, the report continued, tourism in the state “saw its first growth in monthly year-over-year tourism spending since 2019.”
While tourism spending in 2021 is anticipated to remain below that which occurred in 2019, “the recent shift in increased reports is an indicator of Wisconsin tourism bouncing back in the right direction,” the report stated.
The graphic above, as supplied in the tourism annual report presented to council shows a 2021 profit and loss budget as well as actual figures.
The above graphic as supplied to the city council shows the tourism department budget for 2022.
Fort Atkinson Area Chamber of Commerce office, file photo/Chris Spangler.
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