TOURISM'S RECOVERY: Region making a strong comeback after a year of tough times

By Mark Crawford

It's been a rough 12 months for regional tourism. Hit by terrible flooding and a severe economic downturn in 2008, local attractions and destinations suffered revenue losses, some of them severe. But with steel will — and emergency funding from the state of Wisconsin — they are bouncing back for 2009.

"Reservations in the Dells area were positive from October through the end of 2008, and they remain positive with the start of 2009," said Melanie Platt-Gibson, marketing director for the Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau. "In general, people are cautiously optimistic about what 2009 will bring."

2008 was promising to be a good year until mid-June, when torrential rains flooded towns and breached Lake Delton, creating a temporary river that carved a gorge through Highway A and toppled luxury homes into its strong current. The loss of Lake Delton was obviously a major blow for businesses built around the lake; Tom Diehl and his popular Tommy Bartlett Water Ski Show, for example, lost 90 percent of its business, but they weren't the only ones who suffered.

"Not only did we have negative publicity because of the lost lake, but lots of people in Chicago thought all of Wisconsin Dells was under water," Diehl lamented. "So even though only two dozen businesses that depended on the lake were hurt badly, the fallout affected the rest of community also. The one section of our economy that did well was the group of large indoor water parks."

Circus World Museum in Baraboo was also hit hard by flooding. "In the second week of June we were 8 percent higher than we were last year," said Steve Freese, executive director. "Then came the 500-year flood. We had about $500,000 in damage, with railroad cars under water." Remarkably, Circus World was closed for only five days.

The common misconception that the area was swamped and roads were impassable made quick recoveries difficult. "Taliesin did fairly well, but House on the Rock and American Players Theatre were down, as were area inns, restaurants and retail," said Dawn Eno, executive director for the Spring Green Chamber of Commerce.

"Although we had no damage from the flooding, the closure of the interstate definitely slowed down our business," said Julie Coquard, vice president of Wollersheim Winery.

Reinforcements arrive

After the flooding, the Wisconsin Department of Tourism quickly mobilized to assist the affected counties in marketing themselves. "We did a lot of community outreach in Grant County, Crawford County, and the Mineral Point and Spring Green areas," said Kelli Trumble, secretary of the department. "Gov. Doyle created a $250,000 fund for emergency marketing for regions affected by flooding. The money was used to enhance existing marketing for projects or to move into new markets. It was critical to get back to business and protect the summer season by showing everyone Wisconsin was still open for business."

Mineral Point ran radio spots in Chicago that increased the number of tourist inquiries. Spring Green used its money to advertise in new markets in Chicago and Milwaukee and saw corresponding increases in visitation. "We utilized a $12,000 grant from the Department of Tourism to promote our "Creativity Shining Through" package that emphasized we were still open. We didn't mention the flooding at all," said Eno. "By September, our numbers were much better."

Knowing the money had to be spent by November 1, most attractions launched their marketing campaigns after the roads were opened and the damages were repaired. This, it turned out, was good timing; just as the message was put out that the Dells was open for business and a great family value, the economy started to slide. For families who had lost a job and were wondering if they could afford even a small vacation, they knew the Dells could provide value for their travel dollars.

The marketing efforts were successful. After being 20 percent behind when it reopened, Circus World aggressively marketed itself and provided special events such as a re-enactment of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and ended season only 8 percent behind the previous year. At Wollersheim Winery, the numbers were about the same as 2007. "With the economy, I think more people decided to stay closer to home and take shorter trips to visit us, which made up for people who decided not to come because it was too far to drive," said Coquard.

Some parks saw increased numbers. "Overall visitation was up," said Paul Zajackowski, park superintendent for Mirror Lake State Park. "With Lake Delton gone, we were definitely busier. Devils Lake was also closed during that time. We didn't see any drop-off until October."

Steve Schmelzer, assistant superintendent at Devils Lake State Park, agreed. "We had the busiest August ever, probably because people were not taking long trips out of town. Attendance was up for many other parks across the state."

"I think Wisconsin Dells fares better than other destinations in other parts of the country because of the many amenities we provide that we almost take for granted," said Platt-Gibson. "Things like free parking, free waterpark passes with an overnight stay, large condos and cabins that allow groups to split costs, full kitchens for meal preparation and free activities like sightseeing along the Wisconsin River. We're giving visitors lots of amenities while other segments of the travel economy are stripping them away. Plus, with the price of gas working in our favor at the moment, we're a great drive destination for the Midwest, especially those people who are holding on to their dollars and not flying."

A prosperous 2009?

Lake Delton is expected to be back to an average depth of 12 feet by early May, and an official reopening is planned.

"There will be a big celebration and lots of good PR," Diehl said.

The Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau has budgeted $8 million for advertising, Diehl said. "We've tapped our reserve fund to make sure we have enough money to promote our value-added packages and the idea of the stay-at-home vacation," he said.

FEMA is still processing Circus World's claim. "We need to replace the parking lots, courtyard, and some foundations," said Freese. Circus World is heavily promoting its special events this year, including the Great Circus Parade in Milwaukee, which is already getting national attention. Freese expects attendance to stay about where it was last year because of the slow economy.

Attendance at Cave of the Mounds was down 4 percent in 2008, and general manager Joe Klimczak expects to have similar numbers this year. "Considering the economy, (that) isn't too bad," he said. Klimczak plans to put some capital improvement projects on hold to save cash and increase the advertising budget about 20 percent, mostly to target locals who aren't taking big vacations.

Spring Green and Mineral Point, pleased with their advertising results last year, will continue those same campaigns this year, targeting Chicago, Milwaukee, the Twin Cities and northern Illinois. At Wollersheim Winery, Coquard said they will hold more events to build awareness of the winery.

The Wisconsin Department of Tourism has also designed a unified brand strategy for tourist attractions and destinations within the state. "We really need effective communication with our tourism partners," said Trumble.

"We have just launched a redesign of our Web site for tourism industry partners that includes a message board and blog for exchanging ideas. Our tourism partners can access current trends and research data. In keeping with brand strategy of originality, we will create a Hall of Fame for original people and places in Wisconsin.

"Our strategy is more than just providing a less-expensive option — it is all about providing a more memorable experience."

"We're cautiously optimistic for a good year," said Platt-Gibson. "And if 'good' for some means flat, that's OK, too. Family vacations are more important than ever, especially in this stressful economic climate. Our properties in the Dells encourage family time and are eager to provide the amenities to make that happen."

madison.com ©2009 Capital Newspapers. All rights reserved.