By OnMilwaukee Staff Writers   Published Apr 29, 2016 at 8:00 AM

According to numbers released this morning by the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, 2015 showed gains in tourism revenue for the Greater Milwaukee area.

According to data estimates gathered from "The Economic Impact of Tourism in Wisconsin," an annual tourism impact study commissioned by the state and conducted by Tourism Economics, 2015 delivered the following numbers for Milwaukee County:

  • Total business sales related to tourism were estimated at $3.3 billion, representing an almost four percent increase from the previous year

  • 31,300 tourism-supported full-time jobs

  • Total labor income: $1.1 billion.  

  • $223 million in state and local tax revenue generated by tourism

Meanwhile, the study also calculated the following data estimates for the Greater Milwaukee area – including Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties:

  • Total business sales related to tourism were estimated at $5.1 billion, representing an increase of 4.1 percent from the previous year

  • 50,000 tourism-supported full-time jobs.

  • Total labor income: $1.6 billion.

  • $339 million in state and local tax revenue generated by tourism

In addition, the study also estimates that Milwaukee area hotels saw an increase in revenue of 5.3 percent in Downtown Milwaukee, 6.3 in Milwaukee County and 7.6 in Milwaukee West/Wauwatosa. 

"VISIT Milwaukee is proud to report continued growth in leisure, convention and business travelers staying in the region and look forward to seeing that growth continue," said Paul Unchurch, president and CEO of VISIT Milwaukee in a press release. "Last year was another strong year for tourism in the Greater Milwaukee area with an estimated $5.1 billion in total business sales, contributing to more than 50,000 full-time jobs in our area.

"As Greater Milwaukee is in the news more and more for its outstanding attractions, restaurants and events, we will continue to see these numbers improve."

For more information, VISIT Milwaukee will hold its annual meeting on Wednesday, May 2, beginning at 3 p.m. at the UWM Panther Arena. For additional details and to RSVP, click here