March 7, 2004
La Crosse Tribune

Local economic breakfast to focus on tourism

Tourism will be the focus of the next "Economic Indicators: An Update for the 7 Rivers Region" breakfast at 7 a.m. April I at the Cleary Alumni and

Friends Center at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

The economic indicators breakfasts are held twice a year and are sponsored by State Bank of La Crosse , UW-L and the La Crosse Tribune.

Jan Gallagher, director of the Small Business Development Center at UW-L, said UW-L economics professor Taggert Brooks will give an update on economic indicators for the region.

A panel of tourism experts from the region will discuss tourism trends and strategies.

And the keynote speaker will be Dave Scheler, research coordinator for the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.

Scheler said last week he will talk about tourism spending and its economic impact in the state and in the six Wisconsin counties in the 7 Rivers Region La Crosse, Trempealeau, Jackson , Juneau , Monroe and Vernon . (The region also includes Houston and Winona counties in Minnesota and Allamakee County in Iowa .)

Scheler also will discuss tourism spending growth rates for the six counties from 1993 to 2002 and how the tourism research firm Davidson-Peterson Associates compiles tourism spending estimates for the state.

"In addition to the direct economic benefits (of tourism), I'll discuss the potential positive impact on the quality of life for local residents," Scheler said.

"I'll also talk about the value of making effective investments and promotion and the economies of scale from addressing this as a region," he said. And he will discuss state strategies and what regions can do to make the public more aware of what is available in the regions and state.