Tourism & the Visitor Economy: Looking Back, Looking Ahead

by JULIE GILBERT, President and CEO, Destination Door County

As we experience all the beauty and wonderment that the holiday season brings, I always find myself looking back at the year.

As we ring in 2023, we appreciate all of our incredible hospitality workers who go above and beyond to serve us and our visitors. Without you, we would not be able to provide the experiences that our family, friends and all visitors look forward to when they’re here. Our communities wouldn’t have the breadth of artisanal offerings that we all enjoy so much.

For those family and friends who are hard to buy for during the holidays, please don’t forget that we have gift certificates available for purchase that can be used at our Door County businesses. I highly recommend them.

I appreciate all of you who continue to demonstrate how much you care for Door County. As we continue to build on our Care for Door County initiative, we know that we might not be able to solve every challenge right away, but we can certainly work toward it together for the common good. 

This is a great time for reflection. I was reminded of this the other day while hiking at White Fish Dunes State Park. The tranquility was remarkable and rejuvenating. It reminded me that we want to encourage everyone – visitors and residents alike – to explore and enjoy our community responsibly.  

As we continue to build toward a common future in 2023 and beyond, we see the necessity for destination stewardship that meets the needs of the present without compromising the sustainability of future generations. We need to make sure that we do have an integrated approach that focuses on environmental conservation, economic opportunity and providing societal equity for all of our residents.  

A partnership with Destination Door County is open to all businesses throughout the peninsula. There is no charge to become a partner. We are proud to promote and support a vibrant business community, a healthy local economy and a renewed sense of place for all of us who call Door County home. 

Destination Door County continues to grow and evolve so that we become more aligned with our business community and our neighbors. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected]. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and suggestions to help us continue growing in a positive direction. 

Wishing you and your families a wonderful holiday season and a happy and healthy new year.