About Us

At Destination Madison, we are people with a passion. A passion for the amazing community. A city of inquisitive minds, inclusive spirits with an independent vibe. We share Madison's story far and wide. And we welcome others to experience our energy. In short, we inspire a love for Madison.

Destination Madison acknowledges our region’s story is a vibrant patchwork of histories, successes, challenges and perspectives. The land we occupy is the current and ancestral home of the Ho-Chunk Nation, and we honor their elders past, present and future. We continue to amplify Madison’s diverse range of voices and visions to share our community with visitors. We are on this journey together with staff, leadership, partners and community, requiring us to look inside with curiosity and take action to disrupt the individual and organizational biases that have limited our view. Our DEAI commitment involves continual learning and unlearning while encouraging each other to grow and make Madison a place for all.

What We Do

Promote Madison to new and repeat visitors with a dynamic marketing plan.
Attract new conventions, sporting events and competitions to the community.
Provide expert service and support for events.
Conduct and analyze tourism research.
Build our local economy.

Destination Madison is dedicated to creating economic impact through tourism. The effects of our "invisible industry" benefit everyone living in Dane County in key areas including jobs, community services and quality of life. The latest economic impact data released by the Wisconsin Department of Tourism indicates the strength of the tourism industry—with growth following the pandemic and our work on recovering our local economy, reflecting the strategic and focused efforts we devote to our community.

The more people we can bring here to enjoy Madison, the more impact there is on our local economy, supporting small businesses and sustaining the quality of life for residents.

Why we do what we do:

In 2022, visitors contributed $1.4 billion in direct spending.
The hospitality industry employs more than 16,000 people in Dane County.
Each year, an average of 145 meetings and events bring an average of $65.6 million to our economy from outside the area.
In the absence of the state and local taxes generated by tourism, each Dane County household would need to pay $625 to maintain the current level of government services.
Tourism is often the first impression of our community for potential business investors and innovators who may become residents that, in turn, expand our intellectual capacity and growth. Our efforts help make an impactful impression of the greater Madison area.

A chart detailing Destination Madison's three-year strategic plan pillars including Brand Awareness and Visitor Conversion, Direct Room Night Generation, Community Partnerships and Advocacy and Regional Development