–submitted by Sharyn Alden
“We Never Stop Moving Forward,” said Ellie Westman Chin, President & CEO of Destination Madison, now celebrating its 50th year.
No matter if you have lived in the Midwest Capital for decades, Ellie Chin shed new light on how leisure travel campaigns and hosting events like Ironman and Top Chef, translate to a strong economic impact.
She noted tourism is often called the ‘invisible industry’ yet in 2022 it represented 1.4 billion dollars in direct spending by visitors in the Madison community.
Madison, one of only two U.S. cities situated on an isthmus, has enormous drawing power. Visitors arrive for a multitude of reasons, to explore, learn and navigate its lakes and rivers, and its year-round unique vibes. But the brand wizards at Destination Madison keep coming up with new ways to attract businesses and visitors such as the North American Chinese Basketball Association Tournament or the World Stem Cell Summit.
There’s never been an easy way to describe the plethora of Madison’s pleasures, but to paraphrase Brandon Withrow in his recent write-up of a visit to Madison for The Daily Beast, he noted the city is quirky, delicious, and never simple.
Rotary Club of Madison, Wisconsin 