BIG TOP CHAUTAUQUA ECONOMIC IMPACT
BIG TOP CHAUTAUQUA ECONOMIC IMPACT
Impact on Our Community
Big Top Chautauqua brings visitors to the Chequamegon Bay area. In fact, area lodging owners rate Big Top as the # 1 attraction for their guests.
OVER 579,000 PEOPLE AND $ 108 MILLION!
During the past two and a half decades over 579,000 people have attended Big Top performances, many of them tourists and visitors to the area. The indirect benefit of these visitors to the lodging industry, restaurants, retail stores, gas stations and other businesses has been estimated by the Wisconsin Department of Tourism as $ 4 million annually.
In addition
• Nearly $ 1 million per year in direct expenses goes back into our community for salaries, taxes, transportation, advertising, telecommunications and all of the products and services necessary to operate this non-profit performing arts organization.
• We promote the region. Annually Big Top spends upwards of $ 100,000 on marketing and public relations drawing people to the area. Tent Show Radio is heard on 50 public radio stations throughout 10 states with an estimated weekly national listenership of 21,000 people.
• We assist other area non-profits, providing tickets and gift certificates for fundraisers.
• We provide support to the Ashwabay Outdoor Education Foundation and the Mt. Ashwabay Ski and Rec Area by bringing patrons to their bar and concessions during our shows – aiding them in sustaining their non-profit organization.
• We offer free programs to our area school students- in 2012 over 700 students attended our school day matinee of The Mountains Call My Name where they learned about John Muir and his efforts to preserve our natural resources. The students came from local & regional elementary, middle and high schools from as far away as Solon Springs.
Big Top contributes much to make this area a wonderful place to live and a vibrant tourist destination.
BY THE NUMBERS 1986-2012
5 90,649
Canvas Tents
579,367
Attendees
of them were our local residents
282,553
of them were Wisconsin residents who drove more than one hour to get here
132,809
were from Minnesota( 67,652 from the Twin Cities area, 32,979 from Duluth)
Travelers
18,451 were from Michigan
17,023 were from Illinois
7,042 were from Iowa
30,840 were from other states and Canada.
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So many travelers – so many hamburgers, coffee mugs, t-shirts, hotel rooms and tanks full of gas!