Creating Wisconsin's Basecamp in Wausau

The team at Visit Wausau, recognizing the incredible natural resources and recreational opportunities of the area as well as their proximity to culinary delights plus a thriving arts and culture scene, envisioned how the region could position itself as a destination for travelers seeking both experiences. Akin to a base camp — where shelter, supplies and provisions are available and adventures, exploration or missions radiate outward from it — the Wausau area provides the creature comforts every traveler seeks and outdoorists appreciate after a day of discovery.

“When we talk about Wausau as Wisconsin’s Basecamp, it’s more than a brand — it’s how people experience the area. This is a true basecamp: a launching point for discovery, anchored by outdoor adventure, incredible food, arts and community. That mix is authentic to Wausau, and visitors are responding," explains Tim White, Executive Director at Visit Wausau. "By combining data with authentic experiences, Wausau is proving that Wisconsin's Basecamp is not just a brand — it’s a growing reality.”

Part of that strategy includes understanding visitor patterns and behaviors. Last year, Visit Wausau participated in the Office’s Do-It-Yourself Economic Impact program with team members from Wausau and Marathon County Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department and the Village of Rib Mountain. It was a strategic partnership, as each participating organization had data, insight and a vested interest in the outcome of their project studying the economic impact of outdoor recreation at Nine Mile County Forest. Through their visitor intelligence partner, Zartico, Visit Wausau was able to provide data that included visitor counts and related spending in the area, which are key to calculating economic impact and helped the team uncover $3.25 million in business activity within the county from out-of-town visitors to Nine Mile.

With information about visitor usage, demographics, behavior and spending, Visit Wausau has been able to hone its marketing strategy to increase participation for outdoor recreation events in the area, with the understanding that these visitors contribute to the local economy. For the Wausau 24, already the Midwest’s largest 24-hour mountain bike race, held at Nine Mile, data insights that led to a shift in targeting resulted in a 42% increase in registered participants. The 2025 race attendance jumped from 600 to 850 racers and sold out in just two weeks.

Last fall, Visit Wausau was recognized by Destinations Wisconsin with a Trailblazer Award in the Outstanding Destination Development category for its collaborative efforts helping to create and promote the Great Pinery Heritage Waterway.

Pictured from left to right are Julia Hertel, executive director of Destinations Wisconsin; staff of Visit Wausau and area business leaders Jodi Maguire; Tim Van De Yacht; Brenton Wildman; Gao Her; Tim White; Jamie Polley; and Greg Fisher, along with Wisconsin Secretary of Tourism Anne Sayers. Photo courtesy Visit Wausau.

Data has also been instrumental in demonstrating the value of outdoor recreation infrastructure to local leaders, funders and investors, helping to advance projects. Usage patterns at river launches along the Great Pinery Heritage Waterway provide evidence of increasing usage and create a compelling case for communities to consider being part of a trail expansion. Similarly, the data has been used for grant reports and a successful application for National Recreation Trail designation, which was announced in June. Other projects underway in the area that benefit from this data include mountain bike optimized and multi-use trails at Rib Mountain, an expansion at Granite Peak and mapped gravel bike routes, among others.

While many data vendors are available, there are also other ways to count visitors and collect insights. In A Do-It-Yourself Guide: Conducting Visitor and Recreational User Research to Tell an Economic Story, Chapter 4 discusses several ways to count and estimate visitors (manual counts, trail counter devices, ticket sales, etc.), and Chapter 5 explains crafting a survey plan that will reach your intended audience, be representative and deliver the demographic and behavior information you seek. (Interested in digging in deeper? The Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals is hosting a four-part webinar series on the topic. More information is in the Resources section below.)

Through data, Visit Wausau has gained a greater understanding of its visitors. They know that 58% of out-of-town visitors engage in at least two types of outdoor recreation activities, and about 65% of residents do, too. They know where visitors are going, where they came from, how long they stay, how much they spend and where they spend their money. With this data knowledge, not only can Visit Wausau optimize its marketing efforts, they are helping empower destination development efforts and placemaking investments that create not only an attractive destination to visit, but also an attractive place to live.