evidence: Tourism spending in Wisconsin and Dane County continues healthy climb [...] People attending a conference walk toward Monona Terrace from Capitol Square on Monday. Direct tourism spending in Dane County rose 9.9% to $1.5 billion in 2023, continuing a positive trend in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. [...] The news further distances the state from the devastating effects of the pandemic that in 2020 devastated the state’s tourism industry. By 2022, direct spending rose by more than $300 million to $1.4 billion — a level that had not been expected until 2025 and a whopping 28.7% increase over 2021. The overall economic impact from tourism in Dane County in 2022 rose 19.7% to $2.4 billion while statewide the overall impact jumped 13% to $23.7 billion, eclipsing the 2019 mark by $2.7 billion.