It may be the smallest county in the state, but Ozaukee County is punching above its weight in the tourism department.
As a part of Travel & Tourism week across the country, Wisconsin Secretary of Tourism Stephanie Klett was in Grafton to speak about the impacts tourism has in the state.
"I love having Ozaukee County as my home base," Klett said. "I may never leave."
It seems to be a common sentiment as the county increased 5.4 percent in tourism related revenue last year, bringing in $194 million.
"Ozaukee County might be small in stature and geography, but it packs a mean economic punch," Klett said. "I think Ozaukee County is a great example because there are certain counties that have built in assets. Some areas are rich in waterfalls. Ozaukee County uses its assets. It has about 25 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline. There are some areas of Door County that have 300 miles of shoreline but I tell you what, Ozaukee County doesn't take a back seat."
While Port Washington and Cedarburg grab headlines, Grafton is nestled right in between in what the village thinks is a perfect spot.
"We're in the center of the county," said Pam King, Executive Director for the the Grafton Area Chamber of Commerce. "We're a great place to stay when you want to branch out to other places. We have great parks, golf courses, shopping and wonderful restaurants. We have great people so it's a great place to come and meet people and hang out."
Klett, who says she has traveled about 2 million miles across the state, agrees with King.
"Grafton is an incredible area and city," Klett said. "It is beautiful. The Milwaukee River, a charming downtown, I mean, come on. We have chocolate shops. We have wine shops. It's perfect. Literally, this city is perfect."
King knows, while successful in the past, they can continue to learn how to be better from someone like Klett.
"She talks about the impact tourism has on the economy and that's huge," King said. "People need a better understanding of that. She needs to see we're really all about that as well and want to promote that as much as we can."
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