How silent sports make an economic impact in northern WI

Silent sports like mountain biking, cross country skiing and running are reshaping traditional tourism with an increasingly positive impact on the economy in northern Wisconsin.

According to a study by the UW Madison Extension, 95 percent of the roughly 26,700 silent sports event participants surveyed were nonresidents of the region. A snapshot of key findings include:

• Nonresidents made about 56,500 individual trips to the northern Wisconsin region to participate in silent sports.

• These silent sports enthusiasts spent an average of about $468 per trip.

• The overall economic impact of active silent sports enthusiasts is $26.4 million annually.

– Rebecca Konya