Thousands of visitors expected in Milwaukee for first GOP debate

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WMTV) - Milwaukee tourism groups say they’re planning to host roughly 7,000 visitors to the city this week, all related to the highly anticipated Republican presidential debate.

“It’s still a pretty big group of people coming in to see one night of festivities,” Peggy Williams-Smith, president and CEO of Visit Milwaukee said.

“It affects dishwashers in a restaurant. It affects a busser in a restaurant. It affects the front desk agent at a hotel, the housekeeper at a hotel. It gives more hours. It allows them the opportunity to make money, to go out and spend money in the places where they want to spend,” she said.

As of Monday, most of Milwaukee’s hotels are either sold out or close to being sold out Wednesday night, according to Adam Dziadosz, chapter president for Greater Milwaukee Hotel and Lodging Association, which represents area hotels. He said the bulk of arrivals will be Tuesday night.

“Downtown Milwaukee has about 5,000 room nights total, and so when we see some of these larger events come in and see it push out into the surrounding areas, it’s really great,” Dziadosz said.

This is only a sample of what’s expected next summer, when Republicans will return in full force for their national convention. Then, Dziadosz anticipates 50,000 visitors to Milwaukee.

“Obviously it continues to shine a spotlight on the city and then also the state and what we all have to offer,” he said.

According to Destination Madison, spillover from the debate is not expected in the state capital. “Regarding the 2024 RNC convention, we are prepared to assist any way we can although we are not expecting much compression,” president and CEO Ellie Westman Chin wrote.

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