The Platteville Area Chamber of Commerce received a Stewardship Award in the Governor’s Tourism Awards during the recent Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Madison.

With strong ties to agriculture and outdoor recreation, the entire community of Platteville is committed to and engaged in sustainability efforts. The Platteville Area Chamber of Commerce operates a Travel Green Wisconsin-certified Travel Wisconsin Welcome Center. In addition, “My Community, My Vision” was created to support city buildings and address energy conservation.

The Platteville Main Street Program created a Sustainability Committee, adding recycle bins to the downtown area. Platteville and Faherty, Inc. also offers a twice-yearly city-wide clean up, and a large “freecycle” event to keep discarded material out of the landfill. Platteville is proud to promote the fact it has clean air, clean water and many practices in place that pay homage to its commitment to sustainability.

Sponsored by the Governor’s Council on Tourism, the Governor’s Tourism Awards recognize individuals and businesses for their commitment to excellence, achievements, dedication, and leadership that have resulted in a significant impact to Wisconsin’s travel and hospitality industry.

“This year we had a total of 42 nominations, a record for these awards, which shows just how our tourism industry continues to raise the bar and strive for excellence,” said Tourism Secretary Stephanie Klett. “Our five honorees should be truly proud to be selected from a pool of such outstanding talent in our industry.”

The other Governor’s Tourism Awards went to Stephen H. Marcus, chairman of The Marcus Corporation; Kari Dawson, special events director for Real Racine; Greg Vreeland of the Mobile Travel Information Center; and Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua.

“Wisconsin’s scenic beauty and iconic attractions set the stage for tourism in the state, but it’s the people in the hospitality industry that are the driving force behind travelers returning here year after year,” said Gov. Scott Walker. “Our five honorees consistently deliver great memories that keep people coming back to Wisconsin and our state’s tourism economy growing.”