According to the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, some 23 million tourists visited the Milwaukee area in 2016—and have been climbing ever since (pandemic notwithstanding), which resulted in an economic impact of more than $3.7 billion for the city in 2018 alone. So what’s luring these millions of tourists to this urban center in the American Heartland? On America’s third coast, Wisconsin’s largest city combines cherished traditions and modern attitude. It celebrates its beer brewing heritage and offers a vibrant farm-to-table culinary scene—an obvious asset to a city with a century of feeding and brewing for a continent. A jack of all trades but master of none in our categories, the city will improve based on its ascent as a cruise ship destination. In 2019, 10 passenger ships docked here, more than double from 2018. In 2022 plans are for Viking to launch new Great Lakes cruises with 20 that start or end in Milwaukee. Plans to expand the downtown Milwaukee convention center (the Wisconsin Center) are also moving forward, with construction expected to begin next year and sure to improve the city’s #40 ranking for its convention center.