Gov. Tony Evers announced more than $140 million in grants to businesses and organizations that play a role in Wisconsin's tourism and entertainment industries. The announcement was made Thursday morning in Lake Geneva.The new grant programs will be invested in industries hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.They include live event venues, movie theaters, summer camps, minor league sports and the lodging industry. Other investments will be made in reopening Wisconsin historical sites and marketing support for Wisconsin's tourism industry."Wisconsin is bouncing back stronger than ever," Evers said. "Whether it's an urban or a rural destination, these investments will help make sure that local venues and businesses come out of this pandemic ready to welcome folks from communities around Wisconsin and across the country. Wisconsin is the best place to live, play and work, and investing in businesses that promote culture and entertainment in our communities will pay dividends for Wisconsinites and communities across our state.""I'm grateful to Gov. Evers for his dedication to tourism, one of Wisconsin's largest industries," Department of Tourism Interim Secretary Anne Sayers said. "From leisure travelers looking to reconnect with friends and family to business travelers attending meetings and conventions, these dollars will be crucial to help our industry bounce back. We can't wait to help more travelers discover the unexpected in Wisconsin."The investments announced by Evers include: $75 million for lodging grants $11.25 million for movie theaters $12 million for live event small businesses $2.8 million for minor league sports teams $10 million for live venues $15 million for destination marketing organizations $8 million for summer camps $1 million for the Wisconsin Historical Society to assist in reopening historical sites $7.5 million to increase marketing support for Wisconsin's tourism industryThe investments are funded by the American Rescue Plan Act and will be administered by the Wisconsin Department of Administration and the Department of Revenue. "Gov. Evers' investments in Wisconsin are making the difference to small businesses, organizations, and all Wisconsinites," DOA Secretary Joel Brennan said. "Last year, local venues kept their doors closed to help protect their communities. Now that nearly half of all Wisconsinites have received at least one dose of the vaccine, life is returning to normal—minor league ball games are welcoming back families, theaters are reopening, and concert venues are booking new shows. These investments will ensure our communities bounce back stronger than before."But there still remains a shortage of tourism industry workers in cities like Lake Geneva as visitors start to return."We have help wanted postings. We just aren't seeing the responses we were before," Geneva Theater manager Shad Branen said.One tourism official estimated there may be as many as 2,000 job openings in the Lake Geneva region. Restaurants and hotels can't find enough workers to keep up with that demand.Tammie Carstensen manages the Harbor Shores Resort on the lake. She said the tourism rebound happened more quickly than anticipated."It was like the gates were just let open and people flooded in," Carstensen said.WISN 12 asked Evers about the worker shortage."We'll do whatever we can short term but we have to look long term on this issue," he said. The governor said it was a population problem and the state needs to improve quality of life issues to attract more people."We need more people in the state, we really do," Evers said. "The number of jobs completely outstrip the number of people we have available to fill those jobs."Still, the help wanted signs remain."It's a challenge. We're down to a staff of a handful of people," Branen said.Republican lawmakers want the governor to eliminate the $300 increase in monthly unemployment benefits to encourage people to return to work.Evers said he was not convinced that was a solution to the worker shortage.