BELOIT, Wis.— Tourism industry staff members say that they're seeing signs the world is slowly returning to normal: Increased travel and visitor volume. 

Just north of the Illinois border, Beloit Travel Center staff members say that traffic is already picking up before the Memorial Day weekend rush. 

On any given day you will find Jeff Kunkle and Darrell Hereford manning the desk and welcoming travelers to the Badger State. After months of reduced volume, it is exciting for them to see more people coming through again. 

“It's very promising, and very positive, that we are getting closer to back to normal,” says Hereford.

For Kunkle, having more travelers coming through means more opportunity to share his knowledge of the Badger State with others, something he enjoys. 

“People are excited to be traveling, away from home, in Wisconsin,” says Kunkle.

Staff at the travel center expect things to really pick up Friday afternoon and throughout the weekend. ​