This week, I had the opportunity to travel to the Upper Peninsula and join Governor Rick Snyder and Roger Curtis, Director of the Department of Talent and Economic Development on a kayak tour around Grand Island and visit to the Pictured Rocks Interpretive Center. The developments happening right now in Munising are a great story for our industry to follow. The past few years have brought a surge in tourism to the Munising area, which is wonderful to see. But it just as inspiring to hear from the people who live in Munising – and want to stay in Munising – who are finding new pathways to the future because of the opportunities tourism is providing them. This will have a lasting positive impact in the community that goes far beyond the immediate dollars travelers bring to the region. We see this happening across the state, in towns as small as Munising and as big as Detroit – our industry providing a path for entrepreneurship to thrive. It is part of why our industry continues to play such a critical role in Michigan’s economy.

We just wrapped up another big event with an impressive economic impact on the state. It was a great weekend of racing, and a perfect Pure Michigan day for this year’s Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. A big thank you to the team at MIS for putting on another terrific event, and to the communities throughout Jackson and Lenawee Counties that played host to so many of our out-of-state and Canadian visitors. It served as a great kickoff to a host of auto-related events happening this week, including Back to the Bricks in Flint and, of course, Woodward Dream Cruise this Saturday.

Another huge event for our state is the Mackinac Bridge Annual Bridge Walk, held on Labor Day. Every year, between 30,000 and 60,000 people from several states and countries take part in this event. This year, based on safety and security recommendations by Michigan State Police and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Mackinac Bridge Authority has decided to close the bridge to public vehicle traffic from 6:30 a.m. to noon on Labor Day during the walk.

The Bridge Authority is making every effort to inform travelers of this change so they have an opportunity to plan accordingly. This includes news releases, social media posts, and posters displayed statewide in Rest Areas, State Parks, and Secretary of State branch offices. Information on the walk and changes this year are available at www.mackinacbridge.org. Please take any opportunity you can to help get the word out to travelers – whether through e-newsletters, social media, as part of media interviews – however it may make sense for your destination. By getting the word out early and often, we can hopefully help travelers crossing the bridge turn an inconvenience into an opportunity to extend their stay one additional day, or take their time exploring communities along their route to the bridge instead of waiting in traffic.

Finally, Michigan’s tourism industry is looking for volunteers to join forces to help support one of Michigan’s historic sites during the Michigan Cares for Tourism clean-up event, September 18- 19. The details are set for this year’s event at the Civilian Conservation Corps Museum and Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center in Roscommon. The volunteer work will be diverse and includes a historic lodge remodel, building painting/staining, construction, accessible path development and landscape projects. If you haven’t participated in the past I strongly urge you to join the efforts this year. It’s a fantastic opportunity to get involved in the tourism industry, network, meet and get to know fellow industry members, and give back to the industry we all love. 

Learn more about Michigan Cares for Tourism at MichiganCaresforTourism.com. Space is limited so make sure to register today!

Sincerely,
Dave Lorenz, Vice President Travel Michigan  
517-335-0007
lorenzd@michigan.org