News from Travel Michigan
2015 is off to a big start in Michigan’s travel and tourism
industry. Michigan once again saw record hotel occupancy rates in 2014 with Smith
Travel Research reporting average annual occupancy was 58.8% for the year, with
August being the highest occupancy month at 75.5%. Average annual daily rate
(ADR) in 2014 was $91.72 and the annual average revenue per available hotel
room (RevPar) came in at $54. These are all increases over 2013 and new records
for the industry, setting the groundwork for another strong year for tourism.
I’m looking forward presenting at my first Pure Michigan
Governor’s Conference on Tourism in May. I encourage you to register for this year’s
event. The organizers have made some exciting changes to the conference this
year and I am excited to have a conversation about out how we can take Pure
Michigan to the next level and expand our industry’s horizons on the heels of
the success we are seeing with the hotel occupancy numbers mentioned above and
other indicators. This year’s conference is in Grand Rapids at the Amway Grand
Plaza Hotel March 22-24. Click here to register
and I hope to see you there!
Finally, you may remember the Pure Michigan photo contest we
ran in November. More than 3,000 photos were submitted during the contest, and
our team has made these available to you – our industry partners – to use in
your social media efforts, brochures, websites and more. You can access these
photos on our industry website, and they are sorted by city so you can easily
find photos of your area. If you have any questions on this, please reach out
to our social media director, Chad Wiebesick at wiebesickc@michigan.org.
I have enjoyed meeting many of you in my first two months
with Pure Michigan, and I look forward to meeting many more of you over the
next few months. In the meantime, do not hesitate to reach out to me or our
team!
David West
(517) 373-4472
Tourism News & Trends
(Audio) New Travel Michigan leader working to evolve iconic Pure Michigan brand
MLive/WJR Radio - February 4, 2015
TC Winter Tourism and Business Looking Up
WWUP TV 10- January 27, 2015
West Michigan Sports Commission report: $145 million in visitor spending since 2007
MLive- January 28, 2015
Another record year expected for Kent County hotels thanks to tourism and convention draws
MLive- January 29, 2015
Sea Life aquarium is officially open at Great Lakes Crossing
MLive- January 29, 2015
Groomed fat-tire bike trails growing more numerous in Michigan
MLive- February 1, 2015
Lawmakers to tour Northern Michigan by snowmobile
Petoskey News - February 3, 2015
Saving small-town museum is a lonely job
Port Huron Times Herald - January 30, 2015
Press Release: Flint’s Bishop International Airport Authority Announces that it Completes 2014 up 5.75% in Passenger Enplanements
Flint Bishop International Airport- January 29, 2015
Press Release: Tickets on sale
Michigan International Speedway- January 29, 2015
Michigan Destinations
25 Best Places to Travel in 2015 (Marquette)
Gear Patrol
17 Most Romantic Destinations in the US (Mackinaw Island)
Dating Advice.com- February 2, 2015
America’s Best Juried Fine Art Fairs (Ann Arbor)
Art Fair Calendar
Plan your summer: 6 quick trips to take in Michigan
Lansing State Journal- January 30, 2015
Lumberman’s Monument serene in winter’s slumber
Detroit Free Press- January 31, 2015
Warm Up to These Michigan Fireside Beers
Pure Michigan Blog- February 3, 2015
The Winter Angler's Ultimate Packing List
Pure Michigan Blog- February 2, 2015
(Audio) Travel Michigan Radio Show
West Michigan Golf Show, Romancing the Riesling, Meijer State Games, St. Ignace - January 31, 2015
Pure Michigan News & Updates
Cellet Marketing & Public Relations wins Brief for Pure Michigan
Travel Mole- January 29, 2015
Infographic: Michigan more business-friendly than ever
Michigan Economic Development Corporation
Infographic: Reinventing Michigan by the numbers
Michigan Economic Development Corporation
|
