News Hospitality Regional tourism looks up for 2011
Regional tourism looks up for 2011
Order Reprints
Follow @MiBiz
   |
|
Thanks to aggressive promotion through the Pure Michigan campaign and a general proclivity for in-state vacations as of late, tourism-based businesses are preparing for a strong 2011 summer season. COURTESY PHOTOS |
By Andy Domino | M&C
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
WEST MICHIGAN — As the economy struggles to its feet, it isn’t keeping visitors from planning summer trips to West Michigan. Small businesses from Holland to Kalamazoo say this summer is shaping up to be one of the most successful since the economic downturn, and they have their neighbors to thank.
“Restaurants and shops are the two most engaged activities any visitor has,” said Greg Ayers, president of Discover Kalamazoo, the city’s convention and visitor’s bureau. “Our experience is, if they’re looking for (a certain activity), they’ll go out half a day, but spend the large part of their day in Kalamazoo. They’re spending money here.”
He said tax receipts show growth in sales over the same time last year. Ayers expects that growth to continue through the summer months, especially in the VFR (visiting friends and relatives) market. Families come into West Michigan to get together and, because of high gas prices, stay pretty close to home.
“Some of the best years we’ve had were when gas prices were high,” said Amanda Creeden, manager of the Victoria Resort, a bed and breakfast site in South Haven. She said a lot of the resort’s regular customers are from Chicago and Indiana, those who are looking for an inexpensive getaway virtually in their own backyard.
Creeden said attendance at Victoria Resort was slower than usual this year simply because of cold, rainy days, but it’s already showing signs of improvement given the warm May weather. She said in a typical July, there are only about 3 nights all month that the resort is not completely sold out.
“People take a week off of work and travel around Michigan,” Creeden said. “They stay in South Haven for a few days, even in the middle of the week. On Friday, Saturday, Sunday there’s always people.”
The early spring has already proven successful for Michigan’s boating industry. Sue Giesler of South Haven’s All Seasons Marine said foot traffic was strong at her store, while Tighe Curran of Pier 33 Marina in St. Joseph said his dealership was slightly ahead of its sales figures at the same time in 2010.
Nicki Polan, director of communications for the Michigan Boating Industries Association, said boat dealers are using more space at boat shows to put more products on display, a sure sign the industry’s future is brighter.
“There are some reports of the fishing boat market getting bigger,” Polan said. That’s the majority of the boats used in Michigan, mainly to fish in the more than 11,000 smaller lakes inside the state’s borders. “The general attitude of consumers is, they appreciate the turnaround in the weather.”
The Kalamazoo area offers attractions like the Air Zoo, Gilmore Car Museum, and a selection of golf courses, parks and other sights. In South Haven, though, the reasons bed and breakfast visitors stay the night are more basic, Creeden said.
“The attraction has always been (that) it’s a small town, a step back in time,” she said. “Even in the winter, you can bundle up and walk the shore — it’s a timeless appeal.”
The CityFlats Hotel in Holland attributes this year’s increase in visitors to its neighboring businesses, like the new Johnson Controls-Saft and LG Chem battery plants. The hotel’s conference rooms are getting steady use, said CityFlats marketing official Sarah Lilly. Nearly two-thirds of the hotel’s business is with corporate travelers, though the hotel has also been active this spring because of Holland’s famed Tulip Time Festival.
In June, a second CityFlats will open in Grand Rapids. Lilly said given the hotel’s current rate of success, its owners plan to develop their LEED Gold, environmentally friendly design into a series of hotels. Custom-designed rooms with energy and water-efficient utilities make the hotel an inadvertent “eco-success” too, Lilly said.
“When (visitors) are here, they learn about the green things and get excited,” she said.
Ayers said Kalamazoo will be getting a boost on the radio in the next few months. The region is the subject of a new ad playing in Fort Wayne, Ind.; South Bend, Ind.; and Toledo, Ohio. Ayers said those are areas where visitors are most likely to come to Kalamazoo.
“People say, ‘We’ve heard about (Kalamazoo), let’s go see it,’” he said. “They’re good feeder markets.”
The radio ad follows the state’s lead. Pure Michigan, the statewide tourism campaign, has been pushing destinations across the state, from the Upper Peninsula to the Coldwater area near Battle Creek. TV and radio commercials have been advertising nationwide since that portion of the campaign debuted in 2009. The state allotted $10 million for the advertising in 2011, and a total of $25 million to Pure Michigan as a whole.
“A lot more people know what Michigan offers now than two years ago,” Ayers said.
Pure Michigan ads promoting Grand Rapids will also be airing this spring and again in September, said Janet Korn, VP of marketing at Experience Grand Rapids. She said high-profile gallery exhibits, like the display of artifacts of Princess Diana at the Grand Rapids Art Museum, have contributed to a “positive vibe” about what’s in the city.
“There’s more than what (visitors) expect, so they’ll make a return trip,” Korn said.
She said marketing for the Grand Rapids area focuses on three things: art, food and kids.
“The ads continue to remind people that Michigan is still an inexpensive destination,” Korn said.
That includes camping and hiking, summer activities the state attempted to make a little easier with the new Recreation Passport. It allows admission into Michigan parks and boating areas, and can be purchased when renewing a vehicle registration for about $10. Previously, an annual parks pass had to be purchased separately for $20 or more. According to a statement by the state Department of Natural Resources, more than 20 percent of all drivers bought the Recreation Passport when renewing their licenses in December, up 3 percent from when the program started in October of last year. M&C
