M22 / Sleeping Bear Dunes Foodie Tour Featured on Award-Winning Michigan.org

You’re invited to “Savor the Flavors” along the M22 and the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, as part of a new 3-county “Foodie Tour” featured on Michigan.org – the award-winning website of Travel Michigan and its Pure Michigan brand. The self-guided route was crafted by Promote Michigan, with assistance from the Visitor Bureaus in Manistee, Benzie and Leelanau counties.

These three counties have been actively promoting the M22 corridor for several years, as a prime four-season touring route. This new foodie trail features 11 of the area’s top agricultural and culinary destinations, based on guidelines established by the Michigan Culinary Tourism Alliance, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Travel Michigan. The properties on the M22-Sleeping Bear Dunes Foodie Tour include:

• Blue Fish Kitchen & Bar, Manistee
• Douglas Valley Organic Vineyards, Manistee
• Pierport Farms, Onekama
• Elberta Farmers Market, Elberta
• Coho, Frankfort
• Stormcloud Brewing, Frankfort
• Hill Top Soda Shoppe, Benzonia
• Nonna’s Ristorante at The Homestead Resort, Glen Arbor
• Carlson’s Fishery, Leland
• Martha’s Leelanau Table, Suttons Bay
• Leelanau Cheese, Suttons Bay

Known for rolling through lush countrysides and along freshwater shorelines, the M22-Sleeping Bear Dunes area also boasts more than 30 restaurants and charter boat operators that participate in the award-winning “Catch & Cook” program – where a day of fishing turns into a gourmet meal featuring your own fresh catch.

Countless other agricultural and culinary destinations can be found throughout the region, including farm markets, wineries, cideries, meaderies, distilleries, farm-to-table eateries and lodging properties offering unique packages and activities.

To learn more about the M22 area, visit M22ColorTour.com. The site also includes links to the individual county pages.

PURE MICHIGAN MATH

Let's do some calculations...

With the “formula” of $1 spent in tourism promotion we generate $2.86 in new tax revenue…

$5 million spent on Pure Michigan generates $14.3 million

$30 million spent on Pure Michigan generates $85.8 million

That’s a $25 million DECREASE in investment spending BUT a $71.5 million LOSS in expected tax revenue AS WELL.

($30 million - $5 million = $25 million less invested | $85.8 million - $14.3 million = $71.5 million less generated)

That’s $71.5 million NOT coming in to help with schools, municipalities, etc. Although, if you subtract the investment amount I guess that comes to a net loss of $46.5 million.

Now...I majored in English and Journalism and despise math, but even I can see this is much more than pocket change!

FOR MORE ON SUPPORTING THE PURE MICHIGAN INITIATIVE: http://www.milodging.org/node/1131

Forbes Ranks Pure Michigan One of All-Time Best Tourism Campaigns

The award-winning Pure Michigan tourism campaign has received another accolade, this one from Forbes, naming it among the 10 all-time best travel campaigns. On the heels of an incredibly successful national cable television campaign that launched March 30, this recognition is further proof Michigan is making its mark when it comes to travel and tourism.

"The showcasing of Michigan's vast beauty, from our world-class beaches to top-ranked golf courses, creates local business activity and jobs for our workers," Governor Jennifer M. Granholm said. "This campaign is helping travelers choose Michigan while diversifying and growing our economy."

Forbes ranked the Pure Michigan campaign sixth best, saying, "this campaign sells with its simple and universal message: that sometimes we all need to get away from life's stresses and relax a bit." Clearly, the three judges agreed. Ranking the campaigns were Peter Greenberg, travel journalist; Rudy Maxa, contributing editor with National Geographic Traveler magazine; and Tom Parsons, publisher of BestFares.com

"Having the Pure Michigan campaign recognized as one of the best campaigns ever is quite gratifying," said George Zimmermann, vice president of Travel Michigan, a business unit of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. "This award-winning campaign has produced a dramatic increase in the number of travelers seeking Michigan tourism information."

The Pure Michigan tourism campaign went national for the first time this year and ran through June on 15 cable channels: Golf Channel, Travel Channel, A&E, Bravo, Style, Fine Living, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, E!, DIY Network, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC and Fox News.

"There are millions of Americans who know little or nothing about the vibrancy, heritage, culture, arts and entertainment in our great cities, our sandy beaches and stunning overlooks along America's longest fresh-water coastline, or the majesty and recreation in our 19 million acres of magnificent forests," Zimmermann said. "The Pure Michigan campaign is designed to introduce to the nation the attributes that make Michigan such a popular and unique destination."

For each dollar Michigan spent on out-of-state advertising from 2004 through 2008, new visits to Michigan stimulated by that advertising created more than $40 of spending at Michigan businesses and generated $2.86 in new state tax collections.

Created by the Birmingham, Michigan, office of McCann Erickson, the Pure Michigan campaign is accomplishing exactly what it was designed to do, showcasing Michigan's greatest assets, activities and attractions. McCann's Chief Strategy Officer Mark Lantz explains their approach: "The campaign is intended to entice out-of-state travelers from neighboring states about one place that still feels magic, mythic, authentic, untamed, unspoiled, uncompromised, timeless and true. It's pure Michigan. We wanted to communicate to consumers what makes Michigan special and identify experiences you get here that you can't get anywhere else."

To view the Pure Michigan campaign go to Michigan.org and click on "View our Ads" at the top of the page.

Travel Michigan, a division of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, is the state of Michigan's official agency for the promotion of tourism. Travel Michigan markets the state's tourism industry and provides valuable visitor information services. For Michigan travel and golf news, go to Michigan.org

Tuesday's House Tourism Committee hearing on HB 5017-18 has been cancelled!

Tuesday's House Tourism Committee hearing on HB 5017-18 has been cancelled! The Speaker's office has asked the Chairman of the committee to delay consideration for a week or two. Please forward this email to all industry friends and supporters to help avoid anyone making an unneeded trip to Lansing. http://www.milodging.org

Tourism Leaders Invited to Funding Hearing at 10:30am on Tuesday, June 9

Timing is everything in life, and now is the time to get behind this new legislation aimed to provide funding for Travel Michigan and its award-winning “Pure Michigan” campaign. Every business in Michigan with an interest in tourism is asked to support this initiative by attending the hearing on House Bills 5017 and 5018 at 10:30 am in the House Tourism Committee this Tuesday, June 9th in room 521 of the House Office Building. We need a large presence with representatives from across the tourism industry to show the legislature the importance of funding tourism promotion in Michigan. This year’s advertising campaign is being seen across the nation on a many cable networks, producing great interest in visiting our great State! This is important and we may only have this one time to make a powerful impression on our legislators. All the information you’ll need about these bills is below. Feel free to forward this to anyone in your community who may be interested.

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Introduction of “Pure Michigan” Funding Package Hailed by Tourism Industry

Legislation would boost tax revenues - create jobs for Michigan

Lansing, MI – Legislation introduced to provide ongoing funding for the “Pure Michigan” campaign is being applauded by all segments of Michigan’s tourism industry; this state’s third largest industry. The package of bills is considered crucial as the current one-time placement of $30 million in funding is scheduled to drop over 80% to just $5.7 million on October 1st.

The legislative package consisting of two House bills and two Senate bills includes a temporary car rental assessment to be imposed largely on out-of-state visitors (HB 5017) and the creation of a segregated fund (HB 5018) to hold all revenues generated by HB 5017 and the Senate bills.

The Senate bills are designed to set aside sales and use tax revenues from tourism-specific businesses for reinvestment into the “Pure Michigan” campaign. Past studies have shown the State receives an average of $2.86 in new sales tax revenues for every dollar invested into the award-winning promotion campaign. Hearings on the two House bills are scheduled before the House Tourism, Outdoor Recreation and Natural Resources Committee on Tuesday, June 9.

“As Lansing looks to stimulate and grow its economy, Michigan’s tourism industry is our best, and perhaps, only option,” said Steve Yencich, president of the Michigan Lodging & Tourism Association which is spearheading the campaign. “These bills will create new tax revenues and jobs that are simply not feasible in other industries such as manufacturing. That makes passage of the Pure Michigan funding package an important key to Michigan’s economic future. We applaud the House’s leadership on this issue, and hope the Senate will take prompt action as well.”

Here's a brief description, along with a link to each of the actual bills.

HB 5017 - (Representative Woodrow Stanley, D-Flint, et all)

Places a $2.50 per day assessment on car rentals, primarily near airports, train deports, bus stations, etc. Michigan insurance consumers are exempt from the assessment, which is largely paid by travelers coming from outside of Michigan. Assessment revenues will provide short-term funding for Pure Michigan (75% tourism promotion) and Upper Hand (25% business promotion)campaigns. The assessment sunsets after a defined period of time, making this a temporary car rental assessment.

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2009-2010/billintroduced/House/htm/2009-HIB-5017.htm

HB 5018 (Representative David Nathan, D-Detroit, et al)

Creates a special fund within the State's General Fund to receive revenues raised by HB 5017, SB 619, and SB 620 to be used to fund tourism and business promotion, (Pure Michigan 75% and Upper Hand 25%).

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2009-2010/billintroduced/House/htm/2009-HIB-5018.htm

SB 619 (Allen, R-Traverse City)
Captures use tax revenue from tourism-specific businesses to provide long-term funding of the Pure Michigan and Upper Hand campaigns.

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2009-2010/billintroduced/Senate/htm/2009-SIB-0619.htm

SB 620 (Jason Allen, R-Traverse City)

Captures sales tax revenue from tourism-specific businesses to provide long-term funding of the Pure Michigan and Upper Hand campaigns.

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2009-2010/billintroduced/Senate/htm/2009-SIB-0620.htm

HB 5018 and HB 5019 will be up for hearings at 10:30 am in the House Tourism Committee on this Tuesday, June 9th in room 521 of the House Office Building.

If you support the Pure Michigan Funding Package - make plans to attend!

Please direct any questions to:

Steve Yencich, CAE
President/CEO
Michigan Lodging and Tourism Association
3815 W. St. Joseph Hwy. Suite A200
Lansing, MI 48917
stevey@milodging.org
(517) 267-8989
(517) 267-8990 (fax)
Visit our new site at www.milodging.org
Serving Michigan's Lodging & Tourism Industries

Fall color is spreading in Upper Peninsula, says AAA

Michigan’s annual fall color show is slowly spreading across the western Upper Peninsula, with one-quarter to one-half of the trees now showing fair to good color. The peak in the U.P. is expected in early to mid-October, reports AAA Michigan, slightly later than last year.

AAA’s weekly survey of state parks and regional visitor’s bureaus shows a splash of color in most areas of the U.P. Naturalists at Porcupine Mountain State Park near Ontonagon and Van Riper State Park in Ishpeming report color development as high as 50 or 60 percent in those regions, with plenty of red, yellow and orange hues to complete the palette. Color development from 15-25 percent is reported in Calumet, Cedar River, Copper Harbor, Crystal Falls, Manistique, Sault Ste. Marie and Tahquamenon.

In the Northern Lower Peninsula, colors are just beginning to turn in East Tawas, Harrisville, Mackinaw City, Manistee, Petoskey and Rogers City.

For the rest of the state, the predominant color remains green.

Fall color watchers looking for the best viewing opportunities can call Travel Michigan at (888) 78-GREAT (784-7328) for color updates provided by AAA Michigan each Wednesday through October. Updates also will be posted at AAA.com (enter ZIP code, click NEWS/SAFETY tab), or visit www.michigan.org

Before hitting the roadways on your fall color tour, visit www.AAAtraffic.com for the latest traffic conditions and construction taking place on your route.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Jim Rink
313-336-1513