Pure Michigan a strong investment in state's economy

The Pure Michigan campaign continues to generate a strong impact for the state's economy according to data released today at the 2016 Pure Michigan Governor's Conference on Tourism.
In 2015, 4.6 million trips were made to Michigan as a result of exposure to the Pure Michigan campaign according to a new report by Longwoods International. These out-of-state visitors spent nearly $1.4 billion on communities and local businesses across the state. Data from Smith Travel Research, Inc. showed that hotel occupancy continued to climb in 2015, outpacing national growth rates. Additionally, in 2015 Michigan recorded the highest occupancy rate, revenue per available room (RevPAR) rate and average daily rate (ADR) since that data has been available.

'This data supports what we have been hearing from so many businesses and destinations across the industry – 2015 was a strong year for tourism here in Michigan,' said Dave Lorenz, Vice President of Travel Michigan, part of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. 'These visitors are spending money in our businesses, supporting jobs in our communities and inspiring their friends and family with all that Pure Michigan has to offer.'

The campaign also saw a strong return on investment (ROI) of $7.67 in 2015 – up from $6.87 in 2014. In 2015, $12.7 million was spent on the out-of-state Pure Michigan advertising campaign in regional markets and the national cable advertising campaign while out-of-state visitor spending motivated by the campaign generated $98 million in state tax revenue. The cumulative return on investment for the campaign since 2006 is now $5.15.

Both the number of trips and overall spending were up in 2015, helping to drive the increase in the ROI for the campaign from 2014 to 2015. During the 2016 Tourism Outlook delivered at the Tourism Conference on Monday, Michigan State University researchers reported steady growth in the tourism industry over the past several years, and predicted demand for leisure travel in Michigan will remain high in 2016.

'In the past 10 years we have made great strides in raising awareness of Michigan as a leisure travel destination – but there continues to be tremendous growth potential for the industry,' Lorenz said. 'It is an exciting time for our industry. The passion, dedication and collaboration on display at this year's Tourism Conference is a great indication that the future for travel in Michigan is strong.'

The full report is available at http://www.michiganbusiness.org/tourism-reports.

Longwoods International is a research firm specializing in tourism advertising return on investment.

Pure Michigan is a brand representing business, talent and tourism initiatives across Michigan. These efforts are driven by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, which serves as the state's marketing arm and lead advocate for business growth, jobs and opportunity with a focus on helping grow Michigan's economy.

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