Tourism Benefits Economic Development
Posted by Lake Superior Community Partnership on September 14, 2015
We all know how lucky we are to live in Marquette County. It seems others are realizing this as well with a recent increase in recognition for our area (i.e. Top 10 Underrated Adventure Destination from Yahoo Travel, #8 Best Small City in America from Nerd Wallet and Best Paddling Town from Canoe & Kayak Magazine). These accolades along with so many recreational opportunities, restaurants, breweries and beautiful scenery relates to an increase in the tourism industry. Money is being spent at local shops, hotels, restaurants and more, boosting our local economy and keeping people employed locally who then spend their money at businesses throughout our county.
How do people know about our area you may ask? Well, our friends at Travel Marquette have done an excellent job of keeping Marquette County on the forefront of people’s minds when planning their vacation as well as tracking metrics to show the economic impact.
According to early data from Tourism Economics, in 2014, visitors spent $180.4 million dollars in Marquette County. That breaks down to $48.49 million in lodging, $41.26 million in food and beverage, $28.85 million in retail, $25.56 million in recreation and $36.23 million in transportation. That is a growth of 4.8% from 2013.
As of June, occupancy rates were up 3% over 2014 (more hotel rooms were occupied) and room rates were up 4% (those extra guests are paying higher rates than last year). Many hotels including our partners Country Inn & Suites and the Ramada of Marquette, completed renovations this year, giving Marquette County visitors even higher quality accommodations.
You may have recently heard a radio spot with Tim Allen’s recognizable voice saying “…found on the shimmering shores of Lake Superior in the heart of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, there’s no missing the great fishing, hiking and beaches…” That ad was intended to be played in seven different markets including Green Bay and Kalamazoo, but Travel Marquette began including it here as well so the local community could hear what is played in other parts of the mid-west. Travel Marquette also purchases print ads in Wisconsin, Chicago area and Lower Michigan and digital ads in the Detroit area. Advertising for Marquette County targets the mid-west, as many of our visitors travel from that region.
Looking back to this summer, we enjoyed many festivals, races and events across the county. From Ore to Shore to Beer Fest and Pioneer Days to the Marquette Marathon, you can find an event almost every weekend in the summertime. These events keep past residents coming back to visit and tourists busy during their stay. Hats off to the local organizations who coordinate these important events in our area! Many of these events also raise money for local non-profits – an added bonus.
Clearly tourism is a major part of economic development in our area. The hospitality industry employs approximately 3,000 of our community members. Next time you have a wait for dinner on a Friday night or have a hard time finding a parking spot at the beach, remember that these folks are contributing to the betterment of Marquette County, keeping businesses profitable and our friends and neighbors employed. We are grateful to Pure Michigan and Travel Marquette for helping to keep Marquette County on the map!
Amy Clickner, CEO, writes a bi-weekly column for the Mining Journal.
