GRAND RAPIDS, MI – A cold, wet winter didn’t hamper Michigan’s ability to attract tourists in 2014, according to a report Michigan State University researchers released at the Pure Michigan Governor’s Conference on Tourism on Monday.
MSU researchers Sarah Nicholls and Dan McCole report annually on Michigan’s tourism industry, which they estimate supported 200,000 jobs and generated $18.7 billion in direct spending in 2013.
In 2014, Michigan’s hotel occupancy was up by two percent and car traffic was up just under one percent.
“2014 saw another year of steady growth for tourism in Michigan, despite the weather which was especially uncooperative early in the year and again in the autumn,” said Nicholls, associate professor of tourism.
That’s despite the fact that 2014 was cold… really cold. The weather was 6 percent cooler and 11 percent wetter than the state’s 30-year average, Nicholls said. Read More
