The Michigan Hotel, Motel & Resort Association Bringing Michigan's Tourism Experts Together to Review Travel Trends and Projections / March 2007

Hotel Online Special Report

The Michigan Hotel, Motel & Resort Association Bringing Michigan's
Tourism Experts Together to Review Travel Trends and Projections

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich., March 21, 2007 - The Michigan Hotel, Motel & Resort Association in conjunction with Travel Michigan and Michigan State University will hold a two-day conference on March 26 and 27 at the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa.

"Driving Tourism 2007" will bring Michigan's top tourism experts together to review travel trends and projections, discuss legislative issues and offer educational seminars for tourism-related business owners. Representatives of Michigan's Travel Commission will also unveil a comprehensive Tourism Industry Strategic Plan on Monday morning. The plan encompasses eight areas considered vital to industry growth.

Central to the industry's short and long term growth is the plan's call for the industry to join in an initiative to increase state funding for tourism promotion to $30 million, without tax increase. The name of that initiative is the Tourism Industry Improving Michigan's Economy (TIME) Coalition.

"Studies show the State Treasury gets $3 in tax revenues for every $1 of State investment in tourism promotion - with the majority of those funds being received in the same fiscal year," said Steve Yencich, President/CEO of the Michigan Hotel, Motel & Resort Association. "It will take years for the 21st Century Jobs Fund to grow new industries, but the return on state investment in tourism promotion is immediate. If you market tourism in March and April, tourists come in July, August and the months thereafter... and so do the jobs they create."

Guest speakers will cover a variety of industry topics, while offering innovative tactics and marketing initiatives to help increase overall hotel occupancy levels.

George Zimmermann, Travel Michigan: An overview of the state's "Pure Michigan" advertising campaign for 2007
Roger Martin, TIME Coalition: The unveiling of the game plan to increase promotion funding without new taxes, generate tourism and grow Michigan jobs
Duane Vinson, Smith Travel Research: National and state hotel accommodation rates and other travel data
David Serino, Gammet Interactive: Use e-mail marketing and the Internet to attract consumers and drive new business

The conference will also feature a trade show, silent auction and a student/employer roundtable where hospitality students can network with property managers and tourism business owners. Attendees will be invited to race their colleagues in a hotel bed making contest and a banquet tray obstacle course as part of the "Michigan Housekeeping Olympix".

For more information regarding "Driving Tourism 2007" visit http://www.michiganhotels.org or call (517) 267-8989.

Contact:

The Michigan Hotel, Motel & Resort Association
http://www.michiganhotels.org
(517) 267-8989

.
.

Also See:

Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians Building $80 million Casino Resort Near Traverse City, Michigan / September 2006

.
.

To search Hotel Online data base of News and Trends Go to Hotel.Online Search