We need a song!
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. -- Michigan plans to send advertising dollars to other states in hopes of bringing even more tourist dollars back.
An agreement reached last week between Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Republican legislative leaders sets aside $7.5 million this year and the same amount in 2007 to market Michigan to out-of-state travelers.
A study released last month by the Tourism Center at Michigan State University predicted the number of travelers in Michigan will grow 1 percent to 2 percent this year, and tourism spending will rise 4 percent to 5 percent.
The study said a wild card in the tourism forecast was the price of gasoline, which has increased by roughly 30 cents a gallon since the report was released.
The tourism industry contributes $17.5 billion to Michigan's economy annually, accounting for 193,000 jobs and generating $971 million in state tax revenues, according to Travel Michigan.
I used to hear Michigan ads on Chicago radio when I was driving down there. It would be nice to see ads on some national cable stations like TBS or CNN.