GRAND HAVEN, Mich. (WZZM) - West Michigan's tourism industry is taking a hit because of the economy. But, some say it would be worse if not for the Pure Michigan advertising campaign, which is running nationally for the first time this year.
As the long Fourth of July holiday weekend drew to a close, tourists still roamed the streets and waterfronts of Grand Haven on Monday.
Traveler Phyllis Ursetta says she is "vacationing, resting, recouping, and you can do all of that. It's just so nice and pleasant and easy going. And I enjoyed it a lot. "
She's enjoying "Pure Michigan."
This is a busy time at the Harbor House Inn in Grand Haven. Manager Linda Dybevik says, "Business has been very, very good. It's been very busy." But, her bed and Breakfast is feeling the effects of the economic downturn.
Dybevik explains, "Maybe the economy has made for shorter stays. People not staying four or five days, maybe just one or two days... We get cancellations every day. And we hear from people that their financial situation has changed and that's what it's all about."
Dybevik says more visitors are also from just a few hours away. Michigan vacationers Scott and Wendy Crawford of Port Huron stayed at Harbor House Inn for the first time. Scott says, "It's amazing to see this many people out and around enjoying the water."
Kristen Clark and her husband live in Dearborn but visit Ottawa County several times a year to visit family. Kristen says, "It's just so relaxing. You know, you can just take a stroll on the boardwalk, down to the lighthouse, go to the beach, we go golfing."
Then there are the visitors from a little farther away, like Phyllis Ursetta of Denver, Colorado. She and her friend Jane Wallace were partly drawn by the new national "Pure Michigan" advertising campaign. Ursetta says, "Never been here before. Was amazed at Lake Michigan. It looks like the ocean and I had never imagined it looking like that. All of it is just very nice."
Forbes Magazine recently named the "Pure Michigan" ad campaign as one of the ten best all time travel campaigns.
The full "Pure Michigan" campaign costs about $30 million. The national portion campaign is costing about $10 million and consists largely of cable television ads. While it's too early to track the financial impact of the "Pure Michigan" campaign, Travel Michigan has seen more than a 200% increase in requests for Michigan's travel magazine this year compared to last year.
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