Pure Michigan Continues to Deliver Economic Impact

LANSING, Mich. – As Michigan’s tourism industry prepares for the warm weather travel season, the Pure Michigan advertising campaign continues to deliver an overwhelmingly positive impact for the state’s economy according to a new study released today at the 2018 Pure Michigan Governor’s Conference on Tourism.



The report, released by SMARInsights highlights key insights into both the economic impact and the effectiveness of the campaign in motivating out-of-state trips to Michigan for leisure travel. It found that in 2017, more than 5.6 million person-trips were made to Michigan from outside of the state as a result of exposure to the Pure Michigan campaign. These visitors spent $2.1 billion in communities and local businesses across the state.



Additionally, the report found that awareness and recall of the Pure Michigan ads were high, especially with television ads. Michigan is perceived as excelling as an outdoor destination, particularly for water-based recreation. In addition, Michigan has been able to set itself apart from other Midwestern states as a leisure travel destination.



“We are proud to work hand-in-hand with Michigan’s tourism industry to continue to deliver an economic benefit to the state through the Pure Michigan campaign,” said Dave Lorenz, Vice President of Travel Michigan, part of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. “While the campaign appears timeless, we are always adjusting and finding the most effective way to deliver the message that Michigan offers one of America’s great vacation destinations. This report plays a critical role in this process.”



The result of these trips and visitor spending was a return on investment (ROI) of $8.99 for the Pure Michigan campaign in 2017. In 2017, $16.4 million was spent on the out-of-state Pure Michigan advertising campaign in regional markets and the national cable advertising campaign, while out-of-state visitor spending motivated by the campaign supported $147 million in state tax revenue.



While this is the first year SMARInsights has performed Pure Michigan’s Advertising Effectiveness study, results are consistent with the most recent campaign ROI of $8.33 – though direct year-over-year comparisons cannot be made due to differences in methodology. Further evidence of the continued growth of leisure travel in Michigan comes from STR, which reports that hotel occupancy continued to climb in 2017, with the highest occupancy rate, revenue per available room (RevPAR) rate and average daily rate (ADR) recorded for the state since that data has been available.



“The insights that are part of this report provide an informative look into what elements of the campaign are resonating with people, where we have room to improve and help us make strategic decisions that ensure we are dedicating resources to the opportunities that have the greatest impact,” Lorenz said.



The full report is available at michigan.org/industry/research.



Strategic Marketing and Research Insights, LLC, (SMARInsights) is a travel and tourism focused research organization.



The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business and community development with the focus on growing Michigan’s economy.  For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org.  For Pure Michigan® tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org. Join the conversation on: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.