What to do when you’re a warm weather destination where tourism dries up during the winter — others may follow the example of Ann Arbor, Michigan, which is being marketed as a winter destination.
“The message is going out across a 200-mile radius: Shop. Play. Stay,” says annarbor.com.
The Ann Arbor Convention and Visitors Bureau is making a six-week, $15,000 effort to boost hotel occupancy and meetings in Washtenaw County during the cold tourism winter months.
“We are (promoting) Ann Arbor as a place where you can recharge your spirit,” said Mary Kerr, president and CEO of the CVB.
The focus, she said, is on the unique aspects of the community.
Downtown Ann Arbor, regional downtowns, local shops and restaurants all can fill the needs for a visitor seeking to spend a weekend “on vacation” but close to home, according to Kerr.
This is the first time the CVB has focused on winter tourism by marketing Ann Arbor as a leisure destination, Kerr said.
The effort follows successes from the statewide “Pure Michigan” campaign and signals a partnership with the state to promote the county via TV commercials that will tout tourism in spring and summer.
By David Wilkening
