×

Tourism dollars good but economy must be diversified

When it comes to natural attractions, there’s no denying we live in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, with acres upon acres of untouched forests, thousands of pristine lakes and waterways, and all sorts of unique and interesting sites to see.

We were recently pleased to hear that tourism in the Great Lakes state is going strong, but we must reiterate the fact that tourists’ dollars alone will not fix our roads and, particularly in the Upper Peninsula, they won’t keep our younger population from moving elsewhere.

Last week David Lorenz, vice president of Travel Michigan, said at a tourism industry conference in Marquette that Michigan invested $12.9 million in out-of-state advertising in 2016, motivating 5.1 million trips into and throughout the state.

“Those people spent $1.5 billion in their experience here,” Lorenz said in a recent Journal article. “That generated $107 million in state taxes, so for every dollar we invested in the campaign, it brought back $8.33.”

Meanwhile, closer to home, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Alger County welcomed more visitors last year than it has in decades.

More than 777,000 people stopped to check out the lakeshore’s scenic sandstone cliffs in 2016, an increase of about 7.5 percent from the year before. They spent $33.6 million in nearby communities, helping to support 474 local jobs, park officials said.

Certainly, tourism dollars are an essential part of our economy, and we’ll continue to welcome them with open arms. But here in the U.P., it may be difficult to replace that long-term financial support derived from some of our more traditional industries with that of the tourism sector.

Historically, the U.P., for better or worse, was built on minerals extraction and forest products. These industries for many years provided young folks with good-paying jobs that were, for the most part, pretty stable.

The Detroit News last week published an article that stated 13 of the U.P.’s 15 counties saw declining populations last year, and that the region’s population has fallen 4.4 percent since 2000.

Some of that may be attributed to an aging population, but many of us have also heard of or know some young person who left the area for a better job, a not too uncommon scenario, unfortunately.

With fewer people, there will also be fewer landowners and less property tax revenue for governments, as well as diminished support for businesses.

Sure, tourists can pick up some of that slack, but they won’t completely match the financial support derived from a lifelong U.P. resident.

Maybe the forestry products and mining sectors face challenges but our economy can’t rely solely on the wallets of tourists who may only visit a few weeks of the year.

Our roads and infrastructure are in need of repair. Local governments are faced with the threat of having to cut back services and schools are searching for ways to save a few pennies by sharing responsibilities.

There needs to be a good balance among revenue streams in order to ensure these projects are completed and these entities can thrive.

Simply put, tourism is good for the U.P. It has the potential to attract people who may want to move here and become a permanent resident or, in some cases, even open new businesses.

Investing in the tourism industry isn’t bad, but neither is making investments that help Michiganders stay Michiganders.

We need to find a way to provide our young natives with opportunities and jobs that aren’t simply stepping stones to somewhere below the bridge or to places entirely outside of the Great Lakes state altogether.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today