Pure Michigan's invitation to enjoy Michigan’s tourism is in contradiction with many of the other state agencies’ warnings to travelers to stay home. | Stock Photo
Pure Michigan's invitation to enjoy Michigan’s tourism is in contradiction with many of the other state agencies’ warnings to travelers to stay home. | Stock Photo
Despite continuing COVID-19-related restrictions and messages from state agencies advising residents not to travel for the holidays, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) is proceeding with a marketing campaign to promote winter tourism, according to Michigan Capitol Confidential.
The $15 million taxpayer-funded Pure Michigan campaign is a government marketing program that promotes the state’s tourism industry. The Michigan Legislature authorized funding for the program in the 2020-21 state budget, which was recently restored after a $35 million subsidy for 2019-20 was previously canceled in a budget standoff between Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Legislature.
The program’s invitation to enjoy Michigan’s tourism industry is in contradiction with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services' warnings to travelers to stay home. In fact, the state’s COVID-19 website warns that “long-distance travel is discouraged (and) travel into Michigan from out of state is not recommended.”
Travel Michigan executive David Lorenz previously said that the “bulk of the dollars will be used and invested to support the spring and summer marketing campaign, as spring and especially summer are our big travel months,” according to Michigan Capitol Confidential.
However, MEDC executive Mark Burton told the Detroit Free Press that the campaign would begin promoting much earlier in the winter as part of a COVID-19 economic recovery agenda.
“The restoration of Pure Michigan funding is certainly an important step towards recovery for our industry and the communities and people who depend upon it. We will do all we can to support our industry by encouraging residents across our state to continue to travel safely through winter,” Burton told the Detroit Free Press.
MEDC spokesman Otie McKinley told Michigan Capitol Confidential that the campaign will be formally relaunched “in the coming weeks, focusing on in-state and regional travel advertising. We are focusing our advertising on getting people to travel safely and enjoy the great outdoors.”
However, Mackinac Center for Public Policy senior fiscal policy analyst Michael LaFaive disagreed. “It doesn’t make sense to relaunch in the winter when we have increasing COVID cases and businesses are being ordered to shut down," he told Michigan Capitol Confidential.
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