Economic Impact of Tourism Workshops  

Phil Alexander and Dave Smyth, members of the MSU Extension Tourism Area of Expertise Team (TAoE), are planning two workshops which will focus on the “Economic Impact of Tourism.”  These workshops will be held on April 29, 2003 at the University Center in Gaylord and on April 30, 2003 in Cadillac, both from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  Dave has a joint appointment with Travel Michigan and MSU Extension, and Phil is the District Extension Agent for Community and Economic Development for the 20 counties in the North Region. 

A description of the workshops follows: “Tourism is one of the main elements of the economy in northern Michigan.  These workshops will help business leaders to better understand the important role tourism plays in the region’s economy.  They will also examine both the positive and negative impacts related to tourism development.  These workshops will compliment the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy that NEMCOG is in the process of updating for the Northeast region of the state.”
   
The agenda for these workshops will likely include:
 
-  A presentation by Dave Morris of Travel Michigan
-  An overview of the Michigan Tourism Economic Impact Model (MITEIM) developed by Dr. Dan Stynes, of the MSU Department of Park, Recreation & Tourism Resources
-  A discussion about the TAoE’s Michigan County Tourism Profiles
-  A review of the online resource materials available in the TAoE’s database of Tourism Educational Materials, including:
          -- Measuring Tourism Impacts at the Community Level
          -- A Guide to Designing and Conducting Visitor Surveys
          -- The Economic Impact of Visitors to Your Community
          -- Estimating Community Visitor Days
          -- Cost-Benefit Analysis of Local Tourism Development
          -- Impact of Visitor Expenditures on Local Revenues
-  An introduction to the Tourism Development Capacity Index (TDCI) developed by Julie Fesenmaier of Illinois Extension
 
Sponsors of these workshops include: Michigan State University Extension, the Gaylord Area Convention & Tourism Bureau, and the Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau.

For more information about these workshops, please contact Phil Alexander at alexande@msue.msu.edu or 989-731-0272.