Master Planning for Tourism in Michigan
Master Planning for Tourism in Michigan is a resource document for communities that seek to identify their unique tourism assets; find ways to balance economic opportunity with quality of life; and protect their valuable assets from being loved to death. Promotion and management of tourism lies squarely within local government’s duty to plan and control land use to safeguard public health, safety, and welfare. This guide has been created to help elected and appointed municipal leaders and their professional staff understand how to incorporate community-driven tourism into their master plans. This guide provides suggestions for how to work with tourism industry professionals to plan for tourism that supports the community’s economy and quality of life while protecting and enhancing the unique cultural and natural assets that attract these visitors. In the end, this project identified a gap between traditional tourism marketing efforts and the master plans for economic development, land use, and public infrastructure that provide communities with the foundation for a beneficial tourism economy. This guide is a first attempt to close the gap.
|
 |
| For a copy of the July-August 2022 Michigan Planner issue on tourism planning, contact Wendy Rampson at [email protected] |
Webinars
Strategies for Providing Affordable Housing for Tourism Industry Employees - Institute of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism (2022)
Tourism Asset Mapping
Rural Tourism Asset Map: Henry, Rural Rock Island, Mercer (IL) Counties (2014)
Tourism Training Programs
Balancing Nature and Commerce Program - The Nature Conservancy
First Impressions: Assessing Your Community for Tourism Program - Michigan State University Extension
Leave No Trace - Center for Outdoor Ethics
Sustainable Tourism Training Program - Global Sustainable Tourism Council
Understanding Tourism for Michigan Communities - Michigan State University Extension
Michigan Resources
Assessing the Potential for Sustainable Ecotourism in Alger County, Scott Jordan, PhD and David Kronk (2016)
Grand Haven Area Convention and Visitors Bureau webpages:
Sustainable Coastal Tourism Development in Northeast Michigan, Laura Johnson and Brandon Schroeder (2012)
Michigan State University Extension Tourism website
Michigan Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (2023-2027)
Michigan’s Travel Industry/Pure Michigan webpages:
Ecotourism on the Sunrise Coast
Example Plans
Charleston (SC) Tourism Management Plan
Colorado Springs & the Pikes Peak (CO) Region Destination Master Plan
Juneau (AK) Long Range Tourism Master Plan and Tourism Best Management Practices
Kaua’i Kakuo (HI) General Plan
Topeka (KS) Historic Preservation Plan
Sedona (AZ) Sustainable Tourism Plan and implementation website
Related Resources
The Amenity Trap: How high-amenity communities can avoid being loved to death, Headwaters Economics (2023)