How Will The Virus Affect Michigan Tourism?

As I've noted before, whenever somebody asks me why we love living in Michigan I start with no matter where you are you're no more that 6 miles from a lake and no more than 85 miles from a Great Lake.  We have the most freshwater coastline in the United States.  The 2nd most shoreline period behind Alaska.  Michigan is the 3rd most golfing state behind Florida and California.  These are a few of my favorite things to say.

These are also the kind of things that make Michigan one of the most visited states in the country.  Well, that and the fact that we look like a mitten on the national maps and who wouldn't want to visit a mitten?  But I digress.

As we head now into the open but cautious phase, the vice president of Travel Michigan Dave Lopez did an interview on 9and10news.com and said he thinks people will make plans to enjoy the state but will look for options to practice social distancing.  As far as I'm concerned, the idea of getting away on vacation is also getting away from a lot of people so no problem for us.

The fact is there are plenty of things to do in this great state that are, by nature, socially distant.  See what I did there? By nature?  Anyway, we're talking camping, hiking, boating, biking, the list goes on and on.

As it shakes out, I think it will definitely be a down year but not as disastrous as many are making it out to be.  In fact, I think we'll all be surprised because, even though out-of-state tourism may be down, Michiganders might very well pick up the slack and take "STATE-CATIONS"!  See what I did there?  I'll show myself out.