Case Study

Traverse City, Michigan

Cities and Towns, Tourism Development

Prior to opening its first ski trails in the 1950s, the popular summer resort town of Traverse City had to cope with slow winter seasons. Today, Traverse City anchors a diverse area with hundreds of miles of trails used year-round for both motorized and non-motorized recreation. The local visitor experience goes well beyond recreation, and local tourism promoters are careful not to just promote to niche groups like cross-country skiers or mountain bikers. Marketing strategies instead target families, packaging recreation with attractions like cherry orchards, festivals, arts and crafts, historic hotels and resorts, and natural scenery. Traverse City's success has been aided by extensive media relations efforts, as travel writers from warmer climates are invited on familiarization (or "fam") tours each year. As a result of these efforts, large numbers of visitors who cannot go skiing or snowmobiling back home now come to Traverse City for these purposes.