Beach goers soak up the sun and cool off in Little Bay de Noc at the Escanaba public beach. The Upper Peninsula is just now entering the busiest part of the tourist season, the warm weather of the later summer months drawing travelers to the area. Delta County commonly attracts tourists looking for a relaxed environment with plenty of outdoor recreation. (Escanaba Daily Press photo)
ESCANABA — As we enter the latter half of the Upper Peninsula’s warm weather season, the number of tourists throughout the region is expected to be on the rise. Out-of-staters are just now making the trek north for their summer getaways, seeking the “outdoor experience” that the U.P. readily provides. With recreation like hiking, swimming, and biking expected to be popular in the next two to four months, area businesses can expect more foot traffic as a result.
“Reports that I am hearing from around the U.P. are that [tourism] has really kicked into full gear right now,” Tom Nemacheck, executive director at Upper Peninsula Travel and Recreation Association, said. “We look at how much business is booked coming up … and that looks very strong.”
According to Nemacheck, the summer tourist season in the U.P. has gotten off to a “soft” start, with the number of travelers in May and June lower than they were in 2021. However, this fact is not surprising. Tourist rates in 2021 shattered U.P. records thanks to the lessening of pandemic protocols in regards to travel, restaurants, hotels, and other tourist attractions within the region.
“We are coming off of the best year in history, last year, by far,” Nemacheck said. “When looking at lodging, like hotels, July, August, September, and October bookings look very strong. From now right through October we will have a good year.”
Travelers seeking a more rustic way to spend their summer vacation are turning out in droves this year as well, with campground bookings being strong for the remaining months of summer. Once again, it is hard to beat the record rates of camping that were set last summer, with most major campgrounds being fully-booked almost every day of the week during the 2021 season.
“The campgrounds have been extremely busy over the past few years,” Robert Micheau, CEO of Visit Escanaba, said. “There is an increase in camping in Delta County and the early reports are that this year is is just as popular as ever.”
Although popular destinations span the face of the U.P., from Mackinac Island to the Porcupine Mountains near Ontonagon, the region’s outdoor product will continue to be the driving factor of the summer tourist season.
“The biggest draw to the Upper Peninsula is the great outdoors with beautiful views, freshwater, and a relaxing environment for people to enjoy,” Micheau said. “These are unique experiences that people look for and can only get in the Upper Peninsula. They keep coming back year after year to enjoy them.”
While the hottest months of the summer, July and August, will attract tourists to Upper Michigan shorelines for swimming, kayaking, and boating, the level of tourists is expected to remain relatively high as we enter September and October as well. Outdoorsmen during the autumn months seek the cooler weather and fall colors that accompany recreational trails and scenic overlooks.
“July, August, and September have become the busiest months for tourism in Delta County in recent years,” Micheau said. “October of 2021 actually had more hotel business than June 2021, so our busiest time of the year is just starting now and will go through October most likely.”
With the U.P. being a drive-in tourist destination, many would predict that gas prices hitting it’s $5.19 peak last month would put a hamper on the rate of those traveling to the area. However, the rise in gas prices, according to Nemacheck, is not the tourist industry’s biggest concern.
“Gas is not the issue really, it’s inflation,” Nemacheck said. “If it’s a little bit more for gas, the whole trip is going to cost you $10 more. But if you build in the cost of everything else, that is more of peoples’ concerns right now.”
With the price of every day items and food-at-home purchases, like groceries, on the rise due to the increasing rate of economy-wide inflation in the United States, many homes are feeling the fiscal pressure when visiting the supermarket. According to Nemacheck, rising inflation is keeping people from traveling long distances this summer.
“With inflation, there is literally people almost every week that are saying ‘I can’t go’ or “I’m just going to stay closer to home,’” Nemacheck said. “For a lot of people, the U.P. is really close. Chicago, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Minneapolis, those are all only 5-6 hours away. That is close to them.”
Similar to many areas across the United States, Delta County has been experiencing the rise of short-term rentals within the area. Websites like VRBO and Airbnb allow individual homeowners in the area to rent out their homes to travelers, and this method of lodging has been continuously growing in popularity over the past couple of years.
“A big trend we are seeing in Delta County is the proliferation of short-term rentals,” Micheau said. “Hundreds of homes across Delta County are now short-term vacation rentals.”
Tourism will continue to play an essential role in the success of the U.P.’s localized economy. While employment levels in the tourist industry are much higher than they were in 2021, many businesses and recreational facilities continue to struggle with staffing. Despite this, the industry continues to serve the large influx of travelers every summer, and that annual trend will persist into the foreseeable future.
“U.P. residents represent a very small proportion of business in the U.P. 99% of the business comes from people outside of the Upper Peninsula who are coming in,” Nemacheck said. “There is no reason to believe that [tourism] won’t be excellent for the rest of the summer and fall.”
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