With many tourists planning to make the trip here in Northern Michigan this summer, experts are expecting a big summer for businesses.
As we move away from the pandemic, Traverse City Tourism says people are more comfortable traveling and they expect more tourists to come to the Cherry Capital.
The President and CEO of Traverse City Tourism, Trevor Tkach, says despite some ongoing economic concerns, they are still expecting a big summer for tourism.
“People are a little worried about their income and inflation. However, they continue to prioritize travel in their budget,” said Tkach.
Although tourism has been strong throughout the pandemic they say it has not been the same, but now that more people are comfortable traveling, they say it could lead to a historic summer.
“I think we will have the best summer ever, because we will see more consistency during the week. A lot of time, especially during the pandemic, we will see peaks at the end of the week,” explained Tkach .
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New Lululemon’s Store Manager, Meghan Conrad, says they’ve already noticed a lot of people stopping by and expect more to come as we head into summer.
“We’re excited to meet a lot of new faces who may not be as familiar with the brand and we want to welcome them with open arms,” Conrad said.
Tkach said that it’s not just fears from the death toll from the pandemic that are anticipating a big summer, he says it’s the growth and progress the city has made since.
“Now there is more opportunity than before the pandemic as well. There are new hotel properties opening, we are seeing a changing of the guard in restaurants and attractions,” said Tkach. “The new and exciting ideas come forward and that’s what visitors want to see, something special and different.”