$10,000 Lansing Tourism Event Attracts Thousands to Downtown

This year’s “Be a Tourist in your Own Town” event will bring thousands of people from around the state into Downtown Lansing and drive up sales for more than 50 of the area’s participating businesses.

“The tourism industry is a key component of the Greater Lansing economy,” says Tracy Padot, vice president of Marketing Communications for the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Based on a study conducted by Michigan State University, more than five million out-of-town guests visit Greater Lansing each year, generating $431 million in direct spending and supporting 7,500 jobs in the tourism sector. We want residents to not only enjoy the leisure options Lansing offers, but also recognize the importance of creating a hospitable environment for our guests by serving as community ambassadors.”

On May 31, area tourists will spend $1 on a “passport” to visit 50 businesses including the Michigan State Capitol Building, Impression 5 Science Center and Paramount Coffee.

“There’s a lot of unique things you can’t typically get in to see,” Padot says, explaining that businesses often try to showcase portions of their operations that aren’t generally opened to the public.

The Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau and area sponsors spend $10,000 to $12,000 on the event each year.

“Because we’re one of the first to start this, we were actually listed as a 'best practice' in our industry for this particular event,” Padot says.

Every year the event expands. This year, Wyoming-based pedicab company, Elite Pedicabs, is bringing its business to the event. Elite Pedicabs' owners, Randy McCullough and Daren Galinis, anticipate that their pedicab business will take off in the area, which could prompt them to open a new location in Lansing.

Source: Tracy Padot, Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau

Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.