Michigan Launches First-Ever National Tourism Advertising Campaign

$10 Million National Cable TV Buy To Help Diversify Michigan's Economy

LANSING, Mich., March 24 /PRNewswire/ -- The award-winning Pure Michigan
tourism campaign goes national for the first time on Monday, March 30. The $10
million national cable television campaign has been developed to showcase
Michigan's greatest assets, from its more than 800 public golf courses and
resorts to four national parks, from urban treasures and world-class
destinations to outdoor adventures. The campaign will run through June on 15
national cable channels: Golf Channel, Travel Channel, A&E, Bravo, Style, Fine
Living, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, E!, DIY Network, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC and Fox
News.

"At a time when many states are reducing their tourism promotion efforts, we
have the largest budget for tourism promotion in Michigan's history at $30
million," said George Zimmermann, Vice President of Travel Michigan, a
business unit of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. "We created
four new television commercials for the cable buy, and they will air more than
5,000 times nationally on cable TV."

"There are millions of Americans who know little or nothing about the
vibrancy, heritage, culture, arts and entertainment in our great cities, the
sandy beaches and stunning overlooks along America's longest fresh-water
coastline, or the majesty and recreation in our 19 million acres of
magnificent forests. The Pure Michigan campaign is designed to introduce to
the nation the attributes that make Michigan such a popular and unique
destination," Zimmermann added.

Michigan's tourism promotion budget has grown dramatically in recent years
from less than $6 million in 2005 to $30 million in 2009, which was part of
Governor Jennifer M. Granholm's economic stimulus program for the state.
Annual independent return on investment research has shown that Michigan's
tourism promotion spending generates more for the state treasury than it
costs. Specifically, for each dollar Michigan spent on out-of-state
advertising from 2004 through 2008, new visits to Michigan motivated by that
advertising created more than $40 of spending at Michigan businesses and
generated $2.86 in new state tax collections.

Zimmermann noted that visitors spend $18.1 billion annually traveling in
Michigan, generating $874 million in state taxes, and accounting for 192,000
jobs statewide.

The Pure Michigan campaign will also air in Travel Michigan's traditional
markets of Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Fort Wayne, Green
Bay, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, St. Louis, South Bend, Southern Ontario and
Toledo. In addition, the campaign appears in-state in Detroit, Grand Rapids,
Flint, Lansing and Traverse City. Michigan native and television personality
Tim Allen voices the national television commercials. The Birmingham, Michigan
office of McCann Erickson developed the strategy and creative for the Pure
Michigan campaign. To view the new campaign go to michigan.org and click on
"View our Ads" at the top of the page.

The official Michigan travel information site, michigan.org, features more
than 12,000 attractions, events, hotels, resorts, restaurants and other
tourism-related businesses. The site highlights special travel deals for golf
and other warm weather activities for all ages and interests. In 2007 and
2008, michigan.org was the most popular state tourism Web site in America.

The 2009 Michigan Travel Ideas magazine is available free of charge; go to
michigan.org, or call toll-free (888) 784-7328. Michigan Travel Ideas is also
available at the 14 Michigan Welcome Centers across the state.

Travel Michigan, a division of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation,
is the State of Michigan's official agency for the promotion of tourism.
Travel Michigan markets the state's tourism industry and provides valuable
visitor information services. For Michigan travel news and updates, go to
michigan.org.

Contact: Kirsten Borgstrom, 517-862-7714
Jenny Schilp, 248-225-6744

SOURCE Travel Michigan

Kirsten Borgstrom, +1-517-862-7714, or Jenny Schilp, +1-248-225-6744, both of
Travel Michigan