LANSING – Tourists in Michigan, lured to the state in large part because of the Pure Michigan ad campaign, generated a record $1.2 billion in economic development, a report said.
The report, by a research firm, Longwoods International, which specializes in the effect of tourism advertising, said the Pure Michigan ad campaign attracted 2.4 million people from the Great Lakes region to the state in 2013 and then another 1.6 million from markets across the nation.
That 4 million total was greater than the 3.8 million total visitors the state recorded in 2012.
The figures come as the state is getting ready to launch the 2014 ad campaign on March 17.
In 2013, the state and its business partners spent $13 million on the campaign across the U.S., with at least 5,000 ads running on 25 cable television channels.
The study said the $13 million spent on the campaign resulted in $86.5 million in tax revenues to the state, which is a return on investment of $6.66, up from $5.76 in 2012.
In the 2014 ad campaign, the state will advertise in the Toronto market for the first time, and will begin to establish a market in China.
The campaign also plans to increase its ad presence in Britain and Germany.
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