LANSING – Michigan is partnering with Google to highlight certain attractions such as Mackinac Island, Sleeping Bear Dunes and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, among others, to be seen on Google Street View – something that was not previously accessible.

“The Pure Michigan campaign has elevated Michigan as a national travel destination, and we are taking that one step further by having these images globally accessible on Google Maps,” Lt. Governor Brian Calley said in a statement. “This initiative combines our natural beauty with innovative technology in a way that really speaks to all that Michigan has to offer visitors, residents and businesses alike.”

Michigan Economic Development Corp. CEO Steve Arwood said Michigan is the first Midwest state to have its top tourism attractions added to Google Street View, a sign that the Pure Michigan advertising campaign has really gained its legs.

The images come thanks to Google Trekker technology, which provides 360-degree, fully navigable views of various iconic places throughout the state. The hope is that partnering with Google for this initiative will increase tourism.

“As part of the Michigan community, we hope that making this Street View imagery available to people all over the world will encourage them to discover some of the state’s most beautiful and significant places, some of which are right in their backyards,” Steve Silverman, Google Maps Street View program manager, said. “We were thrilled to work with Pure Michigan, a team that knows the state’s unique attractions and local gems best, to loan them our equipment and enable these collections.”

Specifically, now available on Google Street View are the top of the Mackinac Bridge, Mackinac Island, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, the Island Loop Route National Water Trail in St. Clair County, the Capitol, Ford Field, the Detroit Riverwalk, Tahquamenon Falls State Park, Wagner Falls, Bond Falls, Silver Lake State Park and Sand Dunes, Palms Brook State Park, Brighton State Recreation Area, Pinckney State Recreation Area, Fort Gratiot Lighthouse, Ocqueoc Falls in Millersburg, Agate Falls in Trout Creek and the Presque Isle River.

“We are always looking for innovative new ways to tell our stories to travelers, and being one of the first state tourism offices in the U.S. to partner with Google through the Trekker Loan Program elevates the work we are doing to spread the word about Pure Michigan,” David West, vice president of Travel Michigan, part of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, said.

This story was provided by Gongwer News Service. To subscribe, click on Gongwer.Com