Vacation in Detroit ?

[jt1]

Your special,but you do not count in the big picture of tourism.

I disagree and I think a lot of it is generational/cultural. Ignoring this large segment of tourism is silly. Unfortunately, people are led to believe that tourism is based upon the family of 4 going to Disney, there are a lot of different types of tourists. I'm not as much of an anomaly as you would thing.

The adverage person has after working all year has one week for vacation,and it is your job as a host to make that week a affordable ,memorable and safe experience that makes them want to return or at the very least recommend you to a friend.

I think is a typical middle American view but not entirely accurate.

If it takes grabbing them by the hand then that's what you do,seems to work well for Disney.

Disney caters to one segment of the population and tourism dollars. It's not wrong but it is not for a lot of people. We can't replicate Disney and we shouldn't go after the same tourism dollars

The concept of telling a potential tourist that because they would prefer an organized tour they can fuck off is probably not such a good public relations campaign.

Nowhere did I say that. I support having options for various segments of tourists. The problem is that people on this thread seem to think their idea of tourism applies to everyone. It sure as hell doesn't. If you want to bring up organized tours look no further than Preservation Detroit tours. Those tours are something this region should be proud of and I believe [[Gistok could confirm) that these do bring in tourists from many parts around the world. The options are there but it seems people are taking the 'We aren't Disney' defeated route which is rather pitiful.

[Bham1982]

I already addressed this argument. You discounted everything that makes Detroit's attractions unique. I don't agree with the things I said about NYC either, and you refuted the claims just as I refuted yours about Detroit. I know Central Park isn't just "another big park" but neither is Belle Isle. I know The Empire State Building isn't just another skyscraper, but neither are the Guardian Building nor the Fisher Building.

This is where you're wrong. They aren't apples to apples.

You don't understand why visitors don't come because you don't understand our local attractions are just that, local, and not particularly unique.

The Guardian Building isn't the Eiffel Tower, Eastern Market isn't SoHo, Somerset isn't Madison Ave. or Bond Street as much as you may personally like these places. Every town has a few nice old buildings and the like, that will never be enough to distinguish Detroit from the crowd.

Someone can just as easily go to Cleveland or Buffalo or Cincy and get a similar taste of grand 1920's office buildings, for example. It isn't something that will draw from anything other than niche audiences. Cleveland might even top us on this count, as the Terminal Tower complex cannot really be matched among Detroit's prewar gems.

[Bham1982]

Orlando, Miami and LV all make me want to puke because they are American made tourism for people too lazy to find enjoyment without it being shoved in their faces. Walking through parts of West Virginia may not be 'touristy; but damn, they are beautiful.

Perhaps in all this debate is the fact that you both [[and much of America) clearly need your enjoyment and activities listed and convenient. Sounds like a horrific way to travel if you ask

Orlando, Vegas, and Miami are all very international places, where a huge proportion of visitor counts are non-American. Whether or not they're your cup of tea is irrelevant; enough people worldwide seem to value these places as leisure destinations.

And their target demographic is basically everyone. Disney doesn't just attract boring suburban nuclear families from Ohio, they appeal to singles, couples [[of all types), seniors, etc. Been to a Disney park lately? About as international and eclectic a crowd as you can get. Last time I was at Disney [[though this was Disneyland, but Disneyworld was the same), it seemed that most visitors were non-American and people were from everywhere [[I remember hearing Russian, South African and Australian English, and basically every type of Spanish, from Spain to Argentina).

To me, their appeal is obvious, even if they may not be my favorite places.

[dtowncitylover]

Those tours are something this region should be proud of and I believe [[Gistok could confirm) that these do bring in tourists from many parts around the world.

I can definitely second that. It's awesome to see from how many different places people come. From college students to older couples, France to Brazil, to Florida, to Quebec, all around.

[Willi]

Bham nailed it """"our local attractions are just that, local, and not particularly unique"""""
They have zero recognition factor on that whole broad wide tourism option chart.
"""never be enough to distinguish Detroit from the crowd""" - and that's why it fails miserably.

I've lived in other states, traveled a bit here and there outside the country ;
and Detroit has little recognition for being that Vacation Destination people are going to choose
- OVER other options available.

Is this enough - to get people to part with their hard earned cash - for a vacation ?????
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism...olitan_Detroit

UNLESS there is a festival or sports game in town , I think not - they go elswhere

[noise]

I'm not sure I understand the premise of this thread. Is it supposed to be a tourist city? Does it have to be? Can it not be successful without it? Does it need an amusement park or a time machine? Who cares?

[Willi]

Perhaps you missed my prior post - Its about Image - How Detroit is seen NationWide.

[Spartan]

This is where you're wrong. They aren't apples to apples.

You don't understand why visitors don't come because you don't understand our local attractions are just that, local, and not particularly unique.

The Guardian Building isn't the Eiffel Tower, Eastern Market isn't SoHo, Somerset isn't Madison Ave. or Bond Street as much as you may personally like these places. Every town has a few nice old buildings and the like, that will never be enough to distinguish Detroit from the crowd.

Someone can just as easily go to Cleveland or Buffalo or Cincy and get a similar taste of grand 1920's office buildings, for example. It isn't something that will draw from anything other than niche audiences. Cleveland might even top us on this count, as the Terminal Tower complex cannot really be matched among Detroit's prewar gems.

It's not about understanding, it's about agreement. I totally disagree that Detroit's attractions are strictly "local." There are things here like the Henry Ford, the Motown Museum, the Piquette Plant, the Wright Museum, the Fisher, and Guardian Building that are unlike anything in the world. There are attractions that while not as unique, are still worth seeing, such as the DIA or Belle Isle. There are great entertainment attractions to fill your evenings such as the Fox, St. Andrews, multiple breweries, Baker's, or Cliff Bell's.

Detroit is not going to compete with New York or Paris, and it shouldn't try. At least not now. This is a blue-collar city with a rich industrial and cultural background. I don't think we should be discussing whether Detroit can compete with trendy world-class vacation destinations, we should be asking how the city can leverage its assets to draw more interest. We're not trying to pull visitors away from LA or London, but from Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Cleveland, and New Orleans.

Detroit has the first paved roads, built the Auto industry, invented multiple kinds of music, and was once one of the largest and richest cities in the USA. To some extent, there is a niche market of travelers that Detroit will attract, but it does cover quite a few niches. It can be a destination for people who are interested in economic trends, manufacturing history, architecture, the underground railroad, music history, and more.

The question is, how can we extend that to a wider audience? Many non-Michigan people I talk to [[and even many from Michigan) often don't realize there are things like the Henry Ford, or the DIA, or the Fisher Building. The Fisher Building and Guardian Buildings are National Historic Landmarks [[unlike the tower in Cleveland you referenced, as far as I can tell). Part of the problem is a lack of attractions, but a bigger part is lack of awareness and marketing. Discounting the attractions we do have here isn't going to help change that.

[noise]

Perhaps you missed my prior post - Its about Image - How Detroit is seen NationWide.

I did miss it.

But I'm not sure that's necessarily a great correlation. Coming for attractions & leaving brings money. So does coming for business & leaving. I've had fun at Disney, but I don't have a good impression of Orlando. I've had fun in Vegas, but I don't have a good impression of the city.

[Willi]

Somehow I think most who visit Detroit, leave with a poor image in their brain.
If folks have to struggle, dig, research, toil, for the nuggets - they won't - .

[noise]

Somehow I think most who visit Detroit, leave with a poor image in their brain.
If folks have to struggle, dig, research, toil, for the nuggets - they won't - .

So, basically, we need an amusement park. Or a time machine.

[Willi]

Time machine would be nice

[DetroitPlanner]

Somehow I think most who visit Detroit, leave with a poor image in their brain.
If folks have to struggle, dig, research, toil, for the nuggets - they won't - .

Did you start this thread just to troll?

[jt1]

Did you start this thread just to troll?

He's just upset that $0.59 of his monthly water bill will go to the GLWA now.

[canuck]

Time machine would be nice

Let's just not this Time Machine be associated with the DeLorean debacle, shall we?

[Willi]

People vacationed in Canada when the exchange rate was 40% the other way around.
Now it is easier just to stay in Detroit and forget the border crossing.

The post was originally set up to see what folks thought of an outsider spending
their time in Detroit, what they might see and enjoy themselves.
I have an opinion, a viewpoint and I express it. Don't like it , tough noogies, I don't care.

If folks want it to be an insult thread, then game on, step and get some,
Don't be pissed if I dish back, using the full boards history at my disposal

[davewindsor]

I would say, on average, Detroit is one of the ugliest cities in the developed world. Most of our major streets are borderline dystopian. I am not getting this claim that people will visit us for the allegedly beautiful architecture.

Where are these arterials and neighborhoods that make Florence and Brugge look like a West Virginia outhouse? I'd love to see them.

Haha. Aside from the DIA and what's left of the classic architecture, there's not a lot redeeming about this city anymore.

If someone was stuck in downtown Detroit for the weekend and didn't have a car and was wondering what to do, I'd tell them them to spend the $4.50 and take the tunnel bus to Downtown Windsor. From there, you've got the indoor waterpark [[Adventurebay) with the indoor wavepool, waterslides, and a couple other things. You have flyboarding [[which is levitating a dozen feet over the Detroit river on a waterjet board) [[http://windsorflyboard.com) You have trolley bus tours [[run by a non-profit) for $20 where they visit several wineries in the area http://wetrolley.com/ There's a free art cart tour for the riverfront sculpture park. Maybe walk down to Walkerville and take a free tour of Hiram Walker's Distillery and a self guided tour of the area http://www.walkervilletimes.com/virt...2-ccstore.html , have a drink at Caesar's and when the weekend is over go back to New York.

[dtowncitylover]

Haha. Aside from the DIA and what's left of the classic architecture, there's not a lot redeeming about this city anymore.

If someone was stuck in downtown Detroit for the weekend and didn't have a car and was wondering what to do, I'd tell them them to spend the $4.50 and take the tunnel bus to Downtown Windsor. From there, you've got the indoor waterpark [[Adventurebay) with the indoor wavepool, waterslides, and a couple other things. You have flyboarding [[which is levitating a dozen feet over the Detroit river on a waterjet board) [[http://windsorflyboard.com) You have trolley bus tours [[run by a non-profit) for $20 where they visit several wineries in the area http://wetrolley.com/ There's a free art cart tour for the riverfront sculpture park. Maybe walk down to Walkerville and take a free tour of Hiram Walker's Distillery and a self guided tour of the area http://www.walkervilletimes.com/virt...2-ccstore.html , have a drink at Caesar's and when the weekend is over go back to New York.

LOL The only redeeming part about Windsor-Essex is Point Pelee National Park.

Riverwalk, PD or DHive tours, the plethora of bars and restaurants, Detroit Princess, shows, games, even a People Mover ride! It's a pathetic excuse for a transit system, but it's an awesome way to see the city. If you're adventurous and able bodied a walk from downtown to the Cultural Center is not that bad. It feels alot better than it did even 5-7 years ago. Also walk to Eastern Market.I would probably bet a good amount of American visitors to Detroit didn't bring their passport.

[davewindsor]

LOL The only redeeming part about Windsor-Essex is Point Pelee National Park.

Riverwalk, PD or DHive tours, the plethora of bars and restaurants, Detroit Princess, shows, games, even a People Mover ride! It's a pathetic excuse for a transit system, but it's an awesome way to see the city. If you're adventurous and able bodied a walk from downtown to the Cultural Center is not that bad. It feels alot better than it did even 5-7 years ago. Also walk to Eastern Market.I would probably bet a good amount of American visitors to Detroit didn't bring their passport.

I've done all that. I don't care that much to do it again.

Factor in the high crime rate, nightly gunshots, and vacant housing blight and I wouldn't recommend this city as a tourist destination to anyone. Plus add getting followed and yelled at by aggressive panhandlers who just got out of jail or wants another crack fix and won't take no for an answer when asking for change every time you go to downtown is not a great experience either.

As for the passport, if someone can't spend two minutes opening up their safe to retrieve their passport or spending half an hour filling out their passport application, they shouldn't be vacationing anywhere anyway and should be working overtime at McDonald's instead. Come on, really? Having to bring a passport is a reason not to visit another country? That's just downright silly.

[Islandman]

Why would someone visit Detroit just to hang out in Windsor? That's nonsensical. Especially when there is Toronto. And the thought of going to a water park then getting on a tunnel bus sounds fun.

[iheartthed]

But then that's not a 30 minute walk from point A to B. That's aimless sightseeing. In which case, time and distance isn't a disruption.

The two conflicting arguments in this thread seem to be that Detroit doesn't have enough interesting destinations or that they're too far apart, yet if someone isn't stressing about time or distance, Detroit has plenty to see and do. If on the other hand, time is limited then a tourist isn't really going to see a whole lot. Either way, I still don't understand how either discourages people from visiting Detroit if the same things can be said of most any tourist destination.

That's exactly what people do in urban tourism. You don't travel to NYC just to go to see the ESB and Central Park. You go to experience that and all of the other things you didn't know about before. That is the difference between Detroit and other cities that draw large amounts of urban visitors.

Also, I can't think of another city in the country that should be more concerned about attracting tourists. Tourism = jobs.

[carolcb]

We are driving up today for a weekend and staying downtown and I have reservations for dinner on Saturday night and I cannot wait. Fortunately I don't have that Birmingham attitude....I graduated at Ford Auditorium and have fond memories of the Ponch, Roostertail.. proms downtown. I know it sounds nostalgia, but I love the present too.

[dtowncitylover]

I've done all that. I don't care that much to do it again.

Factor in the high crime rate, nightly gunshots, and vacant housing blight and I wouldn't recommend this city as a tourist destination to anyone. Plus add getting followed and yelled at by aggressive panhandlers who just got out of jail or wants another crack fix and won't take no for an answer when asking for change every time you go to downtown is not a great experience either.

As for the passport, if someone can't spend two minutes opening up their safe to retrieve their passport or spending half an hour filling out their passport application, they shouldn't be vacationing anywhere anyway and should be working overtime at McDonald's instead. Come on, really? Having to bring a passport is a reason not to visit another country? That's just downright silly.

Well if I was working in a tourism bureau, I wouldn't be marketing to you but outsiders who have never been here. Of course, it is unfortunate you never want to do it again, you must live a very sheltered life.

Those nightly gunshots rarely happen nor are heard in the downtown core. It's pretty much a well known fact downtown Detroit is one of the safest downtowns in North America. Our panhandlers are nothing. I was down there yesterday and had one lady ask for change and I said no and she went away. The same has happened to me in Toronto, Paris, NY, and Chicago. Go to Seattle if you want aggressive panhandlers.

And what the heck does the last paragraph even mean? I went to DC in May for a conference. I didn't bring my passport because I wasn't leaving the country. So if someone from DC, St. Louis, or Atlanta comes here for a visit or a conference they may not think to bring their passport because they're not leaving the country. What the heck does working at McDonald's have to do with anything? I'm sure there's plenty of people with means who don't have a passport just because they have never needed one.

It's very much true that inland or coastal Americans don't really realize that Detroit does indeed sit on top of Canada and you can go over there.

[davewindsor]

Well if I was working in a tourism bureau, I wouldn't be marketing to you but outsiders who have never been here. Of course, it is unfortunate you never want to do it again, you must live a very sheltered life.

I visit on occasion briefly to see what's new, only to see things haven't changed.

Those nightly gunshots rarely happen nor are heard in the downtown core. It's pretty much a well known fact downtown Detroit is one of the safest downtowns in North America.

IT'S THE SAFEST DOWNTOWN? PROOF? That statement is pure ignorance. You only need to look at all the threads here about crime in downtown to know that's not true. Here's a thread posted on here a month ago about a new tenant getting carjacked right in front of the Broderick building http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthr...ednesday-Night And all the people talking about crime problems in downtown just in this thread like 313 pointing out in the thread all the car windows getting broken after a Tiger game.

Our panhandlers are nothing. I was down there yesterday and had one lady ask for change and I said no and she went away. The same has happened to me in Toronto, Paris, NY, and Chicago. Go to Seattle if you want aggressive panhandlers.

Again ignorance. Just read some of the other threads here on aggressive panhandlers. I did a brief walkthrough of downtown just a couple weeks ago. At the Greektown intersection opposite Fishbones [[Beaubin and Monroe). Middle of the day, a camped out hobo is yelling and swearing and threatening to beat up everybody who refuses to give him change that passes. Every time I go to downtown, I see another angry hobo yelling at me or someone else because he didn't get change in the middle of the day. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR A DOWNTOWN ANYWHERE!

I noticed a new kind of panhandler coming up to my vehicle the past few times I came over carrying a piece of cardboard with marker writing on it as I'm leaving the tunnel onto Jefferson and when I'm leaving Greektown going onto Jefferson. They look like younger white women hipsters. I roll up my window and ignore them. Are these hookers? Very odd.

Then I read a thread just a week ago on here about the DPD impounding vehicles without laying charges and Wayne County charging $950 to release them just because a lady was waiting by the street staring at cars and a car pulled over. I can only imagine how easy it would be to have a car impounded and have to pay $950 to have it released because an officer thought I gave money to a hooker instead of a panhandler. He doesn't have to hear anything. He doesn't have to prove anything in court. This city is a mess when the DPD can just impound cars requiring a $950 release fee without laying any charges against the driver to fund their budget.

And what the heck does the last paragraph even mean? I went to DC in May for a conference. I didn't bring my passport because I wasn't leaving the country. So if someone from DC, St. Louis, or Atlanta comes here for a visit or a conference they may not think to bring their passport because they're not leaving the country. What the heck does working at McDonald's have to do with anything? I'm sure there's plenty of people with means who don't have a passport just because they have never needed one.

It's very much true that inland or coastal Americans don't really realize that Detroit does indeed sit on top of Canada and you can go over there.

Sorry, a person doesn't have a lot of intelligence if they don't know that Detroit is a border city. Why would you bring your passport to DC? It's not a border city. The analogy doesn't make any sense. Why do I even bother talking to you?!

Who with means that travels a lot doesn't have a passport? Unless they have a criminal record, that also doesn't even make any sense. You're just making things up again that a lot of people with means don't have passports.

[Willi]

As a kayaker, I know full well a ton of folks "play" in Windsor, Toronto, Oshawa ,Peterboro etc., etc.
-- but I doubt that many come the other way on the bridge to be in Detroit

Detroit just doesn't have that image as a Vacation Destination , even when it is on the water.