Detroit tourist offers ideas on how to market Detroit to tourists

[Spartan]

I find this article very interesting. I agree with her that Detroit does a poor job of embracing its tourist attractions. Of course, there are many other problems that get in the way of that.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cheryl...b_3977669.html

[stinkytofu]

If Detroit is saved, it will most likely be the artists who will save it.

Some very good insight in that article, but this quote made me roll my eyes.

[Zacha341]

Hah! I'm an artist and it still made my eyes roll......

Some very good insight in that article, but this quote made me roll my eyes.

[canuck]

Some very good insight in that article, but this quote made me roll my eyes.

I think she is right to a certain degree. If people are too down-to-earth about the city, they don't see past its defects.

You have to fall in love with the girl with a club foot.

[401don]

You want to find people in Detroit? Go to packed stadiums and casinos [[and they're not just locals). Tells me the Marketing people have it right.

[iheartthed]

Pretty long, but I think a good read. It's heavy on suggestions that are hallmarks of tourist cities, which Detroit has never been. But Detroit is a city without an industry right now, and has a huge marketable legacy, so why not appeal more to tourists?

I spent just under three full days there [[it was a mini-vacation) so in no way do I claim to be an expert. I didn't see the whole city. But I am a veteran of travel to many cities, and I live in a tourist Mecca myself, and since my visit a month ago, Detroit, you've been on my mind.

I went online to plan our trip. I googled tourism Detroit and reviewed the first hit -- visitdetroit.com, the official tourism site. There was almost nothing at that site that was helpful. Visit Detroit seems to have more information about things that are in adjoining suburban counties than in the city itself. Eventually I found my way online to Jerry Paffendorf's "One Day in Detroit" driving tours and Becks Davis' "40 Things to Do in Detroit Before You're Dead" [[and the follow-up tours) on the Detroit Moxie site. Both are excellent and helped to guide our visit. First bit of unsolicited advice: Detroit, go online right now and check your brand. See for yourself how the city is being marketed to the non-casino/convention/athletic event going tourist considering a visit.

...

Wouldn't Eastern Market be a good place for a tourist office? I read somewhere that 40,000 people visit the market on Saturdays. It seems to me that a tourist office -- maybe a mobile office in an old pick-up truck -- would be a good idea. It could help promote the city and its many wonders. It could be driven around to other locations as needed. An old Ford pick-up would be perfectly in keeping with the Motor City theme [[more on that later).

...

More unsolicited advice: Stop tearing stuff down. Do everything you can to preserve what you've got, especially the beautiful old brick and stone buildings. Treasures like the Wurlitzer Building and the beaux-arts Wayne County Building, certainly the train station, even more mundane vernacular architecture like the brick homes we saw abandoned on the edges of Boston-Edison. Board them up, preserve them as best you can and wait. When the hipsters and the artists and the entrepreneurs come rolling in, they will be looking for gritty charm and authenticity, not newly built townhomes. They are fleeing the boring sameness of their suburban youth and are in search of history. And no town outside of Las Vegas needs more than 3 casinos. You probably didn't need 3. And although there are already 2 stadiums in downtown nearly simultaneously with bankruptcy being declared plans for a new hockey arena were announced. To be subsidized by the taxpayers to the tune of over 300 million dollars. Don't build it.

...

After downtown, we drove to the derelict 40-acre Packard plant complex. Graffiti covered, partially collapsed, the sheer size of this ruin makes it feel biblically forsaken. I lived near the 16-acre World Trade site and I watched as the local, state and federal governments poured billions of dollars into re-building lower Manhattan. It's probably a cliché to state that if Al-Qaeda had destroyed Detroit instead of insert a reason the city would be bathing in recovery dollars.

...


We were tourists searching for the dual mythical city: the Motor City + Motown. These signature industries have largely abandoned you Detroit, but the well of love and nostalgia for them runs deep, especially in boomers like myself.
I was expecting to find -- to be deluged with -- both Motown and Motor City tschotchkes: mugs, key chains, tee shirts, decorative plates and so on. I wanted to take home the young Diana Ross and the Supremes on a tote bag. I wanted to buy a box of chocolates shaped like vintage cars to share with my friends. I wanted a photo of me and my friend sitting in a 1958 Eldorado Biarritz convertible smiling in the Detroit sunshine: Greetings from the Motor City.

...

Where was the marketing? I didn't see any vintage cars at all. I wanted to see a street filled with them, those crazily flamboyant beauties, the dream and promise of 20th century America.

...

What about an auto-pub? There used to be one in the GM building in New York. Wouldn't that be perfect? What about something for the kids, a carousel based on classic cars or Motown stars or both, somewhere along the RiverWalk?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cheryl...b_3977669.html

[canuck]

Yup. You definitely feel that the Motor City theme needs some playing up. Maybe the lack of confidence from years of hard luck has taken a toll on the spirit of promotion.

I think a lot of the points are valid in spite of what the more down to earth Detroiters will interpret as easy-cheesy and shameless. The automotive and music successes of Detroit need to be brought forth and staged.

[begingri]

I've said this before, but I'm a strong believer in the CityPass. I don't think it's a silver bullet, but I think it would do wonders for at least pointing tourists in some direction when they ask, "What is there to do in Detroit?"

[dmike76]

I really liked parts of this article. Where the hell are all the car themed attractions? I'm not talking about things like the debacle in Flint. Why not have classic car shows on Belle Isle? A downtown Dream Cruise? I realize we have Autorama and the Auto Show, but those are in cold weather months when tourists aren't as likely to come here, anyway. I love the idea of visitor centers opening in Eastern Market and Corktown. D:Hive has downtown covered.

[Zacha341]

Wonderfully stated....

You have to fall in love with the girl with a club foot.

[DetroitPlanner]

We need Boblo back!

As far as car attractions, the Henry Ford is one of the largest. They have several old car shows a year.

I find it funny she thought that when they were removing the set for transformers that they were taking down a chinese building.

She seems to be into all of the foodie arty froo froo crapola. No mention of Belle Isle, Campus Martius, riverwalk, or even GM's HQ [[other than saying the marriot costs a lot).

If she went to Campus Martius, she would have found D:hive, which does have tourist information. Heck they even have tourist information in the Guardian at the Cafe she are at! Seems to me she wrote 90 percent of the story before she set foot here. Why fly into Cleveland? If she flew into DTW she would have seen a world class airport [[granted she would have needed to rent a car). I've been to NYC and I've not seen tourist information everywhere. 95 percent of the folks at Eastern Market go there because thats where grandma took them and her grandma took her there too! While it is a cool place, it is utilitarian as it is needed to feed the City.

[Chicago48]

I've said this before, but I'm a strong believer in the CityPass. I don't think it's a silver bullet, but I think it would do wonders for at least pointing tourists in some direction when they ask, "What is there to do in Detroit?"

A lot of good suggestions, esp. about the souvenirs with Diana Ross, etc. image on them; however, that may require copyright clearance and sharing of royalties with the singers.

And yes, stop tearing stuff down -- unless you're going to rebuild immediately.

[KJ5]

She said it herself in talking about trying to find urban farms when her precious GPS broke - she didn't do enough research! If she wanted Motown memorabilia, she should have went to the Motown Museum. If she wanted to see vintage cars she should have went to the Henry Ford in Dearborn or the Detroit Historical Museum. She could have looked across the street from the DIA and found the Historical Museum! And I really don't see what artists could have done to prevent her from staying at a chain motel in the suburbs instead of some place in the city. She mostly just went to all the hipster cliches she probably heard about from her friends in Williamsburg. I agree with the previous poster that it seems like the author wrote most of the article before coming here. What a lazy, ill-informed, unhelpful, pompous article! Ugh.

[WaCoTS]

She said it herself in talking about trying to find urban farms when her precious GPS broke - she didn't do enough research! If she wanted Motown memorabilia, she should have went to the Motown Museum. If she wanted to see vintage cars she should have went to the Henry Ford in Dearborn or the Detroit Historical Museum. She could have looked across the street from the DIA and found the Historical Museum!

lol people are lazy and want to be guided by the hand.

also, people want to write articles about what's wrong with detroit, so that they can sound/feel smart.

when Detroit fixes all these "problems", and becomes a "real" tourism city, then the same people who clamored for all this will lose interest, claiming that it has become too touristy-ified, and lament for the days when it was still "authentic." :barf:

[iheartthed]

We need Boblo back!

As far as car attractions, the Henry Ford is one of the largest. They have several old car shows a year.

I find it funny she thought that when they were removing the set for transformers that they were taking down a chinese building.

She seems to be into all of the foodie arty froo froo crapola. No mention of Belle Isle, Campus Martius, riverwalk, or even GM's HQ [[other than saying the marriot costs a lot).

If she went to Campus Martius, she would have found D:hive, which does have tourist information. Heck they even have tourist information in the Guardian at the Cafe she are at! Seems to me she wrote 90 percent of the story before she set foot here. Why fly into Cleveland? If she flew into DTW she would have seen a world class airport [[granted she would have needed to rent a car). I've been to NYC and I've not seen tourist information everywhere. 95 percent of the folks at Eastern Market go there because thats where grandma took them and her grandma took her there too! While it is a cool place, it is utilitarian as it is needed to feed the City.

Did you read it? She did mention the Riverwalk. She also said that the reason she flew to Cleveland was to visit her friend who she then rode with to Detroit.

[DetroitPlanner]

Did you read it? She did mention the Riverwalk. She also said that the reason she flew to Cleveland was to visit her friend who she then rode with to Detroit.

If you read it, she mentions it indirectly. She never says she went there. If she had been there she would have seen that there already is a carousel, and her idea of making it based on cars or motown stars is idiotic. Yeah like I want to ride Aretha Franklin or Kid Rock?

[Honky Tonk]

If you read it, she mentions it indirectly. She never says she went there. If she had been there she would have seen that there already is a carousel, and her idea of making it based on cars or motown stars is idiotic. Yeah like I want to ride Aretha Franklin or Kid Rock?

You'll have to go to Clarksville to ride the "Kid Rock".

[Wheels]

You'll have to go to Clarksville to ride the "Kid Rock".

Is that on the last train?

[GP For Life]

This lady is an obnoxious twit who should be tarred and feathered.

[EastsideAl]

More unsolicited advice: Stop tearing stuff down. Do everything you can to preserve what you've got, especially the beautiful old brick and stone buildings. Treasures like the Wurlitzer Building and the beaux-arts Wayne County Building, certainly the train station, even more mundane vernacular architecture like the brick homes we saw abandoned on the edges of Boston-Edison.

This!!!!

It's too late for the Lafayette Building, Hudson's, almost all of Brush Park and dozens of other buildings and neighborhoods that have been turned into vacant lots, parking lots, or "temporary" gardens. Those retrograde fools at the DEGC and elsewhere in the City really need to see this over and over again until it sets into their hard 1960s-era heads.

[EastsideAl]

A lot of good suggestions, esp. about the souvenirs with Diana Ross, etc. image on them; however, that may require copyright clearance and sharing of royalties with the singers.

Motown [[or, more to the point, the holders of their properties) are incredibly stingy with their rights, and charge a ridiculous premium for them now. Even Esther Gordy Edwards and the staff at the Motown Museum had to battle with them - not always successfully - for several things exhibited and sold there.

[EastsideAl]

We need Boblo back!

Much as I loved Boblo, other than the well-known giant monster theme parks, amusement parks really aren't much of a tourist attraction anymore for people outside of the local area.

As far as car attractions, the Henry Ford is one of the largest. They have several old car shows a year.

The Henry Ford Museum, etc. is great, but you'd be surprised how many people outside of the area don't know of the place at all, or don't know that it has a great car collection, besides the Greenfield Village attractions. The Woodward Dream Cruise is great too, and seems like an obvious event to anyone from outside of the Detroit area, but it took them a long time and overcoming a lot of objections to start and grow that event. Anyway, it is only a weekend and not really connected to anything larger. The auto factory tours were something that was positively screaming to be restarted [[something visitors to here, particularly from overseas, almost always ask about). Thank goodness The Henry Ford [[silly name) and Ford finally decided to reinstate them.

In any event, the Henry Ford is in Dearborn, and the Dream Cruise takes place out in Oakland County. What surprises and frustrates a lot of visitors to Detroit is that there is no car-related attraction in Detroit itself near the center of the city - or at least easily and quickly reachable by public transportation from downtown.

The Historical Museum has the potential to be at least a part of that attraction, but it effectively hides its considerable charms from all but we locals who know it. It doesn't advertise outside of the local area, isn't in a lot of tourist material about the area, and is chronically underfunded. The T-Plex people on Piquette have similar potential, and similar difficulties.

She seems to be into all of the foodie arty froo froo crapola.

In case you haven't noticed, that's what sells to a lot of tourists. Look at areas like Soho in NYC, the near north side in Chicago, South Beach in Miami, SOMA or the Marina in San Francisco, etc. Detroit barely has any real commercial activity in a lot of it, let alone places or areas like this. But the potential certainly exists.

No mention of Belle Isle, Campus Martius, riverwalk, or even GM's HQ [[other than saying the marriot costs a lot)

She did mention the Riverwalk. Belle Isle is difficult to reach or appreciate from downtown [[due to lack of public transportation, again) and many of its attractions have been lost or severely diminished through short-sighted neglect. Campus Martius is nice enough, but with its lone cafe and little skating rink is really impressive only to locals [[especially those of us who remember the planning atrocities that preceded it). Old City Hall would've been much more impressive, if modernizing planning numbskulls hadn't had it torn down. And since when was the GM Headquarters a tourist attraction?

If she went to Campus Martius, she would have found D:hive, which does have tourist information.

D:hive is cool, but it isn't really aimed at tourists and is not obviously a tourist information place. What she's really talking about is the easy availability of basic information about city attractions at places where a lot of tourists, and even unfamiliar suburbanites, are likely to go. And that is definitely sorely lacking.

Eastern Market on Saturday would be a good place to have a temporary mobile setup for this, as would be the ballparks before/after games, Hart Plaza during festivals, local theaters, the Auto Show and other conventions and shows. And The Riverwalk, the Cultural Center, and perhaps the Motown Museum should have this all the time.

Why fly into Cleveland? If she flew into DTW she would have seen a world class airport [[granted she would have needed to rent a car).

Explained in the article. But you do bring up the unconscionably stupid lack of reasonable public transportation options between Metro Airport and downtown [[or really anywhere). The corrupt folks who run our oh-so-modern airport won't even permit the Super Shuttle type lower-cost group shuttle vans that are available in pretty much every other major city in the country.

I've been to NYC and I've not seen tourist information everywhere.

New York doesn't really need that, now does it? Detroit's attractions are somewhat less known and more well hidden. We need to sell ourselves, not sit around and say foolish things like "well, NYC doesn't do it, why should we?"

95 percent of the folks at Eastern Market go there because that's where grandma took them and her grandma took her there too! While it is a cool place, it is utilitarian as it is needed to feed the City

Typically short-sighted Detroit thinking. The Eastern Market has enormous potential as an attraction. Everyone I've taken there has said that it was one of the best things they did in the city. There just aren't many places like that left, and many of the ones that remain, like the Eastern Market in Washington DC or Pike Place Market in Seattle, have become significant attractions for those cities.

[nain rouge]

If you don't plan out your trip much the result you get is what Cheryl Moch experienced. Outside of maybe 5 or 6 major cities, I don't know of anywhere else you can go and just constantly bump into tourist attractions, and it's ridiculous to expect a city in Detroit's straights to put that together. And how many people would honestly vacation in Detroit? Even though the city has its merits, most people want feelgood experiences, not educational trips through failed America.

[iheartthed]

Typically short-sighted Detroit thinking. The Eastern Market has enormous potential as an attraction. Everyone I've taken there has said that it was one of the best things they did in the city. There just aren't many places like that left, and many of the ones that remain, like the Eastern Market in Washington DC or Pike Place Market in Seattle, have become significant attractions for those cities.

Ironically, I took my friend from NYC to the Eastern Market on a Saturday earlier this summer. It was his first time visiting Detroit and we stumbled into it. He was very impressed by it. Eastern Market has major potential...

[poobert]

I don't think Detroit will ever be a tourist mecca for a variety of reasons, but is indeed a very insightful article. Of course everyone here wants to shun the outsider, because, you know, we've got things all figured out already.

I can give her a pass on staying in a cheap hotel in the 'burbs. I did the same thing in Charleston. If you intend simply to sleep there, it serves its purpose.

There has long been a lack of cohesive planning in Metro Detroit. I think what was most insightful about what she brought up is the dismal failure that is VisitDetroit, which leaves much to be desired when it comes to, uh, Detroit.

Around here the attitude is "I've got mine so fuck you, and if you're getting something, then I want it to." Case in point, on Visit Detroit Greater Novi has the same priority as Downtown Detroit.

I'm not sure what the fuck "Greater Novi" is, but I'm pretty sure there is nothing of interest to tourists there. Wherever "there" is. Don't tell Novi that, though. They've got great schools, after all. Whatever.

It would be anathema to suburbanites, however, to suggest that Detroit be highlighted and promoted as the tourist destination of the region above their glorious kingdoms.

Then, in turn, the same vein of thinking follows for everything. Case in point: transit. There isn't any concept of a greater good or strategic allocation resources here. Especially when it involves the dirty D with all its, you know, black people.

I've been to a shitload of countries and get thrown all over the place from the military and I can tell you Eastern Market is impressive by any standard. Meanwhile we've got a totally unused airport right down the road from it, along with a pretty nice airport in the middle of nowhere - totally lacking functional transit - run by our equivalent of the Russian mob.

We need adults [[educated, non-criminal ones) with a greater vision in charge, frankly. However I think our leaders are sadly a direct reflection of our populace. It's gonna be a while before anything changes.