Detroit tourist offers ideas on how to market Detroit to tourists

[DetroitPlanner]

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 [[straits) 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.

Fixed that for ya!

[401don]

People take week long vacations in National Parks, Disney, etc. but the vast majority of tourist dollars spent in cities are for 2-3 days weekend visits. I spend about $2,500 per year visiting Detroit on these trips every year. We often bring along couples who have never been to the city. Along with going to a ballgame, a mall, and possibly the Henry Ford, we now enjoy casinos, Campus Martius, the Riverwalk, many more restaurants, etc. My friends enjoy the city and have come back on their own [[from the Toronto area) several times. Just as I enjoy a visit to Chicago, Cincy or Pittsburgh for a change of pace, Detroit has become just as good of a destination for the weekend tourist as many other cities [[especially compared to 20 years ago when I really hesitated to bring anyone along). If Gilbert finally delivers the promised retail on Woodward it really be the icing on a fast-improving cake.

[iheartthed]

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.

I tend to vacation in urban locations. There is no reason that Detroit cannot be an urban vacation destination other than lack of will by those in charge.

[illwill]

I think it depends on the type of traveler. Also, it depends whether you're on a business trip, romantic weekend getaway, if you have kids with you, you're on a couples retreat or it's just you and your friends etc.

Me personally, I like to avoid the downtowns and spend time in the neighborhoods seeing how the locals live. When I was a kid, my parents would take us on vacation every summer. I remember hanging out in the New York, Chicago & D.C. slums in the late 70's because my parents wanted to eat the best Chinese food with the locals and save money. I believe there are still lots of families who like to vacation like that now-a-days, but I think most travelers don't go beyond Navy Pier, Michigan Avenue, Times Square or the D.C. Mall area.

In my humble opinion, vacationing should be all about exploring how people in a region live, not spending time with all the other tourist. So it's not always who has the most stores and best high-end restaurants.