The problem is that Detroit is not a pass-through city unless you're going to or from Canada. The rest of America has to effectively make a special trip to Detroit, by going north to enter the peninsula.
There isn't really the infrastructure for tourism, either. You absolutely must rent a car to get around here. I've never been to a city where you couldn't get off at the airport and hop on a train or bus, for very little cost and just as little figuring, and get to the city center. This includes foreign countries where I had little knowledge of the language. Yet in my home city I sure as hell couldn't tell you how to get downtown from the airport other than a damned Metro Car or a bus that barely ever runs.
Detroit is nice if you happen to be here, or want to travel the whole US I think it is an essential stop, but certainly not a destination in itself. Yeah we have some really nice stuff, but so do other cities. We're not the only city in the US with a major art museum.
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