In the first quarter of 2007, 313,249 hotel rooms were booked through 2013, as compared to 230,264 booked through just 2009 in the first quarter of 2005—a 36% improvement.
I’d like to see tourism takeover as a bigger part in Detroit’s economy. It’s already moving in that direction with the casinos, the riverfront, and the revitalized downtown. There’s still lots more that could be promoted such as the link to Windsor/Canada, unique districts like Eastern Market, Mexicantown, Corktown, Warren Avenue in Dearborn, Little Bengal in Hamtramck, and historic downtowns like Northville and Farmington.
As the article says “Once we get them to come, they say, ‘Whoa, Detroit is much nicer than I thought!’” This is what I’ve experienced myself when friends came to visit. The problem is overcoming their false assumptions and getting them to come in the first place.