Record number of visitors good sign for economy

MARQUETTE — Last year, hotels in Marquette County had record breaking business and they don’t seem to want to stop that trend.

“This year has been a record year for our Marquette County Hotels, over last year which was also a record year,” said Nicole Young, Executive Director of Travel Marquette.

And according to Young, good news for hotels is good news for everyone. “When we have record hotel stays in Marquette County, she said, “that really means that we’re getting a huge influx of money into the economy.”

One group that benefits from increased tourism is local business. The General Manager of Elizabeth’s Chophouse, Bobby Glenn Brown said that they’ve “noticed a big increase over the summer with people coming in and making reservations.”

Elizabeth’s Chophouse isn’t the only local business benefiting from the increased number of visitors, Young estimates that tourism made up around twenty percent of Marquette’s economy this year.

She said that Marquette employs over 4000 people in tourism related business.

That brings in around two million dollars for people in the county and for many of these workers, summer tourism is very important.

“People up here tend to hibernate in the winter, so unless it’s a holiday party or a group that comes in, the summer is some of our busiest time,” said Brown.