Tourism in Flint & Genesee County generated $123 million in economic impact due to overnight hotel room rentals in Genesee County in 2013, according to the Flint & Genesee Convention & Visitors Bureau (FGCVB).
Additionally, hotel occupancy was 54.4 percent, a 1.5 percent increase over the previous year, and lodging revenue rose 4.8 percent in 2013. Supporting the FGCVB efforts was the Flint & Genesee Chamber’s web site, where an average of 1,292 new users visited the FGCVB section of the website per month.
“This is great news for Flint & Genesee,” said Tim Herman, Chamber CEO. “More and more businesses, groups and organizations are hosting meeting and events in our community, and the economic impact is significant. The area has also become a travel destination for individuals and families looking for unique and fun experiences close to home.”
Economic impact is calculated based on trackable room rentals at area hotels, meals, event tickets, gasoline and miscellaneous purchases, said Cheryl DeFrain, Director of the FGCVB.
The upward trend of tourism’s impact on the Flint & Genesee economy is already evident in 2014. New groups scheduled to host large events in the county include the State Convention for the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) in June, “Run or Dye,” a fun run involving colored dye stations along the course in June, and the Michigan National Limb Loss Educational Day event sponsored by Hurley Medical Center and the Amputee Coalition in May.
