Should Traverse City and the surrounding region continue to be promoted as a place to visit, move to or start a business?

It’s without question one of the hottest topics these days, generating thousands of comments in local social media groups and popping up in endless conversations among area residents and civic leaders.

The ire over tourism in particular has grown considerably in recent years, with many locals voicing concerns about its impact on our local infrastructure, environment, housing market, traffic patterns and more. Some believe efforts to promote the region should be scaled back or eliminated altogether, and a summer with increased congestion due to major road construction projects seems to have brought the issue to fever pitch.

But organizations involved in efforts to promote our region – chief among them Traverse City Tourism, the region’s convention and visitors bureau (CVB) – point to a host of regional benefits from tourism that often go overlooked, and caution against “turning off the spigot.”

The Traverse City Business News (The Ticker’s sister publication), connected with Traverse City Tourism CEO Trevor Tkach and COO Whitney Waara along with Traverse Connect CEO Warren Call and Communications Director Katherine Marciniak-DeGood to discuss the benefits and challenges of regional promotion, along with how their organizations function and are funded.

Look for the in-depth story in the July issue of the TCBN. Other topics include:

·        A profile of local entrepreneur Troy Daily

·        A look at the latest with TCNewTech

·        An update on Munson Healthcare’s Regional Care Transformation Plan

·        Analysis of the results of Traverse City’s Healthier Drinking Culture initiative

·        A look at how employers can address burnout

·        More than a dozen columns from local experts

·        Much more!

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