Visit Detroit welcomed senior leaders from Travel Michigan and the U.S. Travel Association for Travel Works event

This week, Visit Detroit welcomed senior leaders from Travel Michigan and the U.S. Travel Association as they took the Travel Works roadshow to Detroit.

What it is: Through different stops across the country, U.S. Travel will demonstrate travel's indispensable impact on the economy, communities, and businesses nationwide. By connecting government, civic, and business leaders around the importance of travel, Visit Detroit and U.S. Travel will be better positioned to help Southeast Michigan's economy grow.

Travel Works in Detroit highlighted the essential nature of travel to the local and state economy, which generates $9.2 billion in direct spending in the Detroit Region and supports hundreds of thousands of jobs in Southeast Michigan.

Speakers included:

The Honorable Debbie Dingell, United States Congresswoman
Joe Tate, Michigan Speaker of the House
Todd Bettison, Deputy Mayor, City of Detroit
Hilary Doe, Chief Growth Officer, Michigan Economic Development Corporation
Geoff Freeman, President & CEO, U.S. Travel Association
Claude Molinari, President & CEO, Visit Detroit
Dennis W. Archer, Jr., CEO of Ignition Media Group & President & Founding Partner, Archer Corporate Services (ACS)
Neil Barclay, President & CEO, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
Tori Barnes, Executive Vice President, Public Affairs and Policy, U.S. Travel Association
Andrew Leber, Vice President of Hospitality, Bedrock
Dave Lorenz, Vice President, Travel Michigan • Claude Molinari, President & CEO, Visit Detroit
Terry Rhadigan, Vice President, Global Comunications and Corporate Giving, GM
Michelle Street, GM, Detroit Marriott Troy
Stacy Ziarko, President and CEO, Macomb Connect
Karen Totaro, General Manager Huntington Place
Rod Alberts, Executive Director, North American International Auto Show

Leaders underscored the positive impact the industry has on Michigan businesses—and emphasized that travel is the backbone of growth for destinations. Read more about the stops the team made during their stay.

Stops on the Roadshow Included:

The Charles H. Wright Museum
Huntington Place for a behind-scenes-tour of the set up for the North American International Auto Show
A Walking Tour of Downtown Detroit
A Walking Tour of the Detroit Riverwalk
A Ride in a Model T Ford in Greenfield Visit
A Tour of the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation
Lunch with the Mayor of Dearborn at the Dearborn Meat Market

Throughout each stop, speakers highlighted Detroit’s historical role as an epicenter of innovation and mobility—aligning with the city’s spirit of resilience and progress.

The event was covered by local media outlets, including by ABC and Fox affiliate stations.

What’s more: The Detroit stop comes one week ahead of the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS)—an important international trade show that generates $300 million for the regional economy and showcases the power of meetings and events.

Amplifying our message: During the opening #TravelWorks event, we were joined by Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI), the Deputy Mayor of Detroit, the Michigan Speaker of the House and local business leaders who spoke about the power of travelers who become evangelists for the city after visiting—helping to tell the story of Detroit now, overcoming perceptions and demonstrating its vibrant revitalization.

Here’s what they said:

Claude Molinari, President and CEO, Visit Detroit: Investing in tourism is one of the most cost-effective strategies state leaders can take to improve the health of local communities, provide Michiganders with good-paying jobs and position the state to grow again.

The average visitor to the Detroit region spends $557. With more than 16.5 million visitors in 2022 that is the equivalent to consumers buying 226,000 Jeep Grand Cherokees, which is 3,000 more than were sold last year. Visitors just to the Detroit region are the equivalent of producing a top-ten selling vehicle in the United States.

Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI): We care deeply about people coming to visit us. I know how essential travel is… it’s indispensable to America’s competitiveness. We know this in Detroit.

Speaker of the House Joe Tate: Detroit is the gateway to Michigan, and attracting major events to our region is critical for the economic vitality of region and our city’s long-term growth.

Molly Harris, Managing Director, Airport Customer Service, Delta: We have 4,400 employees in Michigan. Delta’s culture is our people. Our platform is, ‘invest in our people and they’ll invest in our customer.’

Terry Rhadigan, Vice President, Global Communications and Corporate Giving, General Motors: We are committed to an all-electric future. Many of those vehicles are built right here at “Factory Zero”—named for zero emissions. We are leading the charge and proud of the role Detroit is playing in that future.

Geoff Freeman, President and CEO, U.S. Travel Association: Detroit is a city of travel firsts: the first paved road, the first stop sign, the first tri-colored traffic light. With more than 200 million Americans taking road trips yearly, travel wouldn't be travel without Detroit.