IRONWOOD, MI— A significant lack of snow over the holidays has western Upper Peninsula businesses asking the Michigan Economic Development Corporation for help.
Tourism-related businesses in Gogebic and Ontonagon counties are reporting a $3.1 million loss between Christmas and New Year’s Day and forecast another loss of $3.8 million or more in revenue in January.
Mary Beth DeFazio is President of the Lake Gogebic Area Chamber of Commerce. She says winter tourism like snowmobiling, skiing, and snowshoeing can account for 80 percent of a business’ annual revenue, but the numbers just aren’t there.
“We had more business up here during COVID, when we were on lockdown, than we have now.”
Sarah Long is President of the Western U.P. Convention and Visitors Bureau. She says businesses can’t recover what they lost over the holiday season.
“What we had for December and January… at this point, it’s gone. There’s no way that we can make that revenue up going forward.”
The MEDC says it’s putting together a work group coordinated by the Outdoor Recreation Industry Office and is looking at all potential opportunities to help.
In the meantime, western U.P. business owners are holding strategic planning workshops for marketing ideas on how to salvage the tourism season and get stronger over the rest of the year. DeFazio says they want to be able to use those ideas in the years to come, should they face another low-snow winter season.
