Michigan sees big jump in tourism

A Michigan State University study said spending by tourists in the Great Lakes state should rise by 6 percent in 2012. Tourism spending rose by 7.8 percent in 2011, a turnaround after nearly 10 years of declining tourism revenue, the Detroit Free Press reported Tuesday. The state's new slogan, "Pure Michigan," broadcast in a national advertising campaign, is given credit with helping turn things around. In 2011, for the first time ever, travel spending by residents from other states outpaced travel spending by Michigan residents, the newspaper said. In 2011, 3.2 million residents of other states visited Michigan, spending $1 billion in the process, data shows. "It shows what working together can do," Gov. Rick Snyder told a travel industry conference Monday.