CNN Travel names Northwest Michigan among 24 places to visit in 2024
From staff reports
This week CNN Travel named our region, including Leelanau County and Traverse City, among the 24 best places to visit in the new year. The story encourages readers and travelers to “look at places that are still largely undiscovered, or alluring in the offseason, or frequently overlooked for their larger first cities or neighbors. Maybe it’s time to head to places that are making it easier for tourists to visit and those that pay close attention to encouraging tourism that’s sustainable.”
About Northwest Michigan, CNN’s Marnie Hunter writes: “Refreshing, unsalty Lake Michigan lures boatloads of tourists in summer, but the shoreline, quaint towns and rolling countryside of Northwest Michigan have plenty to offer year-round. From Traverse City, the scenic M-22 highway winds up the Leelanau Peninsula and hooks back down through Leland, home to a historic fishing village and a collection of interesting shops and galleries. Glen Arbor is another town worth perusing on the way to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, where off M-109 an all-sand, 3.5-mile hike over massive dunes to the Great Lake and back preps hardy hikers for a delicious dinner.” The CNN plug also mentions Farm Club in eastern Leelanau County.
Sleeping Bear Dunes is no stranger to national and international media exposure. In 2011 the ABC show “Good Morning America” named our region “the most beautiful place in America,” which immediately boosted tourism numbers to the National Lakeshore. The honor was largely the result of northern Michigan’s social media campaign, which we examined in this article. Sleeping Bear Dunes eclipsed its annual visitation record five different times in the ensuing decade.
Other destinations highlighted include: Sumba, Indonesia; Turkey’s Black Sea coast; Tartu, Estonia; Tainan, Taiwan; Trans Dinarica Cycle Route, Balkans; Culebra, Puerto Rico; Angola; Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada; South Korea; Albania; Chile; Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia; Macedonia, Greece; Panama; Galicia, Spain; Singapore’s offshore islands; Mérida, Mexico; Morocco; Florida’s freshwater springs; Texas Hill Country; Fujairah; Greenland; and Uzbekistan.
