DETROIT -- Travel in Michigan is expected to decline a modest 3 percent to 4 percent, industry experts estimate, despite drops in nationwide travel spending figures nearly twice that high.

Michigan travel spending and volume in 2009 will decline between 3 percent and 4 percent over last year, according to the Michigan Tourism Forecast presented Monday by Michigan State University researchers, despite a 44 percent drop in the Michigan consumer confidence index and nationwide projections of a 7 percent drop in travel spending. The results were presented during the annual Michigan Tourism Conference being held through Tuesday in Detroit.

The largest projected decline of 7.7 percent will be felt in the Upper Peninsula, particularly among small, family-owned lodging properties, MSU researcher Sarah Nicholls said. The northern Lower Peninsula is projected to see a drop of about 1.7 percent. The less-modern facilities seem to be suffering more than more up-to-date lodging properties, Nicholls said. There also has been a steady drop in Mackinac Bridge crossings (down 8.9 percent in 2008 over 2007).

Travel volume overall declined 6.2 in 2008, but Nicholls and co-researcher Don Holecek said they believe much of that was due to a reduction in day-to-day travel when gas prices spiked, as well as the fact people did more carpooling, resulting in less road traffic.

Hospitality tax revenues climbed 4.3 percent in 2008, indicating people still traveled, but perhaps took fewer trips and stayed longer, researchers surmised. And that was despite record gas prices and bad weather: 2008 was 16.5 percent wetter and 4.5 percent cooler than 2007.

"There is a latent demand (for travel)," Holecek said. "We had a long cold winter, and summers are short. We're going to do something. People may not go to high-end properties. But they will find something to do."

The Pure Michigan campaign also is going national at a time when most states are cutting back on travel promotions; details on that campaign will be presented Tuesday at the travel conference. Dave Lorenz, vice president of Travel Michigan, says he believes the response to the campaign will be immediate and perhaps prove the MSU projections too pessimistic.

E-mail Kim Schneider: Little River Band plans second western Michigan casino

MUSKEGON - The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians said it will buy the 87-acre Great Lakes Downs property with the eventual goal of creating a casino there. Tribal officials planned to make the announcement at the Fruitport Township track Wednesday afternoon, stating that they had made a "major investment" in the track and surrounding property near the junction of...

MUSKEGON - The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians said it will buy the 87-acre Great Lakes Downs property with the eventual goal of creating a casino there.

Tribal officials planned to make the announcement at the Fruitport Township track Wednesday afternoon, stating that they had made a "major investment" in the track and surrounding property near the junction of I-96 and U.S. 31.

No purchase price has been released, although the asking price this spring was $6 million.

If its casino plans materialize, it would become e the second casino to be operated by the Little River Band in West Michigan. It operates Little River Casino Resort just north of Manistee, which opened in 1999. It has since gone through two major expansions and today is the largest employer in Manistee County with more than 1,000 full-time jobs.

Ogema (Tribal Chief) Larry Romanelli, himself a Muskegon businessman, issued this statement: "We are pleased to be able to make this investment in Western Michigan's economy as it will help bring jobs, businesses and tourism to the area. This move is being made by the tribe as a commitment to serve a region that is part of our historic nine-county service area (in which members of the tribe live)."

Romanelli said this unspecified investment of tribal funds is in ke