Tourism Impact Plan (TIP)
What is a Tourism Impact Plan?
The Tourism Impact Plan is a comprehensive 10-year tourism plan that aligns with community values, enhances visitor experiences, and supports sustainable economic growth across Washtenaw County. This master plan will serve as a strategic roadmap for tourism development, stakeholder engagement, and infrastructure investment from 2027-2036. It will also be used to create tourism investment strategies, identify destination priorities, and establish processes that will shape our destination's evolution over the next decade.
Project Approach
Working Across Washtenaw County
There are several opportunities to engage with us as we go through this process, notably the community listening sessions and resident sentiment survey. More information on those is below. Additionally, we will be engaging across the County gathering direction and strategic insights from:
- Washtenaw County Residents
- Elected Officials and local government representatives across Washtenaw County
- Local businesses, chambers of commerce, and area downtown development authorities
Community Listening Sessions
These are in-person opportunities for Washtenaw County Residents to have an opportunity to share their perspectives on the role of tourism in their community. Each of these sessions will be 90 minutes and are designed to learn more about tourism and empower residents to share their hopes, concerns, and aspirations around tourism. Sign up for the community listening session nearest to you! These are free opportunities, we just ask you to register for planning purposes.
April 8: Milan Area Tourism Listening Session
April 9: Chelsea Area Tourism Listening Session
April 15: Manchester Area Tourism Listening Session
April 16: Dexter Area Tourism Listening Session (NEW DATE)
April 21: Ypsilanti Area Tourism Listening Session
April 22: Saline Area Tourism Listening Session
April 27: Ann Arbor Area Tourism Listening Session
Resident Sentiment Survey
Engage with us through our Resident Sentiment Survey. This survey will be an essential part of developing the Tourism Impact Plan as we seek to learn from Washtenaw County residents. This survey will be used to gauge resident perception on a number of issues, including livability, culture, economy, and place. Your responses will be kept strictly confidential. To participate in our Resident Sentiment Survey, click the button below.
How will my feedback be used?
Your feedback will help us better understand what residents care about, how they think about tourism, and the future they envision for Washtenaw County. Your thoughts and perspective will directly inform the path we take in the next 10 years in the county, so your voice is vital to this process.
Project Timeline
- January – April 2026: Initial research, data gathering, site visit, project launched at Destination Ann Arbor’s Annual Meeting
- March-April 2026: Community Listening Sessions across Washtenaw County, Resident Sentiment Survey
- Q3 2026: Plan development, refinement, and validation
- Q4 2026: Plan finalization and presentation
- January 2027: Plan implementation
Questions?
For questions or to share additional feedback, please email tourismimpactplan@annarbor.org.