Lansing a focus in Michigan's international tourism campaign

LANSING – Inside the Lansing Brewing Co. on Thursday, an actor was filming a segment praising the city’s circuit of breweries, wineries and distilleries.

"For amazing drinks paired with a variety of artisan and comfort foods, the Makers and Shakers Beer, Wine and Spirits Trail can’t be beat,"  reads the script.

Tyler Ham Pong is the host of the two-minute commercial highlighting areas of Greater Lansing that would appeal to Canadians.

“In Greater Lansing, I discovered that Pure Michigan experience,” Tyler Ham Pong later said to the camera. “Come visit yourself – and find out what this All-American city has to offer.”

Ham Pong works for Brand USA, the federal government’s destination marketing arm, which partnered with Travel Michigan and the Greater Lansing Convention & Visitors Bureau, to film the commercial that also features Eastwood Towne Center, American Fifth Spirits as well as Hawk Hollow and Eagle Eye golf courses.

Brand USA is filming five commercials in Michigan, promoting Lansing and other cities to Canadians, Germans, Chinese and the British. Lansing is the sole focus of one of the Canadian commercials since more Canadians come to the city - and to the state - than visitors from any other country.  With no traffic, it’s an hour-and-a-half drive from Windsor, Ontario, to Lansing.

“This is a beautiful city,” Ham Pong said, a native of Ottawa. “Canadians are very outdoorsy, so we highlighted the golf scene. I’m happy they had poutine at Lansing Brewing Co. It will please a lot of Canadians.”

When Brand USA films commercials aimed at a target audience, the actor is a native of the country, speaking in their language or dialect.

Ham Pong said it makes the commercial feel more “personable and authentic.”

The scripts for the Chinese, German and British commercials highlight Detroit, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids and Lansing, focusing in Lansing's case on the city’s 13-mile river trail and nearby Michigan State University.

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Annually, 4.7 million people visit the Greater Lansing area, generating $472 million in economic impact, said Tracy Padot, vice president of Marketing Communications for the GLCVB. The organization doesn’t break down domestic versus international visitors. Preliminary data shows those numbers are trending upward this year and those to come, Padot added.

Across the state, more than 3 million international tourists visited, spending an estimated $1.5 billion in 2014, according to the consulting firm Tourism Economics. Data for 2015 has not yet been released.

Padot said most international visitors are impressed with the amount of green space and parks the area has to offer. Shopping is also a big draw since prices are typically lower in the Midwest, she added.

Dave Lorenz, vice president of Travel Michigan, said the scripts are based on the travel habits of travelers from each country. The Lansing River Trail is highlighted throughout the other commercials because, on average, Germans, Chinese and the British tend to be more active.

“We try to capture what we see as the all-American experience,” said Lorenz, of the commercials. He was seated at a booth inside Lansing Brewing Co. “Every time we get someone to come here, it’s like an export.”

When the commercials are complete, they will be broadcast on VisitTheUSA.com and in the McNamara Terminal at Detroit Metropolitan Airport to welcome international visitors.

Alexander Alusheff is a reporter for the Lansing State Journal. Contact him at (517) 388-5973 or aalusheff@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexalusheff.