Oakland County
Tourism & Attraction
5-Year Strategic Plan
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Project Overview & How We Got Here
2024 Metro Detroit Tri-County Visitor Spending
Direct visitor spending in Oakland County generated a total economic impact of $4.9 billion in 2024, including indirect and induced impacts. This total economic impact sustained nearly 41,000 jobs, $1.4 billion in income, and generated $426 million in state and local tax revenues.
The Oakland County Department of Economic Development recognizes the important role that tourism and related business attraction and retention has on the local economy and promoting vibrant communities. In January 2025, the County embarked on its seminal strategic planning process to develop the County’s first 5-year Tourism & Attraction Strategic Plan.
Over the course of 10 months the team aimed to:
- Quantify the value and impact of tourism in the County
- Identify options for the County’s tourism brand messaging, positioning, and visual identity
- Chart actionable strategies to attract new visitors, residents, businesses, and employees; and extend visitor stays by enhancing experiences, products, mobility and marketing
- Determine sustainable models for tourism development and management
2024 Metro Detroit Tri-County Visitor Spending
$4.9B
Economic Impact
41,000
Jobs Supported
$1.4B
Income Generated
$426M
Tax Revenue
Over the course of 10 months the team aimed to:
- Quantify the value and impact of tourism in the County
- Identify options for the County’s tourism brand messaging, positioning, and visual identity
- Chart actionable strategies to attract new visitors, residents, businesses, and employees; and extend visitor stays by enhancing experiences, products, mobility and marketing
- Determine sustainable models for tourism development and management
Destination Workshops 2024-2025
TEAM
Who Participated in the Development of the Plan?
The Oakland County Department of Economic Development oversaw the development of the Strategic Plan and managed external partnerships, including with prime consultant, Think Place Agency, and sub-consultants BLKDOG and Tourism Economics.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE DESTINATION DIAGNOSTIC
What Makes Oakland County A Destination & How Does It Stack Up?
Top 10 Highlights
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01. Oakland County is a big, price-competitive Midwestern destination.
With over 14,700 points-of-interest across categories such as ‘Shopping’, ‘Culinary’, ‘Lodging’, ‘Education, Arts & Culture’, ‘The Great Outdoors’, etc., the county offers the widest array of experiences for visitors compared to its Benchmark Communities of Denton County (TX), Montgomery County (PA), Dane County (WI), and Riverside County (CA). The average mid-tier price points of the County’s products and experiences also make it an ideal destination for travelers seeking lower cost experiences in a tighter economy.
Source: Think Place Agency (2025) (based on consumer review data available through Google)
02. Oakland County is a destination that invites curiosity through fun family experiences.
From Great Lakes Crossing Outlets, Suburban Collection Showplace, Detroit Zoo, Pine Knob, and Renaissance Festival to Meadow Brook Hall, Zekelman Holocaust Center and Cranbrook, the county’s top visited attractions and venues with over 750,000+ annual unique visits invite curiosity in culture, arts, architecture, history, and science.
Source: Placer.Ai (Jan 01, 2024-Dec 31, 2024)
03. Oakland County offers Metro Detroiters a quick escape to the great outdoors.
There are over 1,100+ points of interest in the great outdoors, giving visitors and area residents access to a range of quality outdoor recreation opportunities, including lakes, County, Metro and State Parks, golf courses, equestrian facilities, and accessible trails.
Source: Think Place Agency (2025). Based on consumer review data available through Google, the widest open consumer review platform which plays a huge role in shaping any business or attraction’s reputation and attracting new visitors/consumers. Google allows consumers to leave reviews from Android and iOS devices, and seamlessly integrates this data with Google Search and Google Maps, which are some of the world’s leading search engine platforms.
04. Oakland County is every other metro Detroiter’s hometown - there’s a downtown or unique corridor for everyone.
The collection of diverse communities and downtowns are major hubs of shopping, dining, entertainment, and most importantly, iconic hometown events and festivals, including the Michigan State Fair and Woodward Dream Cruise, which welcome millions of visitors annually.
Source: Placer.Ai (Jan 01, 2024-Dec 31, 2024)
05. Oakland County is primarily a destination for Metro Detroiters and Midwestern explorers.
99% of visitors that participated in the visitor survey are from the United States. Even with limited destination management and stewardship efforts in the County, visitors from within 2-2.5 hour drive of the County (largely SE Michigan, OH, IN) have left with positive overall impressions and 99% of those surveyed have indicated they would visit Oakland County again, with many citing strong family ties as being a key reason for wanting to return. They are also likely looking for more affordable experiences.
Source: artsbeatseats.com
06. Oakland County has the opportunity to capture budget savvy visitors travelling in pairs or larger groups.
In particular, events and festivals are rated highly by past visitors indicating their value and the need to continue offering these free and memorable experiences across the County’s downtowns and unique corridors. Visitors from outside of Metro Detroit have also indicated the need to increase awareness and access to the County’s hidden gems — its outdoor recreation assets.
Source: Think Place Agency (2025)
07. In 2024, the County attracted over 16.7 million visitors who spent $3.3 billion, or $9.0 million daily average spending.
Total visitor volume and spending to Oakland County expanded 0.8% and 1.3% respectively, from 2023 levels. For comparison, visitor volume is 1.6 times the population of the State of Michigan (10.1 million)
Source: Think Place Agency (2025)
08. The tourism industry in Oakland County directly supported 24,456 local jobs.
Visitor activity supported a significant portion of direct employment in several key industries in Oakland County. Visitors sustained nearly all employment in the lodging sector, 19% of recreation employment, and 14% of food services employment. When considering total jobs (including indirect and induced), this share was 3.8% of the total.
Source: BEA, BLS, Tourism Economics
Source: Tourism Economics
09. Visitor activity generated a total of $1.4 billion in total income or the equivalent of over $2,600 per household in Oakland County.
When taken on a per job basis, the average wage for direct tourism jobs was $27,700 per year while the average for indirect and induced jobs was $45,000. Overall including all jobs, the average wage for tourism-supported jobs was $34,600 annually in 2024.
Source: Tourism Economics
10. Visitor spending, visitor supported jobs, and business sales generated nearly $760 million in government revenues in 2024.
State and local taxes alone tallied $426 million, enough to fund the average salaries of 6,600 public school teachers in Oakland County.
Source: Tourism Economics
14,700+
Total Products & Experiences
16.7M
Annual Visitors
$1.4B
Income Generated
$426M
State/Local Tax Revenue
Our Vision
Where people go to connect with their curiosities, with each other, and the Metro Detroit region.
The Plan is guided by the vision and brand positioning of Oakland as Metro Detroit’s premier hometown, where global innovation meets midwestern community charm.
Oakland County’s proximity to Detroit’s iconic energy and headquarters is paired with a vibrant mix of culture, outdoor adventure, and community. The County will continue to welcome international investors, fast-growing companies, and Midwestern explorers to its uniquely balanced destination: Where unique, walkable corridors and family-first downtowns, world-class education, accessible nature, and vibrant cultural and culinary diversity come together in every season.
Target Audiences
The Plan targets the following four audiences with different backgrounds but one similar drive: Exceptional quality of life as a central driving force, and the opportunities awarded to those who choose Oakland County Michigan: whether for a career move, a weekend getaway, or a different pace of living.
The Ambitious & Creative
Starter
Recent grads, career starters
The Regional Explorer
Family-oriented and culture-driven travelers
The Dreamer
Small business owners &
entrepreneurs
The Legacy Builder
Lifelong Michiganders, retirees, career pivots
Overview of Goals
The team conducted a series of research tasks to build a baseline understanding of Oakland County, including its strengths, competitive advantages, and opportunities as a year-round community and destination. This included:
Destination Stewardship & Governance
Brand & Marketing
Products & Experiences
Place & Infrastructure
Business & Workforce
Create a sustainable framework for destination stewardship in Oakland County
Maintain and grow brand loyalty in the Metro Detroit area among residents and nearby visitors
Raise Oakland County’s brand awareness among new regional Midwestern audiences
Increase connectivity to and accessibility of great outdoor assets for new audiences
Nurture popular hometown events and seed new marquee events
Create world-class cultural and sporting institutions and experiences
Build on small-town charm and visitor readiness
Connect visitor experience clusters through alternative mobility
Strengthen hometown identities & align hometown brands/products with the lifestyles of the talent pool
Grow and diversify group travel in lifestyle and technology sectors