News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Alpena Convention and Visitors Bureau President Mary Beth Stutzman glances at a page of a promotional pamphlet about Alpena. She said the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the number of people visiting the area, but Alpena fared better than many other communities.

ALPENA — Travel and vacation trends have changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and local tourism officials have tweaked how they market their communities to attract visitors.

According to Alpena Area Convention and Visitors Bureau President Mary Beth Stutzman, people take fewer trips across the country and internationally. She said staying closer to home has become more appealing for many vacationers.

Stutzman said the trend hasn’t hurt Alpena much, but admitted the number of visitors the area welcomes from Canada has dipped because of vaccine restrictions. Instead, she said, out-of-town visitors are driving several hours across the state for a weekend out of the house.

“You are seeing more nearby roadtrip travel and staying closer to home, and that isn’t just in Michigan, but all over the country,” Stutzman said. “We are seeing people who are now taking more regional trips. Some of the people are taking trips now because they canceled or postponed them during the shutdown and are now more confident to travel and be around other people.”

Stutzman said tourism in Alpena was at an all-time high in 2019, but it collapsed in 2020 because of travel restrictions and mandates implemented by the government, in an effort to slow the spread of the disease. She said in 2021, Alpena began to see more tourists return and last year it inched up once more.

Stutzman said Alpena wasn’t impacted as much as many other communities because of the attractions, recreational activities, and natural resources it has. She said people are still choosing to spend the night while in Alpena, but for a shorter period of time.

“It is going to continue to bounce back because people want to explore, hike, fish, kayak, and spend time outside where there aren’t large groups of people,” Stutzman said. “We are in a really great position because we are insulated away from some of the stress of the bigger cities and the things that are happening in metropolitan areas.”

Another factor that could impact local tourism is inflation and the cost of gas. Stutzman said the CVB isn’t sure what impact those things will have, but it could determine how many people travel, how long they stay, and the amount they spend while away from home.

“It is Alpena and everyone will be entertained and have a great time and overall, I think Alpena is in a little bit better position than most,” she said. “I’m not concerned about our ability to service the tourist industry, but we need to continue to be positive about our community and what makes it special.”