Last year we thought we were finally going to turn the corner ... we actually saw a slight decline in travel. So we were half-right last year.

When we met with representatives for Travel Michigan to review the tourism indicators that we have been tracking for more than 20 years, we were all somewhat surprised by just how well the industry fared in 2005.

This is the underlying thing that's saving us- people still like to travel.

The biggest question is whether people are feeling confident enough to take a trip.

We're improving, but it's painfully slow compared to what's going on nationally.

Engaging everyone who should be involved in developing a comprehensive plan for such a large and diverse industry is essential for it to be successful but presents a major challenge for the planning team.