Michigan named best place to travel worldwide for outdoor enthusiasts

TripSavvy, a national travel publication, has named Michigan

. For areas in the U.P. that rely on outdoor tourism like the Keweenaw, rankings like this are incredibly helpful.

"We're a four season destination for outdoor adventure travel and it's one of our cornerstones for attracting people to come to the Keweenaw. It plays a major role in our economy that provides a lot of jobs in the areas, and we continually like to promote that to visitors of the region," said Brad Barnett, Executive Director of the Keweenaw Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.

With events like the Copper Harbor Trails Fest, and miles of trails for ORV’s and snowmobilers, travelers help local restaurants and hotels stay busy.

"All of us in the area benefit from outside tourism. Especially with snowmobilers, I mean look at the snow outside, we've been blessed with a lot of it very early on this year, so I think everyone can honestly tell you that everyone is up in numbers as far as business goes," said Julie Cortright, Owner of Bonfire Grill.

One of the area’s best outdoor attractions is Isle Royale National Park which draws in visitors looking for an escape out into the wilderness and is the most revisited national park in the country.

"It's an incredible experience mainly because it's untouched, pristine, natural wilderness. You're not going to find that sort of experience in the United States in many places," said Barnett.

With the cuts to the Pure Michigan campaign, outreach like this will help boost the areas tourism industry.

"That's taken 37 million dollars out of national advertising promoting Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, and leaves places like the Keweenaw out of the loop. This designation is huge because it reaches not just national, but international audiences and puts us back on the map," added Barnett.