Already facing high unemployment, the U.P. is staring at the prospect of a lackluster summer tourism season. The U.P. is considered a driving destination, and it's feared that high gas prices through the summer will affect the travel plans of vacationers from Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison and the Twin Cities who might otherwise think about relaxing in the U.P.'s natural environs.
Adding insult to injury, the U.P. is coming off a poor winter tourism season, thanks to the lack of snow. Snowfall was so poor through January of this year that the state Economic Development Corp. considered (though didn't follow through on) a proposal to declare some parts of the U.P. disaster areas, which would have triggered government assistance for affected businesses.
—Ronald A. Wirtz
