Our state parks are treasures. Michigan residents sometimes forget what's right in their own backyard. Let's get Michigan residents back to using our great state parks by offering free use of parks on weekends.

Michigan's tourism industry has had its share of success despite the downturn in the economy. As Governor, Mike Cox is committed to making Michigan a top 10 travel destination for national travelers. Not only do we want Michigan residents to enjoy all this state has to offer, but we also want out-of-state residents to bring their dollars to our tourism industry and let others know (including future job providers) how much Michigan has to offer. Michigan has tremendous assets with more freshwater coastline than any other state, including more than 11,000 lakes, amazing fishing, hunting and other tremendous attractions.

The Pure Michigan ads are a success. This is incredible when you factor in the troubled economy. As Governor, Mike Cox will continue the Pure Michigan ads. While the funding from the tobacco monies is running out, the Pure Michigan ads are bringing money to Michigan from out-of-state and need to be continued.

Michigan has some of the most beautiful parks in the nation. To increase traffic and revenue to the state parks, Mike Cox will identify corporate partners to create resort-style offerings at select Michigan state parks. Other states have had success in creating corporate partnerships with private sector resort companies to operate hotels/resorts within state parks. This will create a stable source of revenue for the park system and a new audience for state park attendance. The goal is to create more sustained support for state parks and increased attendance without creating "Disney-like" parks that would threaten Michigan's pristine environment.