Latest Trend: Tourists Want To See Behind the Scenes
By Karen Gould

Getting a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes is the latest tread in tour packages. The tourism industry calls them affinity tours and the concept is nothing new to Mackinac Island business people, including those who attended the National Tourist Association convention in Detroit in November, which was chaired by Chris Shepler of Shepler’s Mackinac Island Ferry.

“Visitors don’t want to sit and watch,” said Mr. Shelper. “They want to do.”

The meeting was attended by 450 tour operators from all over the country and some 2,500 tour suppliers.

What tourists want and what tour planners are looking for are places offering programs that provide travelers with more in-depth information about the place they are visiting, including kitchen tours, wine tastings, chef demonstrations, fudge tours, and garden tours, said Mary Slevin, executive director of the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau.

The Tourism Bureau, she said, will be offering architectural walking tours on the Island next summer, highlighting building styles over a 300- year period.

Grand Hotel has offered behind the scenes tours for years, including a kitchen tour, a lecture tour covering hotel history, flower demonstrations, flower and garden tours, and cooking demonstrations, said Grand Hotel Convention Manager Steve Decker.

One of the responsibilities of a convention manager at Grand Hotel is to take his groups through the kitchen. He said he likes to walk guests through the steps of kitchen service, from the time the order is taken until the meal is served.

“When you have a dining room that seats 900 guests, people find it interesting to see how the hotel maintains such efficient service to that many guests at one time,” said Mr. Decker.

David Sanderson, the new general manager at Mission Point Resort, said the resort is working with several vineyards to bring in some wine tasting events.

At Mackinac State Historic Parks, visitors can get an inside view of archeology at Colonial Michilimackinac, where archaeologists are still uncovering the secrets of life here in the 1700s. On special evenings, the visitors can even help sift through the dirt.

“As travel sellers, we need to find different ways to keep people coming to the area,” said Mr. Shepler, who said his company offers three lighthouse tours.

He said the company also is looking into group walking tours through its marina, where visitors might learn how a boat is painted or repaired, and learn about how the ferry service provides guest services.

“Disney has been doing this for years,” he said of affinity tours. “They were so far ahead on this.”

Mr. Shepler said as chairman of this year’s National Tourist Association convention, he used every opportunity to promote Michigan and the local area, “Once we get them to Michigan, they’re going to come back,” he said, “because it is such a beautiful place.”