DESTINATION MASTER PLAN

Washtenaw 2030: Destination Master Plan

The primary goal of Washtenaw 2030 is to build coalition among private and public-sector leaders around a shared vision for the future, where everyone in the County can participate in developing that future, and benefit from it. It is a 10-year, community-driven, resident-focused strategic framework designed to align sustainable visitor growth and equitable economic development.

THE VISION

A culture of innovative and knowledge that unleashes immersive creative experiences in active, diverse communities. 

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

The creation of this plan wouldn’t have been possible without the feedback from members of our community. Over the course of six months, we spoke with tourism and hospitality leaders as well as many professionals outside of the industry, including: leaders in government, economic development, academia, transportation and public services, and the residents of our County.

10 key takeaways

Washtenaw 2030: Destination Master Plan

These are the primary macro themes that anchor the direction of the Washtenaw 2030 Destination Master Plan, based on all of the input collected from the many various community engagement sessions and extensive research review.


1. Advocate for the continued development of the Mobility Innovation Corridor between Ann Arbor and Detroit 

2. Capitalize on local expertise in priority sectors to develop meetings business 

3. Develop visitor economy with Ann Arbor as a central hub connecting many other unique communities 

4. Diversify the leisure tourism industry for unique consumer profiles 

5. Develop Ypsilanti and other communities as arts, cultural and culinary hotspots 

6. Develop all-year outdoor recreation tourism and programming to establish the County as a leader in health, wellness, active lifestyles, and sustainability 

7. Develop sports tourism venues to capitalize on the exponential growth of amateur sport tournaments nationwide 

8. Build year-round demand generators for leisure travel and meetings/events to fill new hotel capacity 

9. Enhance government and industry workforce development initiatives to attract, train and retain talent 

10. Improve multimodal mobility and public transportation County-wide 

5 STRATEGIC GOALS

To accomplish the new vision for Washtenaw County, there are five critical strategic goals that need to be achieved in stages over the next 10 years. For each goal, there are a series of actionable initiatives that were determined by the many community engagement sessions with key stakeholders and residents.

Enhanced Experiences

Improved Mobility & Accessibility

Expanded Meetings & Events

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 Elevate the quality of existing experiences, develop new visitor tours and activities, and package them more cohesively in niche segments such as history culinary, culture and adventure.

Expanded Meetings & Events

Improved Mobility & Accessibility

Expanded Meetings & Events

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 Develop new meeting, conference and event spaces to answer the demand for more group business across the County. All while leveraging key clusters in tech, medical and mobility.

Improved Mobility & Accessibility

Improved Mobility & Accessibility

Improved Mobility & Accessibility

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 Better mobility means more opportunities for more residents throughout the County. There needs to be a holistic strategy for developing a multi-modal mobility ecosystem accessible for all.

Empowered Workforce

Greater Regional Collaboration

Improved Mobility & Accessibility

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 Talent is the competitive advantage for any destination, and Washtenaw County is a hot bed for education. The public and private sectors can collaborate more intentionally to leverage local institutions, organizations, knowledge and skills. 

Greater Regional Collaboration

Greater Regional Collaboration

Greater Regional Collaboration

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 Tourism, government, academic and economic development leaders have an opportunity to work together more effectively to benefit the entire County by connecting cross-sector expertise and community assets more effectively. 

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