Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau 2025 Tourism Recap & Celebration

Thanks to all who attended our partner meeting after the celebration program. We shared some more in-depth plans for the upcoming year along with updates on some of our biggest initiatives in the works and a round table update from our hospitality partners.

MARKETING, DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT & PARTNER SUPPORT/SUCCESSES

We can measure our success as an organization by the revenue that is generated through the visitor overnight stays in our lodging properties, as we are able to track these things very accurately. But then there are the things we work on every day to ensure that our visitors continue to enjoy their stays in the Greater Cadillac Area for years to come.

These things include…

• generating awareness and shining a light on the best of what the Cadillac area has to offer through content creation, advertising, outreach & public relations.
• improving visitor experience, including upgrades to our website, print collateral & our new mobile visitor center.
• taking an honest look to identify what we can do to improve Cadillac as a destination people want to stay in, and then creating positive change with self audits, surveys, data collection & destination development investments like our new ORV Scenic Ride.
• improving hospitality partner support through shared tools, training & showing appreciation.

Lastly, success means connecting with local stakeholders and residents to promote stewardship and sustainability as we work to protect what we have for ourselves and future generations.

We thank and appreciate all those who were able to attend our event this year but also those who couldn’t. To all of our front line hospitality staff, working hard in our hotels, restaurants, retail shops, and more – your jobs are not easy and Cadillac is a better place because of the good work you do each day.

Below is a highlight reel of just some of the things we have been working to document over the past year. There is so much to do in the Cadillac Area – we hope you enjoy it!

2025 TOURISM & HOSPITALITY AWARD WINNERS

The Allan Green Award for Recreation Excellence is an annual award to recognize an individual who is a dedicated advocate for the advancement of outdoor recreation opportunities in the Greater Cadillac area. For this year’s winner, our team has chosen someone who has worked at the Carl T. Johnson Hunting & Fishing Center since 2011 and also travels around the state to support programming with DNR facilities, teaching hundreds of classes and workshops, helping thousands of people of all ages learn outdoor skills related to hunting, fishing, foraging, and more.

Many thanks to Ed Shaw – Marketing & Outreach Interpreter with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

The Recreation Excellence Award is an annual award recognizing area businesses or organizations who demonstrate excellence in providing recreational opportunities to our visitors. We have chosen a business that has received a great recognition this spring, when they were named Michigan’s #1 Top Rated Public Golf Course by GolfPass.com as well as the #7 Top Rated Public Golf Course in the Country. This Cadillac gem has also ranked in the top 25 in a variety of categories over the past several years.

Congratulations to Don Smith and the hard working team at the Eldorado Golf Course!

This year’s Volunteer of the Year Award is awarded this year to someone that has dedicated more than 25 years with the Friends of Mitchell State Park group. 20 of those years have been as the gift shop manager, with 10 years serving as President. She has spent countless hours volunteering for festival committees supporting the Cadillac West area. She has partnered with our organization for coordinating Cadillac merchandise in the Carl T. Johnson gift shop and we appreciate her on-going support for our team!

Thank you Kathleen Kelso for your years of valued service to our community!