5 Million Views: What Pure Michigan Visitors Are Telling Us

Our tours with Pure Michigan visitor bureaus have now been viewed 5,186,420 times.

That's across visitor bureaus from Lansing all the way up to the Keweenaw. Every one of those views is someone checking out a hotel lobby, a museum entrance, a park trail, or a restaurant before they ever leave home.

That's what Explore Before You Go is all about. I spent some time pulling these numbers together, and I wanted to share what stood out to me.

One thing to keep in mind: that's total views to date, and not every tour went live at the same time. Some locations have been up 3 to 4 years longer than others, and some of our newer tours are just getting started. That number is only going to keep climbing.

Why the views add up

A big reason the numbers keep adding up is that one tour doesn't just sit in one place. Every Able Eyes tour lives on:

• ableeyes.org, in our searchable map and tour library
• Google Maps and the Google Business Profile
• The partner's own website
• AbleVu.com, as part of an accessibility profile
• Membership organization sites, like CVB and chamber directories

That helps with AI search, Google SEO, and visibility for everyone involved. The business gets found, the visitor bureau gets a better directory, and visitors get real answers. Where do I park? Which entrance do I use? What will I see when I walk in?

AI tools want that kind of real, specific info. I asked ChatGPT where I could explore Lansing online before visiting, and 7 of the 8 places it recommended cited Able Eyes.

What this means for your destination

People plan before they go. Over 5 million views tells me that. For a lot of visitors, being able to see a place first is what turns a maybe into a yes.

And it's not just one group of people using these tours. It's families planning a weekend away, couples checking out a hotel room before they book, and event planners looking at a venue. It's teachers and parents getting ready for a field trip. It's anyone who would rather not walk into a new place blind.

It's also the parent of a child with autism, someone who uses a wheelchair, a grandparent with low vision, or someone who feels better just knowing what to expect. Able Eyes is for people of all abilities. When a destination shows the way in, everyone in the group can say yes.

If you're a visitor bureau, one partnership can bring tours to businesses across your whole region. If you're a hotel, attraction, restaurant, or venue, a tour helps you get found on Google and in AI search, and it welcomes guests who might have stayed home. Accessibility and inclusion aren't extras. They're how more people end up choosing you.

Thank you, Pure Michigan

These numbers really belong to our partners. Thank you to Pure Michigan and every visitor bureau we work with for helping people see Michigan before they get here.

If you'd like your destination or business on Able Eyes, let's grab a time to chat. You can also check out 400+ tours.

Thanks!

Evan Winters, President/CEO of Able Eyes

"Explore Before You Go"