Michigan Matters: Boosting tourism and stepping up cybersecurity efforts

Tourism is a huge business in the Great Lakes State, which is why Janet Korn of Experience Grand Rapids, Kelly Wolgamott of Pure Michigan, and Liz Ware of Mission Point Resort on Mackinac Island appear on Michigan Matters this Sunday to talk about this critical industry as the summer season is about to kick off.

Wolgamott, who oversees the Pure Michigan marketing campaign, talked about the 20th anniversary of the iconic marketing effort and its impact.

Ware, who owns Mission Pointe Resort along with her family, talked about her hotel as Mackinac Island just opened for the season. She talks about tourism in northern Michigan and the idyllic island during the winter months.

Korn discusses tourism on the west side of the state and new developments, including the Acrisure Amphitheater, a 12,000-seat outdoor venue in downtown Grand Rapids.  

The trio discusses the impact of rising gas prices and friction at the federal level with Canada and the U.S., and how it affects tourism.

Then the focus turns to cybersecurity in the auto, defense and aerospace industries and Michigan's role as Jennifer Tisdale, co-chair of the Cyber Physical Systems Security Summit (CPS3) coming up in mid-June at Oakland University, and Dariusz Mikulski, lead research scientist at the U.S. Army's Ground Vehicle Systems Center in Warren, who is also co-chair and appears with her to discuss the event.

Tisdale has been involved in the state's cybersecurity space for years. Mikulski, who works in the defense space, discusses the impact of AI.

(Watch Michigan Matters at its new time: 5:30 a.m. Sundays on CBS Detroit and 9:30 a.m. Sundays on CW Detroit 50 WKBD). 

(Carol Cain is the 13-time Emmy-winning senior producer and host of Michigan Matters).