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Sanctuary researchers report visitor-use survey results for Alpena; high satisfaction and local economic signals
Summary
A researcher from the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation told the council the foundation completed 667 surveys across the Thunder Bay sanctuary last summer, including 137 at city properties; most visitors were repeat visitors and nearly 9 in 10 reported high satisfaction with their recreation or tourism experience.
Nick Schulke, a researcher with the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, presented findings from a visitor-use monitoring effort at Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and related sites on June 20. Schulke said the foundation and partners completed about 4,000 surveys across three Great Lakes sanctuaries in 2025 and 667 surveys at Thunder Bay last summer; within the City of Alpena properties, his team conducted 137 surveys at marina, park and beach locations. "When we talk about Thunder Bay, last summer we completed 667 surveys," Schulke said, and he noted that at City of Alpena sites survey respondents were largely repeat visitors (roughly 86% reported prior visits) and that satisfaction was high (about nine out of ten indicated they were very or extremely satisfied).
Schulke described common trip activities (beach recreation and festivals were the top primary activities), group sizes (average group size about four for parties), and trip expenditures collected in the survey instrument; he said detailed 2025 findings and comparative analysis with 2026 data will be released later in the year. Council members thanked the foundation for the presentation and asked staff to continue coordinating survey access for local events such as the Thunder Bay International Film Festival.
