ESCANABA — It has been a busy summer for area businesses. According to many area business owners, tourism in the area has increased over the past few years.

Restaurants such as Ludington Grill, Happy Days, and Jim’s Dari Kreme have all seen increases in business this summer. At Meijer, the gas station has been busy all summer. Each of these businesses attribute this increase to area events bringing in visitors.

Hotels in the area have been booked with the U.P. State Fair and upcoming logging convention. The Comfort Suites and Quality Inn and Suites both clarified their lack of growth was due to the fact that there is not room for growth.

“We are just always busy here,” Jennifer Bourque, manager of the Comfort Suites, said.

Andy’s Diner hasn’t been around long enough to tell what a typical summer will look like yet but this summer, they saw more travelers than locals.

Tom Nemecheck, director of the Upper Peninsula Travel and Recreation Association, has also seen an increase in tourism so far this summer.

“We saw a little bit of a slow start in June… It has been good, but we’re not breaking any records.” Nemecheck said.

Some businesses attribute the successful summer season to an increase in online presence for the U.P.

Visit Escanaba, Google, and Yelp were all regarded as helpful in reaching new and repeat tourists to the area.

“The state, the U.P. and individual counties all have their own marketing tactics.” Nemecheck explained.

The business of tourism is around the third largest industry in the Upper Peninsula and it is growing. Many area businesses rely on the summer months to boost business but tourism in the off season seems to be increasing as well.

The marketing of the fall colors brings tourists. For many hotels, road construction continues to bring business to the area throughout the year. The continuing development of the area brings more general business people to the U.P.

“Good weather [in the summer] brings them here and also keeps them here longer,” Nemecheck said of the tourists, “but its the economy that has the biggest effect.”