East Tawas has its eye on becoming a destination port for the growing number of passenger cruises plying the Great Lakes.
The Tawas Area Chamber of Commerce recently joined an international cruise marketing program called Cruise the Great Lakes, which represents American and Canadian entities with a goal to attract more passengers to the lakes.
“We have worked diligently to ensure we meet the requirements that cruise lines seek in potential port destinations,” said Rich Castle, who is president of Develop Iosco, which promotes economic development in the rural county in northeastern Michigan. He is also community affairs manager for Consumers Energy in the region.
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Rich CastleCastle said the initiative is at the beginning stages, but “we are eager to leverage our Cruise the Great Lakes membership and lure cruise lines to our region. We have amazing experiences and attractions to offer a cruise passenger while providing the requirements for cruise ships to anchor in the bay, so we are very hopeful.”
So far, there is only one cruise ship port on Lake Huron – Alpena, about 60 miles north of East Tawas. Other Michigan ports include Detroit, Mackinac Island, Muskegon and Houghton, Sault Ste. Marie and Marquette in the Upper Peninsula.
Many cruise lines have itineraries that pass the area on their way to Mackinac Island or Detroit. Like East Tawas, other Saginaw Bay tourism groups are also working toward attracting visitors.
East Tawas’s interest comes at a time when the passenger cruise industry in the Great Lakes is growing, drawing visitors from all over the country and beyond. Many are drawn to the Great Lakes not only because of their natural beauty and rich history but also because they are unfamiliar with the region.
Typically, Great Lakes cruises are more expensive than Caribbean cruises, costing thousands of dollars. They generally lure an older demographic, people in their 60s and above, who are often retired and well-traveled. They’re seeking more laid-back, enrichment vacations. The ships generally don’t offer pools, casinos or shopping. On-board activities generally include music, lectures, and cocktail hours. The focus is more about personal enrichment.
Last month Cruise the Great Lakes officials projected a more than $230 million economic impact across the region this year, a 15 percent boost from 2024.
The upcoming cruise season marks the return of Victory Cruise Lines to the Great Lakes, highlighting the increasing variety of vessels navigating the region. Cruise lines scheduled to operate on the Great Lakes in 2025 include Pearl Seas, Viking, St. Lawrence Cruise Lines, Ponant, Hapag-Lloyd and Victory.
“As we look to 2025, we’re excited to see continued growth in the Great Lakes cruise sector,” said Cathleen Domanico, tourism director for Cruise the Great Lakes. “We forecast this upcoming season to be even stronger than 2024, both in terms of passenger numbers and economic impact, which underscores the appeal of cruising in the Great Lakes.”
If successful, cruise passengers could give East Tawas and the northeastern Michigan region a tremendous economic boost. Tourism is the biggest industry in Iosco County, home to about 25,000 people year-round – a number that doubles or triples in the warmer months.
“The East Tawas area has a strong maritime past and is very much a tourist destination, so we are eager to help them pursue this endeavor,” Domanico said. “Cruise passengers would have a delightful time visiting and enjoying the culture, history and natural resources the East Tawas region provides. We will do all we can to give our Sunrise Coast members a chance to become a destination.”
Currently, East Tawas does not have a dock that could accommodate a cruise ship. However, a cruise ship could anchor in Tawas Bay and use a smaller vessel to shuttle passengers to state-owned docks. Passengers could spend time at the city’s Lake Huron beaches or walk directly across U.S. 23 to downtown East Tawas or join bus tours for a variety of excursions.
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“We’re looking for other opportunities to bring people here and see all that we have to offer,” Castle said, noting East Tawas was once a port serving passengers in an era before cars. “Lake Huron is our biggest asset. “As soon as you would get off the shuttle boat, there would be beaches right there at the dock. Downtown East Tawas is a charming, vibrant downtown with shops, restaurants and other establishments to visit.”
Potential excursions from East Tawas could include Tawas Point State Park, the Tawas Point Lighthouse, city of Tawas and the Au Sable River with its scenic overlooks, Lumberman’s Monument and Oscoda.
Local officials began mulling East Tawas as a cruise port more than a decade ago. Develop Iosco conducted a couple of feasibility studies but came across some hurdles, such as the lack of a dock to accommodate cruise ships. More recently, cruise ships have been able to anchor offshore and shuttle passengers to communities.
“We don’t want to miss this opportunity,” he said, adding upgrading a dock to support large ships could be a future plan.
John Schmidt, maritime program manager at Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers, the organization that runs the Cruise the Great Lakes initiative, said it takes a year or two for a city to become a destination port. It’s a matter of having the right infrastructure, not only for reaching shore but to handle waste, and interest from the cruise lines. He said cruise lines generally create their itineraries two years in advance but are always looking for new ports and excursions.
“Cruise lines are always looking for new exciting unique destinations and don’t want to stick with the same old, same old,” he said. “They want to mix it up and keep it fresh. They want people to keep coming back.”
Cruise the Great Lakes is a collaboration of American states, Canadian provinces, cruise lines, ports, conventions and visitors bureaus, chambers of commerce, association and others working toward shared goals.