GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — Grand Haven's Downtown Development Authority is working to hire a marketing consultant to boost decreasing visitor traffic.
WATCH: Grand Haven's downtown authority seeks consultant to boost year-round visitors
A market data report from 2025 shows Grand Haven receives over 700,000 visitors every year. However, recent data shows a 2% overall decline in visits to the city, with offseason visits dropping 4%.
Grand Haven Main Street has put out a Request for Proposal (RFP) to find a marketing consultant to develop new strategies for promoting the city year round. Their goal is to find new ways to market the city outside of traditional sources.
Sharon Behm, owner of Borr's Shoes & Accessories, said the slower months present her biggest challenge.
"When you're a beach town, there's never a secret. It's always much busier during the summertime; it's the shoulder seasons that we, a lot of times, need a lot more help," Behm said.
Joyce Workman owns Vintage Green in Centertown and also serves on the DDA board. She said the DDA is offering up to $5,000 for a consultant to help the authority determine where to focus its marketing dollars.
"None of us are really marketing gurus, and so let's get a marketing group to tell us, here's where it's best to spend your dollars," Workman said.
Workman said she is also hopeful the effort will bring fresh ideas to the table.
"I always hope for more people. I always hope for more sales. I'm really, most of all looking for the fresh ideas. What are they going to come up with that we never thought of," Workman said.
Behm said the DDA's existing events and support for the business community have already made a difference, and she hopes the new initiative will build on that momentum.
"I think anytime they do things to bring boots on the sidewalk [...] it's my job to bring them inside my doors. Now I just need them to really focus on year-round downtown," Behm said.
The DDA plans to have a consultant picked by April.
