Advertising for tourism in Michigan took a blow late this year when Travel Michigan's popular Pure Michigan advertising campaign budget was cut from $30 million to $5.4 million for 2010. The winter advertising campaign, which was a new feature in 2009, will be the most immediate casualty.

The cut in funds is devastating to the tourism campaign, said George Zimmermann, vice-president for Travel Michigan, a division of Michigan's Economic Development Corporation.

"Advertising is based on the premise of repetition," Mr. Zimmermann said. "Now we are talking about not doing any of it. It just doesn't make any sense."

The advertising budget at Travel Michigan increased over the years from $5.7 million in 2005 to $30 million in 2009, when the state decided to strenthen its efforts toward tourism promotion, and has added target markets of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Canada, and bought a national television advertising package.

A proposal has been extended to state legislators to solve the organization's funding woes that would raise $40 million for advertising and business promotion through a change in the allocation of sales taxes from tourism-related businesses. Putting a $2.50 surcharge on all rental cars paid for at airports in the state would create temporary funding until the tax could be enacted.

Michigan legislators would need to pass this law before the end of January to save spring and summer advertising campaigns, Mr. Zimmermann said. The bill was on agenda for discussion at the state House of Representatives Tuesday, December 8. It is not yet certain what the potential law's fate will be.

Those fighting for the passage of this bill have cited the overwhelming success of Pure Michigan since it was launched in 2007. They point to $40 in consumer spending and $2.86 in state tax that studies have suggested result from each dollar spent on tourism advertising between 2004 and 2008.

"We are going to keep making the case," Mr. Zimmermann said. "Summer is our biggest tourism season. We definitely need to have this fixed by spring."

Forbes magazine recently named Pure Michigan in its list of top 10 tourism campaigns of all time, along with "Virginia is for Lovers," and Las Vegas' "What Happens Here Stays Here."

"We know that we have the right campaign, and we have the data to show that it works," Mr. Zimmermann said. "Our attitude is to just get it going."