Michigan’s high gas prices, economic uncertainty raise summer tourism concerns

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May 19, 2026, 6:03 a.m. ET
Noah’s Ark Charters in Copper Harbor is ready for summertime in Michigan, or, as its co-owner, Noah Jukuri, suggested, as ready as it’s going to be when the season starts Memorial Day weekend, and tourists want to visit the local lighthouse accessible only by watercraft.
What the Yooper tour boat captain doesn’t know for sure is how many visitors will show up, given the surge in gas prices, unseasonably cold weather and terrible spring flooding throughout Michigan after so much rain and snowmelt that wrecked homes, bridges and roadways.