MICHIGAN
Despite concerns about summer tourism earlier this year, East Lansing business owners arent worried about sales dropping during the citys summer festival season.But Lori Martin, a research specialist at MSUs Travel, Tourism and Recreation Resource Center, said the tourism outlook for 2002 is uncertain while the nation recovers from recession.There are a few wild cards out there, she said.Those wild cards include the possibility of terrorism, weather and gas prices.Despite the unknowns, the centers researchers expect increases in tourism throughout the state, including a 3 percent increase in traffic volume due to tourism in the region including Ingham County.And East Lansing officials arent expecting much of a drop-off as the Great Lakes Folk Festival and East Lansing Art Festival near.It seems like people are looking for more things that they can spend time with their family or friends, community events specialist E.