A new Michigan bill has been passed to raise the tourist tax in an effort to grow the state’s tourism marketing programs.

House Bill 6166 moves to raise taxes applied to hotel/motel and bed and breakfasts (with at least 35 rooms) on guest bills. 

Beginning Jan. 1, through Dec. 31, 2030, the tax will jump from 2% to 3.5% with a planned increase to 4% on Jan. 1, 2031.

TRAVELERS MAY FACE YET ANOTHER ‘TOURIST TAX’ WHEN VISITING CERTAIN CITIES

State Representative Tyrone Carter, who introduced the bill, told Fox News Digital that the money raised will go to Visit Detroit. 

Carter also said it’s important to note that this is an “opt in” opportunity for hotels. 

“To go up 1% when you’ve been at 2% for the last 20, 30 years, I don’t think is unreasonable when you look at everything that has taken place,” said Carter.

He added, “it’s not going toward anything other than promoting the [Detroit] area… and all of the things that we have to offer and that takes money to advertise.”

Last April, Detroit attracted more than 775,000 visitors for the NFL draft. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

“I thought it was great, especially after the success of the NFL draft, to have so many people from all around the country come here and just get that new perspective, an idea of what Detroit looks like,” said Carter.

More than 775,000 people visited the Detroit area last April for the NFL draft, according to Visit Detroit. 

“We’re never going to make everybody happy. But I think that 1% and opt in is also the thing. If you don’t want to join, you don’t have to. It’s not mandatory,” Carter shared.

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Michelle Bork, vice president of Travelmation, told Fox News Digital that she is concerned about the tourist tax increase.

Michigan State Representative Carter told Fox News Digital the funds will go to promoting tourism in the Detroit area. (Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket)

“I lived in Michigan for 27 years and would regularly travel to various beautiful destinations around the state,” said Bork.

She added, “By increasing the tourism tax, you are basically charging people who already live there to visit their own state.”

“Most people who visit Michigan are from the state or the surrounding areas. If it becomes cheaper to visit other places, the state of Michigan could lose visitors and revenue which would be heartbreaking to local businesses,” said Bork.

The bill is currently with Governor Gretchen Whitmer waiting to be signed into law.

(FOX 2) – It’s become apparent that three things are guaranteed in life: death, taxes, and astronomical Detroit Lions ticket prices.

Sticker shock may have set in at the end of the season as the Lions clinched the NFC North division in the last game of the season when they played the Minnesota Vikings, but that hasn’t stopped the price from climbing.

With Ford Field set to host the team’s first playoff game this weekend, fans are discovering the cheapest prices for the Lions-Commanders game are higher than tickets to three other playoff games combined.

By the numbers:

Of the four playoff games taking place this weekend, it is the Detroit vs. Washington matchup on Saturday night that will break the bank the most. Here are the lowest prices, according to Vividseats:

• Houston Texans vs. Kansas City Chiefs – $102
• Washington Commanders vs. Detroit Lions – $418
• Los Angeles Rams vs. Philadelphia Eagles – $201
• Baltimore Ravens vs. Buffalo Bills – $123

It won’t come as a surprise that the cheapest tickets are ones on the upper deck near the endzones. For a spot closer to the field, prepare to shell out more than a thousand.

The cheapest seats aren’t the only way to gauge the cost of going to the game. 

On the social platform X, ESPN’s Field Yates cited TickPick, which tracks ticket prices, when he said the average price for a ticket to the Lions game is $991 – making it the most expensive non-Super Bowl NFL game ever.

StubHub, another ticket reseller, said the Commanders-Lions game was outselling the second-best-selling game between the Ravens and Bills by 188%.

Dig deeper:

The discovery of expensive tickets is a product of having a successful sports team. 

Some unsuspecting fans have gotten burned by scammers as a result. One fan lost $400 on Facebook after trying to purchase two tickets for himself and his son.

StubHub has some quick tips for anyone who does plan on buying tickets:

• Don’t pay cash
• Use a trusted service
• Don’t share ticket barcodes on social media

Additionally, buyers should be wary of anyone on social media selling tickets – especially accounts offering bargains on tickets that appear to be too good to be true.

“The game between the Commanders and Lions has all the makings of a high-demand matchup – a team that just won its first playoff game since 2006 competing against America’s favorite team. It’s the hottest ticket of the weekend by far, nearly tripling the sales of the other divisional round games,” said Adam Budelli, a spokesperson with StubHub.

MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Bucks will host a “Bucks In Ink” flash event on Thursday, Jan. 16, from 12-2 p.m. in the atrium of Fiserv Forum. 

Bucks In Ink

What we know:

Local tattoo artists will be on site to give permanent tattoos to registered fans using artwork inspired by Bucks basketball, the city of Milwaukee and the 2025 NBA All-Star Game host city of San Francisco. 

According to a news release, the tattoos will be done by artists from Good Land Tattoo, Black Dawn Tattoo and Xolo Tattoo Studio. 

The free event builds on the Bucks’ 2025 All-Star campaign, which bridges the Bay Area to the shores of Lake Michigan through the American traditional tattoo style that originated in Milwaukee. 

Limited spots are available for the event. Interested participants must register in advance by filling out THIS FORM. 

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What you can do:

Fans can also show support for the Bucks’ 2025 All-Star candidates by visiting the “Bucks In Ink” temporary tattoo parlor at home games through Jan. 19.

The parlor is open in Section 218 from the time doors open through halftime of each Bucks home game, including tonight’s game against the Orlando Magic. 

Voting for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game is open now through Jan. 20. Fans can vote once per day and take advantage of the remaining triple-vote days, where each vote counts as three, on Friday, Jan. 17, and Monday, Jan. 20. 

To vote or learn more about the 2025 NBA All-Star Game, visit www.bucks.com/allstar.