Community Highlights: Meet Candice Smith of Tours Around Michigan

Today we’d like to introduce you to Candice Smith.  

Hi Candice, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I love storytelling. With more than 30 years experience in media, public relations, and branding, I’ve shared stories as a television news producer and as a reporter for NPR station WGVU. That work continued in international communications and corporate communications. 

Tourism is a passion that married my love of storytelling with the high level of customer experience developed traveling with foreign government officials. This work quickly resulted in me receiving Certified Tourism Ambassador (CTA) Of the Year for Kent County and a WAVE Award for Best Attraction. I began my own tourism business in early 2018 that receive 5-star reviews from customers. Tours Around Michigan gives public tours on Grand Rapids’ history and special topics and private tours in a variety of topics customized to customer needs. We help people experience the area’s history, art, historic homes, tastings, foods, ghosts, and cultures in unique ways. We also customize immersion trips from one day to fifteen days including beer, wine, distillery, history, and food tours all over Michigan. 

Named one of the “Top 50 Things to Do In 2022” by Revue Magazine, Tours Around Michigan shares the hidden gems and reveals secrets of Michigan. We work hard to help you create unforgettable memories through our 5-star tours, including experiences customized for your group. We love to share unknown stories and places that even locals haven’t heard much about. We are constantly researching and finding new stories to keep our guests entertained, and our research never stops! 

We are LGBTQA-friendly, accessible, interpreter-friendly, and pet friendly… we really just want to be friends with everyone. 

My family roots go deep in Michigan, as my first relatives settled here in the early 1800s. I’m also a mother to four amazing daughters, who roll their eyes at being constantly bombarded with “fun facts” but then use them to impress others. I love getting involved with charity and professional organizations in the area through Tours Around Michigan, along with serving on the board of directors for an international non-profit. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The pandemic has been our largest challenge. We’ve developed more opportunities to get groups out in the open, where they don’t feel as crowded into a space. In our Garden Tours, for example, groups can explore beautiful, open spaces. Whenever possible, experts join us to share the history behind a mansion’s garden, or guests get a personal tour from the artist who created all the sculptures in the garden. (It’s a great relaxing experience also.) 

During the pandemic, we began offering Virtual Tours, which did a couple of great things. It allowed groups who were interested in future travel to our area to learn in-depth about subjects that made them want to visit places in person. Our virtual Church Tours led to people booking tours to later come to those churches in person with a group planner. When they walked in the door, they already had an intimate knowledge of the places, enhancing their experience there. Our virtual tours also could cover general topics that are more challenging to cover in one city, like Michigan Serial Killers, which discussed people from the lower border to the upper peninsula over 100 years. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We feel Personalization sets us apart from others. We love to help guests find a personal connection with the stories we share and places we take them. If they feel connected, they’re more likely to return. 

*World War II vets received extra information on how our own military heroes touched different areas of Grand Rapids and helped change the world. We’re working on sharing archived museum military and weapons collections with future Veterans groups to offer something almost no one gets to see.

*Special needs adults received a city history and art tour with fewer details and more to engage the senses. Their tour focused on things they could touch, smell & listen to, which gave them a customized experience focused on how they most enjoy exploring an area. 

*A convention client wanted to offer a tour that would inspire vendors to choose their experience to join. We took them on a ghost tour, ending at a haunted restaurant with gourmet food & tastings of Michigan wines, brews & cocktails. Their group also had plenty of space to mingle and talk business while enjoying a great evening together. 

*We help companies with team building by creating different experiences for them, including customized Scavenger Hunts to help them have fun and strengthen their employee connections.

We also love partnering with others to help us both. We are broadening our offerings in Michigan by partnering with tour providers around the state. We want to be the hub to help make planning a trip to Michigan easier. Group planners have a lot to do, and if we can help make it easier for them by using our inside knowledge what’s available for their groups and helping them arrange group tours in other parts of the state, that’s a win for all of us! 

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Adaptability. My professional background developed my skills to read a situation and quickly assess for possible solutions. This allows me to find ways to make experiences extra special for my guests. My goal is always to leave guests with more than they expected from their experience. I want to inspire them to return to keep exploring the amazing state of Michigan. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ToursAroundMichigan.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/toursaroundmichigan/
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/ToursAroundMichigan
• Twitter: twitter.com/ToursAroundMI
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCK3pVuPL7jSn_09JjpKCkoA
• Other: www.tiktok.com/@toursaroundmichigan/

Image Credits
SpringGR