For the past year, the Ohio tourism industry quietly established itself as one of the state’s most efficient and profitable. Yesterday, state officials came to Athens to explore opportunities that could potentially strengthen the diverse industry.
The Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau held a meeting at the Dairy Barn, 8000 Dairy Lane, and discussed cooperative marketing and partnership opportunities for small businesses.
One goal of the meeting was to encourage antique, attraction, accommodation, art and cultural Southeast Ohio businesses to advertise more extensively, both inside and outside Ohio, Paige Alost, executive director for the Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said.
Though the pitch at yesterday’s meeting was simply a speculative presentation, it would be difficult to improve on the Ohio tourism industry, which generated $38 billion last year, she added.
“Tourism is a way for us to make a positive economic impact,” Alost said. “What the local residents see is an investment in their community.”
For instance, tourism in Athens County pulled in $119 million on a $325,000 budget in 2009.
Alost said that the most popular attraction in Athens County is the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway, which attracts 40,000 riders a year for $10 to $20 per ticket.
The other two largest attractions are the Dairy Barn Art Center and Stuart’s Opera House, Tammy Brown, public relations manager for the Ohio Tourism Division, said
The Ohio Tourism Division has a $5 million all-inclusive budget, allocated by general revenue funds. However, the amount of money that the industry generates grossly outweighs the cost.
“We have a large toolbox available for marketing and we share that with our partners,” said Amir Eylon, director of the Ohio Tourism Division.
The financial success of Ohio’s tourism is rooted in variety, he said.
“I think it’s the diversity of product we have,” Eylon said. “We have anything someone can look for — the world’s largest Amish community, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Pro Football Hall of Fame — I could go on all day.”
ld311710@ohiou.edu
