Division Releases

May is Ohio Tourism Month!
Plan an Ohio getaway with Barnes & Noble Bookstores, Ohio Magazine, Ohio Tourism Division
5/8/2009

CONTACT:
Tamara Brown at (614) 466-8591

COLUMBUS, Ohio (May 8, 2009) – As officially declared by Governor Ted Strickland and Lt. Governor Lee Fisher, May is Ohio Tourism Month. While National Tourism Week runs May 9-17, 2009, the Ohio Tourism Division is encouraging Ohio’s convention and visitors bureaus, attractions, restaurants and lodging facilities to take the entire month of May to showcase Ohio’s outstanding tourism experiences that as an industry contributed $38 billion and 454,000 jobs to Ohio’s economy in 2007.

“This is peak travel planning time for visitors,” said State Tourism Director Amir Eylon. “We have assembled a number of partnerships for Ohio’s travel industry to combine our dollars and push our messages of affordable, high-value getaway opportunities out to consumers in Ohio and adjoining states.”

To help get the word out about Ohio’s tourism opportunities, the Ohio Tourism Division developed partnerships with Ohio’s 20 Barnes & Noble Bookstores and Ohio Magazine. For the month of May, Ohio Barnes & Noble Bookstores are featuring Ohio Tourism Month with signage and book displays including Ohio travel/guidebooks, authors, photography, history, books about Ohioans and more. Additionally, each bookstore is holding a series of events that range from book author signings to events created in collaboration with Ohio travel entities to offer bookstore customers a taste of some of Ohio’s tourism attractions and experiences.

The Ohio Magazine May issue includes a 10-page section on Ohio tourism opportunities, and 11,000 copies of Ohio’s official 2009 Travel Planner have been polybagged with Ohio Magazine for sale on newsstands in nearly 800 stores.

Ohio’s tourism advertising program also kicks into high gear this month. The 2009 campaign builds on last year’s “Too Much Fun for Just One Day” theme by promoting nearby, affordable, overnight getaways to enjoy uniquely Ohio experiences. The campaign utilizes both traditional (television, radio and print) and new (online and social) media appearing in Ohio and in out-of-state feeder markets. “A majority of Ohio’s visitors come from about 300 miles of Ohio, so our advertising program will market heavily to potential travelers in adjoining states and in Ohio,” Eylon said. “Ohio is well positioned geographically (within about 600 miles of roughly 60 percent of the U.S. population), from a value perspective and in terms of the variety of first-class, unique experiences the state offers to hold our own this year if travelers stay closer to home and seek affordable travel options.”

Launched in 2008, the Ohio Tourism Division’s “Too Much Fun for Just One Day” campaign produced a 12-to-1 return on investment and $473 million in visitor spending last year within about five months according to research conducted by Longwoods International on behalf of the Ohio Tourism Division.

About the Ohio Tourism Division
The Ohio Tourism Division is the premier source of information for travelers and media about Ohio’s vibrant tourism experiences, attractions, and economy. Division marketing programs contributed to an estimated $38 billion in visitor sales in 2007 and 454,000 jobs sustained by visitors to the state. A part of the Ohio Department of Development, the Division’s mission is to promote and celebrate Ohio’s unique travel opportunities and market the state’s outstanding quality of life.

###